Shalom and welcome once again as we spend time in reading God’s word, spend a couple of minutes together in reflecting and meditating on some examples of obedience that we see through the bible. The last three days we looked at Noah, Abraham and Mary and today, we look at Daniel who obeyed God from his convictions. When we read through the book of Daniel, he really comes and emerges as a symbol of a man with unwavering conviction, even in the midst of a culture that was vastly very different from his own. We read that his determination to remain true to his beliefs even under pressure was a testimony of his obedience that was from deep seated convictions. Daniel chapter 1, verse 8 reads, ‘But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.’ We read that Daniel had convictions that was evident right from his early days in Babylon. Despite the pleasure and the attraction of good food and wine, his convictions went way beyond that external observance but was a matter of an internal purity. We do see that his convictions were so strong that he wanted to maintain a heart that was undefiled and a conscience that was undefiled before God. He was determined not to compromise; he was determined to honor God and his convictions stemmed from that place and this we see reflected a heart that was deeply rooted in faith. As we read in Daniel, we also see that his convictions weren’t just reserved for these matters but also whether at times when he was interpreting dreams or when he was continuing his prayer routine, despite whatever threat he came across, his convictions actually formed the bedrock of his actions. We also read that his commitment to his convictions didn’t just affect him, in fact, it led the kings at his time to recognize supremacy of God. We read that king Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the greatness of Daniel’s God because of his convictions. King Darius brings about a decree that all of the empire must fear God because of what Daniel stood for. So, what do we learn from that? When obedience is driven by conviction, it becomes that powerful witness even to people around. In a world that makes us conform to what it wants, Daniel’s story stands as that hope, that beacon that urges us to ground our actions in godly convictions. How do our convictions shape our choices? When we are faced with challenges, do we resolve to stand firm like Daniel did? Let’s take this lesson and cultivate deep convictions about our stand for God, God’s word in our lives, allowing us to guide our obedience in all circumstances. Let’s pray together, Heavenly Father, we thank you for what we have learned from the life of Daniel, that we stand deep in our convictions, that comes from the word of God, that we wouldn’t compromise on what the standards of the world teach us but we would stand on the truth of your word so that we obey as a result of that. Keep us a witness to your name in this world as we stand for your convictions, in Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

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