Thank you, Mark and Diane, for leading us again this morning. Good morning to everyone. It's not even snowing yet, and nobody showed up this morning. What's going on? I'm glad you're all here.

We are continuing our study in the book of Daniel this morning in Chapter 1. Last week we began with an introduction to the book and set the context for the culture and time in which Daniel lived, the providence of God, and how Daniel came to be where he was in Babylon in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. God was doing a mighty work in this time in the nations and rulers of the world, in the kingdoms of Judah and his people, including these four young boys, Daniel and his friends.

It's easy for us to get caught up in our world today, with all that's going on, and to become concerned about governments and politics and all of those things. But this was going on all through history, and perhaps in much grander ways. Certainly we see God moving in this time. We saw how he removed Assyria and Egypt as the major geopolitical powers of the time and brought the new Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar to power. Now Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold, the sovereign ruler of the mightiest kingdom on earth.

At the same time that he defeated Assyria and Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, he also comes to Judah, to Jerusalem, and besieges it, sacking the city, taking captive many of the people, seizing control of the leaders and the country. He takes with him perhaps a hundred or so young men, children of the nobles, in order to train them and conform them into Babylonians, that they might serve the king. 

In that group, we see four young men that are faithful, who are to be used mightily by God for his purposes in this time. One of the greatest lessons of Daniel is to see the lengths to which God will go in the affairs of men to accomplish his purposes. He is in control. He raises up kings and brings low the mighty. He's able to put down the proud, as we will see with Nebuchadnezzar himself, and his will goes forth. He achieves his ends in the affairs of men.

At the heart of this are his people. God cares for those who are his. He works in and through those people who believe and obey him. Those who know him, who are known by him, are safe, secure, and useful to the purposes of God for his glory, and enjoy the eternal promises of God in Jesus Christ. This was true for Daniel in the heart of pagan Babylon, even in the lion's den, even among pagan kings and nations and evil powers. And it's true for you and for me. If we believe in Jesus, if we know him, if God is our Father, then we have nothing to fear in this life or in the next. 

We can rejoice regardless of our circumstances and know that God is working all things together for our good and for his glory. There are many lessons and applications in this book in the life of Daniel for us, and perhaps the most comforting of these, the greatest of these, is that God is in control of all things. And that He's working all things, according to Romans 8:28; He's working all things together for our good, for his purposes, for his glory. And we are part of that, by our will, our words, our faithfulness each day. 

So let's look at Daniel 1 again. We'll read that text beginning in verse 8. It says, "But Daniel purposed in his heart," isn't the New King James so much more eloquent, Mark, than yours, "you know, he made up his mind." Well, no, he 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. Therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 

Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink, for why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king." So Daniel said to the steward, whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies, as you see fit, so deal with your servants."

So he consented with them in this matter and tested them ten days. At the end of the ten days, their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. Thus, the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables. 

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore, they served before the king. 

In all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus, Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

I've given you five points on your outline this morning. First, purpose and passion; second, preference with pagans; third, perseverance; fourth, God's providence; and fifth, God's purpose. 

Well, perhaps the key verse of this entire book of Daniel is found in Chapter 1 at verse 8: "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." The word "purpose" here means that Daniel determined, he set or put in place in his heart— that is, in his inner man, his will. Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself. 

Now this determination by Daniel had more to do with his identity than with the food in particular. It's true that the meat of the king was most likely unclean under the Jewish law, under the law of Moses, probably having been sacrificed to idols, but there was no such prohibition against the wine. The issue here was not so much the food or being clean or unclean ceremonially; the issue here was that Daniel was not going to forget who he was or his God. He determined to maintain his identity, and it was his purpose, his passion, to do so even in the midst of pagan Babylon.

Remember the reason that Nebuchadnezzar had brought him to Babylon, and remember the plan for Daniel—his name was changed to a Chaldean name, his diet was changed, and he was enrolled in a three-year program to basically brainwash him and his friends to conform them, to make them like Chaldeans—no longer children of Yahweh, Judeans, but Chaldeans, good Babylonian citizens who would be useful to the state. 

