CONSISTENT IN FAITH

• DAY 132
• FAITH FILE: DANIEL
• SCRIPTURES: DANIEL 6:6-10

So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Yesterday we talked about how these satraps were so frustrated by Daniel’s uprightness they had to set him up to get him out of the way. Today we continue our study of Daniel and his life of faith and courage. If you missed yesterday, click here to catch up.

In our text today, a group of busybodies (as I call them) came up with a strategy to displace a righteous man. You see, they devised this means because they were sure it would work. These people had faith in the faith of Daniel. They so believed in Daniel that they involved the king in their plot. They roped him into signing a decree without realizing that the target of the decree was a person he cherished. And he fell for it because of his own pride. We should be very careful of offers and suggestions that glorify us and satisfy the flesh, it is always a trap.

Daniel knew what they did. He knew the king had signed it and it was irreversible. But that knowledge was inconsequential to him. If he could deny the king’s delicacy as a teenager, a decree would not stop him. Especially not after how his friends were delivered from the fiery furnace. He ignored the decree and returned to his routine.

Fear affects Behaviour

I have learned that an indication of fear and anxiety is a change in regular behavior or routine. When people get worried and overwhelmed with fear they change their regular actions. An anxious believer who rarely prays because he is busy, will find no difficulty changing his busy schedule to spend time praying about a problem that suddenly arose. A person who is afraid that his landlord will kick him out because he is owing rent, will change his work resumption and closure time so that he can enter and exit the house, without being seen by the landlord. Someone with a heart full of worry can even find it difficult to pray as they ought. Over and over again, we find evidence in our human interactions and everyday experiences, as well as in the scripture, that anxiety changes behaviour, fear affects actions and worry modifies routine.

But a man of faith maintains his godly routines irrespective of circumstances. A man of faith, when confronted with threats, will still show up before the presence of God like he always does. Because he knows that, sometimes, the threat of the enemy is directed at his faith and confidence in God.  He also knows that it is these habits and routines he developed that will deliver him from the threats that are confronting him.

So if you are wondering how Daniel was able to find confidence and courage to still do what he normally does, it is right there in that verse. He continued to do that which he has been doing since the early days.  I know that change is good but, there are some things that should never change. There are some habits that should never leave you.  Some principles should not be modified. 

Don’t Change

As a believer you cannot change your habits of prayer, you cannot change studying the word consistently, you should not change living a life of gratitude, devotion and commitment to God and the things of God. The moment you change this you have positioned yourself for fear.

So let me ask you, how faithfully have you been with the routines that were designed to sustain you? How consistent have you been in applying the principles of the word of God in your life like you are supposed to? Have you left aside those things you used to do the time you first gave your life to Christ? Have you forgotten the principles that you upheld when you first believed in God? When we read in the book of Revelation, Jesus warned us of walking away from our first love and our love waxing cold. It is these things that He’s talking about –our inconsistency in our relationship with Him. Our distraction from our devotion to Him.

Stay Consistent

Fear will never depart from a man that is not consistent in faith. He will continue to struggle with anxiety today, defeat tomorrow; worry today peace tomorrow, stability today and chaos tomorrow. But if you find a man that is diligent in his faith walk with God, diligent and consistent in his faith, he will be far from anxiety and worry.

Beloved, let us be consistent in our faith. If you are not consistent, if you have not built a routine around the principles of your faith, if you have not developed routes when it comes to walking with God, now is a good time to start. Pick up that Bible dust it off or download it on your phone separate yourself from destruction and start building with things because it is the things you have done of old that will make your heart confident when the enemy comes after you it is in those things you have been doing of old that you will find confidence and Faith when new challenges arise or old challenges resources.

 Shalom