Command!

Greetings,

Today’s DEVO is based on Psalm 44:4, “You are my King, O God, Command victories and deliverance for Israel” (Amplified Bible).

As I read this verse last night, I thought, “God is my King, and He is my God too!  He is the One Who has the power to command, decree, declare, and give me victory.”

If the psalmist can be so bold as to ask God to issue the order for a divine favorable intervention, then so will I.

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are our awesome and powerful Lord.  We ask You in Jesus’ name to command a victory for us today.  We need a win for our souls. Send peace, wisdom, and hope. We need triumph in our health. Send wholeness and healing. We need success in our relationships. Send mutual love and understanding. For some of us, we need You to cause a divine encounter between us and a godly person so we are no longer lonely. Make it happen! We also need our finances to thrive. Send prosperity, bless our jobs, and open doors of opportunity for us.  Lord, wherever we have a need, we are trusting You to command a victory for us! Thank You! We love the Bible. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Glorious Reversal~

A final footnote on Daniel…

Did you know he was around 90 years old when he was thrown in the lion’s den?  I am pushing 50 and don’t think my heart could take it.  It just goes to show how calm we can be even in the midst of unthinkable troubles.  The key, as we have discovered, is that Daniel was a man of prayer before the problems, during, and after.  It was his way of life! Plus, never ever let anyone tell us we are too old for something; our best days are yet to come.  God wants to use us even when we are geriatrics!

It’s also important to note that it is in the lion’s nature to devour and destroy.  Yet, God went against the will of those beasts to protect Daniel.  Let us always remember that “If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).” 

And finally, there’s what I like to call The Glorious Reversal.

King Darius went from issuing a decree where he was seeking prayers to himself to “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel (Daniel 6:26).”

The reasons King Darius gives will be our prayer today:

Thank You, Lord, that You are “the living God and You endure forever; Your kingdom will not be destroyed, Your dominion will never end. You rescue me and You save me; You performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. You rescued Daniel from the power of the lions and You rescue me from their power as well!” In Jesus’ name, AMEN! (Daniel 6:26-27)

An About-face~

A few interesting footnotes to this passage in Daniel.

Nebuchadnezzar, the very one who made the statue and demanded it be worshipped, now has a different opinion.  He witnessed a miracle and immediately recognized the Most High God at work.  Others witnessed it as well.  They saw with their own eyes that the fire had not harmed them and that there was not even the smell of fire on them.  Can you imagine all those folks gathered around sniffing these guys? 

What results when we are confident in our faith, spend time with Jesus during our trial, and emerge victorious?      

Daniel 3:28-30 “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has rescued His servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”

Even the worst of the worst recognize that God is worthy to be praised when He shows up, does His thing, and rescues us.  There’s no denying that “no other god can save” in the way we need to be saved.  Others around us marvel at what God does in our lives and maybe, just maybe, that’s the push they need to invite Christ into their lives.  I have seen firsthand how God has saved marriages, restored health, brought babies to infertile couples, brought love into lonely lives, brought peace where only torment had existed, brought joy where depression abounded, brought financial miracles just in time, and supernaturally protected children from accidents, and it has bolstered my faith like nothing else!

And while I wouldn’t go as far as decreeing that “people be cut into pieces” if they say anything against God, I won’t allow anyone in my presence to take His name in vain or be disrespectful.  God is just too loving, too awesome, and too beautiful to me for me to be in that kind of atmosphere. 

Last but not least, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were promoted by the very king who tried to kill them.  Talk about an about-face!  God takes the thing that had us freaked out and struggling in the first place and turns it around to be a source of blessing.  Amen!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that we get blessed and so do others when You show up and save us.  You are worthy to be praised, and Your name is sacred.  Glory to Your name, and we invite You to pour our Your strength, joy, health, provision, and peace into us and our families.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!