I thought about this, and in our day, we could compare this to the public education system, particularly the universities. The state has set up education programs so that they might take our children and conform them, transform them into good citizens useful to the state. A child might be raised in a good Christian home, taught to fear God and serve men with a biblical worldview, and then go off to university and come back with a different worldview. In many cases, this is the very purpose.

Nebuchadnezzar was forcing Daniel into this circumstance for this very purpose; he had taken him as a slave and was under the power and control of the sovereign ruler of Babylon. But as we observed last week, to be in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar was not to be removed from the sovereign hand of God. God was working, and here's the key—Daniel's purpose determined in his heart to be faithful to his God, to Jehovah, and to maintain his identity, who he was, no matter what the cost. And that's what this was about.

Through Daniel's faithfulness, God granted him preference with the pagans. There's a great lesson for us here in the life and circumstances of Daniel. Whether you're a young person in the education system of the world, or you're working in a career, or perhaps your children are spending a lot of time in the world in sports and music and school activities, Peter says that we as believers in Jesus Christ are pilgrims, strangers, sojourners traveling through this world.

We live right among the world and the people of the world. We're not a city on a hill, a separate nation set apart as a people to draw the nations as Israel was. We are mixed in. Our neighbors are of this world, our coworkers, our classmates, people in our social situations. We live in this world, but we are not of this world. 

If you've come to the place where you've understood your sin before a holy God, your need for a Savior, and if you've turned from religion and self-righteousness, from idols to Jesus alone and what he accomplished on the cross, paying the full debt for your sins and mine, if you have believed Jesus, trusted in him, then Jesus says in John 3, you've been born again. You've been recreated. You are a new man. The old is gone. The new has come. God has dealt with the sin in you, not only with the penalty for my sins and an eternal fire, but also with the power of the sin that dwells in me. 

I am now in Christ. This is my identity. This is who I am. But I find myself in this world among the philosophies and wisdom of men that sit in great contrast to the truth of the Word of God—who I am and what I most want. All of these forces of this world, John says, the whole world lies in the sway of the wicked one—all of these forces are at work to conform me to the world, to draw me away from Christ.

So the question is, will I, like Daniel, purpose in my heart? Just as Paul wrote in Romans 12, and Mark read this morning, will I decide once and for all to present my body a living sacrifice to God and choose to believe Him, determine that I will maintain my identity, reckon who I am, live for the one who died for me, and in every situation that I find myself in, in this world, I will follow Jesus, as we sing this morning? This is the key to the Christian life. This is the key to witness. 

If I live like the world, then I will be damaging to the cause of Christ. But if I live according to who I am, if I maintain my identity and show the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ—not religion—I’ve known all kinds of religious men in my life. There’s no transformation there, but the true transforming power of Jesus Christ takes a man from being a self-centered, self-righteous, prideful man and turning him into a believer with the Holy Spirit, a new creation who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness. This will show the world the power of the gospel. 

If by my words and actions, if I tell them about Jesus, then men will believe and be saved. Turn over to 1 Peter 2 with me. Let's look at what Peter says about this. 

1 Peter 2:9, speaking to the church, he says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people.” Why? Why did he choose us out? Why did he save us? “That you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 

Who once were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. He says, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, as strangers, travelers in this world, this is not our home, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation.” 

As I was pondering Daniel's purposing and determining in his heart, the word "passion" kept coming to my mind. Daniel could have easily just molded himself into that system. He could have gone along with it. He could have preserved his life and kept himself from any trouble, and no one really would have blamed him. It was an impossible circumstance to be taken as a slave by a sovereign ruler of the most powerful nation on earth. But what was Daniel's passion?

I was thinking about two groups of people which I have identified over most of my life. One is deer hunters, particularly the bow hunters. Now to be a successful bow hunter, I mean to shoot trophy bucks, good bucks, consistently—like Al Smith, who used to come to church here years ago, who shot nine bucks in these northwoods in Vilas County over 150 inches with a bow. To be a successful bow hunter, you have to have a passion for it. Bow hunting whitetail deer is one of the most challenging things in the hunting world. Those who have this passion will pursue it with laser focus: watching videos, reading magazines, seeking new knowledge and technology that they might apply it, spending endless hours in the woods, in the cold, inclement weather—persevering, continuing, hoping, anticipating the moment when they can stick an arrow in a big buck and leave the Mercedes mark through the lungs. 

