Come Out of the Stronghold

"...Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah ..." (1 Samuel 22:5).

David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life's down-and-out had come and joined David's army. David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety. Then, God's prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah. Judah means "praise."

When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving in the right direction. He does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of praise.

I recall when I went through a very difficult time. It seemed to drag on and on with no change until finally I wanted to retreat to a cave and forget pressing on. It was a great time of discouragement. A godly man came to me and said, "You must keep moving! There are too many who are depending on you in the Kingdom."

I didn't totally understand what he meant at the time. Now I know he was saying that God is preparing each of us to be the vessel He wants to use in the life of another person, but we will never be that vessel if we give up and hide in our cave of discouragement. Not only must we keep moving, we must move into a new realm. Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise.

"He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners - to comfort all who mourn. ... a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor" (Isa 61:1-3).

It is only when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah.
  - Os Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.

The Cost of Character

When we take a children’s storybook approach to the Bible we can actually think that Samson and Delilah was a love story, or sing cheerful songs about the “Arky, arky” and miss the tragedy of God’s judgment in the flood. It is this same simple perspective that frames the story of Daniel in the lions’ den as primarily about him sleeping peacefully among some big, cute, and furry felines.

Yes, Daniel was put in a lions’ den. Yes, the lions were kept from gobbling him up for dinner. Yes, this was an amazing miracle! But there is so much more to the story. Daniel 6 teaches us about how living with a high level of integrity and character can cost more than we dream. It reveals that habits of faith and a life of faithfulness are not private matters, but should be lived in the public eye. This chapter also portrays the power of a fearless witness. When God’s people hold fast to their convictions, a watching world stands amazed. Of course, the whole lions’ den part is very cool . . . but it is time that we hear the rest of the story

More than any time in history there seems to be a famine of character. We need examples of people who say what they believe and then live it out. Character is about holding convictions that honor God and letting those deep beliefs shape all we say and do . . . even when no one is watching! True character is about staying true to what we believe even when there are consequences. Daniel loved God. His faith was real and deep. By the time we catch up with him in chapter 6, he has been a political exile in Babylon for about sixty-five years! No longer a young man refusing to eat rich food from Nebuchadnezzar’s table, he is now well into his seventies or older.

Daniel has developed life disciplines and practices that grow out of a heart that is connected to his God, so three times a day he gets on his knees to pray. You can almost hear his old joints cracking as he lowers his elderly frame to the ground. His window is always open as he faces toward Jerusalem, the childhood home he has dreamed about for almost seven decades. This is his habit . . . and everybody knows it! Daniel’s willingness to die for what he believed became a witness to Darius and the world. It is interesting to note that the word “witness” comes from the root word martyria, from which we get the word “martyr.” It literally means “a person who shows Christ’s passion in life and death.”

Throughout history many Christians have held to their faith in the face of persecution and have paid the ultimate price. Here are a few prayers lifted up by these faithful servants before they died:

Let me be steadfast in my faith to the end.

I have no hope of seeing my brethren again in this life.

If they kill me, let me die as a witness to my faith;

If I live, let me go on proclaiming it. - Gabra Michael, died in 1855 in chains refusing to deny Jesus

This is the end, but for me it is the beginning of life. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed in a Nazi death camp

What steps can a follower of Jesus take to stand strong and be a witness in times of persecution and pressure?

© 2014 by Zondervan. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Visit JohnOrtberg.com for more about John Ortberg's work and ministry.

Post by True Riches Club.