It's incredible what a truly dedicated bow hunter will do to fulfill his passion. Likewise, the muskie fisherman, right? All these same things apply, but these guys are a little touched in the head. The true muskie fanatic. I watched a video the other day of two guys on Lake Michigan in the wind and the waves and the snowstorm out in a little boat covered in snow wearing full winter gear including ski goggles catching muskies.

Can you imagine, my brother, my sister in Christ, what God could do through us if we just exhibited a tenth of this kind of passion, effort, commitment, mental energy, time, and resources to our Christian life? What is your passion? 

Are you eager to learn, to know the Word of God, to live for Him, to lead men to Him? You know I had a passion for trapping in my former life. My old partner and I figured out one day that we had killed about 10,000 beaver. And you know that no one cares. You know how much time and effort and passion and perseverance and resources that took to accomplish that? I've killed a hundred mink in six days. I've caught countless trophy fish, shot some big bucks, guided some true trophies. 

Does any of that really matter now? Will it matter in eternity? Now I witnessed to a lot of those guys. I told them about Jesus. That'll matter in eternity. Why am I here? What am I doing? What do you spend your time thinking about? What is your passion?

Daniel wanted to maintain who he was, even in the heart of Babylon, and that was what he purposed to do in his heart. I’m here to tell you, if your passion is Christ, is knowing Him and making Him known, if you think about others all the time, pray for opportunities to witness to specific people, to encourage the brethren, to serve God, see Him work in and through you. If this is your life, if this is who you are, your passion and your purpose, God will give you favor among the pagans for His plans and purposes.

Daniel 1:9, “Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” Did you notice what the verse says? God brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. Why? So Daniel could have an easy life? God could bless him? You can go down to your regular local church and they'll tell you all about that. God wants to make your life better, Jesus wants to fix your marriage and your finances, and go to this group and go to that group. No, that's not why God saves us; that's not what God was doing with Daniel. He did it so that God could use Daniel for His purposes in Babylon and in Judah.

This is all about Judah, God's people, and it would be for Daniel's good, but really it was his privilege and it was his great desire to serve God in that place. It was because of Daniel's faithfulness, his purpose, that God was able to use him the way he did. We don't read about any of those other guys that they took. I don't know what happened with them. But Daniel apparently was special in that he wanted to live for God. He purposed in his heart to maintain his identity.

I pray for favor among the lost. I did this when I worked for Wildlife Services. I mean, that was a group of pagan guys—woodsmen, trappers, as well as government bosses. They were rough guys; that was a rough group. I loved them; those are my people. But I prayed for favor—not for myself, but so that I might be a witness by word and by deed, a witness for Jesus. 

Some were receptive; some hated the truth. But I always had a good relationship with them, and God gave me favor there. It’s for God's purposes that we should seek to have a good reputation, a good work ethic, a noble character in this world, so that men might see Christ in us as well as hear the good news of the gospel.

We see right away in the life of Daniel and his purposing in his heart, in his faithfulness, and his seeking the will of God that there will be difficulties; there will be roadblocks. What happened when he went and talked to the chief of the eunuchs? Verse 10, the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I'm worried the king will take my head." And this was legit, right? Because Nebuchadnezzar could kill anyone he wanted at any time; he was bound by nothing. He was a sovereign ruler, the head of gold. 

He said, "Why should I do this for you?" So Daniel could have said at this point, right? "Well, I tried, but it didn't work out. I mean, I went above and beyond what most people do, right? And it just didn't work." 

That's not what Daniel did. Daniel persevered, and this is what we must do in our life and walk as well. If we hit a roadblock, we seek another way. Verse 11, Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days. Let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then test us, check our appearance, see how we're doing." And the steward agreed. Jesus said that in this world we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Daniel used wisdom.

The chief said, "No, I'm not risking my head for you." So Daniel brought a reasonable plan to the steward directly over him, and God worked through Daniel's perseverance to accomplish what he wanted. It was through Daniel's faithfulness, his perseverance, his looking to and waiting on the Lord that this purpose was accomplished. 

What happened? Verse 17, "They were fatter in flesh," and then it says, "For these young men, God gave them knowledge, skill, and all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." That's going to become crucial. 

At the end of the days, when the king had said they should be brought in, he brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar, he interviewed them, and what did he find? They were the greatest of all that they had put through this training, and he chose them to serve before him, and Daniel basically becomes second in charge in the kingdom. 

We see that through God's providence and Daniel's faithfulness, God's purpose was accomplished. So which part of that can you control? God's part or your part? Through God's providence, we can trust that he's in control; he's working all things together, we don't have to worry about him doing his part. And through your faithfulness, right, God uses you. 

By patient perseverance and faith, Daniel would rise to the prime minister under Nebuchadnezzar and even subsequent kingdoms and kings that come after the fall of Babylon. God would use him as his influence in the affairs of men and the chastening of Judah—God's ultimate purpose in all of this. 

In this, I think we see the greatest application for us in our lives, in our time on this earth, from the life and experiences of Daniel, and that is God will accomplish his will. He will keep his promises to those who are his. Daniel could have despaired. I've despaired in much better circumstances. He could have despaired; he could have sunk out of sight; he could have kept his head low and lived out his days as a slave in Babylon. 

He could have said, "This is an impossible circumstance; there's nothing that I can do." But he, as we see much later in the life of Paul, decided to be faithful, to keep preaching the truth, to maintain his identity, focus on his God, trusting him to work out his will. You remember Philippians 1 where Paul talked about that, right? 

Let's look at that, Philippians 1 at verse 12. Here’s Paul imprisoned in Rome, he's chained to a Roman soldier. Philippians 1:12. He’s writing to the believers in Philippi, the church there. He wants to encourage them because they're worried about him because he's in prison in Rome, chained to a Roman soldier. So he writes to the Philippians and he says, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ.”

Most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Haddon Robinson said Paul was chained to those Roman soldiers, but those soldiers were also chained to Paul. What a perspective.

How do you have that perspective? We have a bad day or someone says something mean to us or one of our family members gets mad at us and we say, “Well, I just can't be a witness in this world; I can't be a witness in my family; my circumstances are too bad; you don't know what I'm living with.” 

I understand, we all have struggles; it's hard. But come on, who is your God? Who are you? What is your passion? What could God accomplish through you if you had the perspective of Paul or Daniel and put your trust and faith in God?

Daniel, a slave from a conquered nation in a brainwashing program to make him a servant of the state. Paul, a prisoner of Rome in first-century Palestine. This isn't, you know, like the county jail up in Hurley. Chained to a Roman soldier. What could possibly be done in these circumstances? A lot, if you understand the greatness and power and sovereignty of God over all nations, over all kings, over all circumstances, including yours.

Look at the fruit that God produced through the lives of these two faithful men who simply determined to do what God said, to maintain their identity, and open their mouths and speak the truth. There’s a fascinating truth and application here that I want to flesh out. It is this: if God has accomplished the greater, don't you believe that he will perform the lesser to keep you and accomplish his will through you? 

This was true in the life of Daniel. I mean, God had taken down nations and powers and kings. He'd sent Pharaoh Necho to fight at Carchemish, as we read last week in Chronicles and Kings. He had raised up the fallen Babylonian Empire and set a man named Nebuchadnezzar in the seat of power—all for his purposes. He raised him up and created the greatest kingdom on earth, and then in 70 years, when he was done with them chastening his people, he took him out.

He brought Daniel and his friends all the way to Babylon. God had arranged all these details, accomplished these mighty works for the express purpose of accomplishing his will among his people, Israel. Don't you think he would do the lesser to give Daniel favor, work through a faithful servant; protect him; use him for his glory? Would he just let Daniel flounder, die? No. He did all these great things, these impossible things, for the very purpose of getting Daniel in this position, to use him for his great will and purpose.

He will carry through in the life of Daniel to accomplish his will. Now, my friend, this principle is also true in your life if you are in Christ. What has God done to get you to this point, if you are in Christ? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. 

He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. If you believe in him, you are not condemned. God gave his only Son to die in your place for your sins, so that you might be delivered from the wrath of God and may inherit eternal life. 

Turn over to Romans 5 at verse 6 with me. Paul says, “When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, enemies of God, Christ died for us.” 

Look at verse 9: “Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” If he saved you from yourself, from your sin, from hell, by his death, how much more can he keep you by his life? 

God has done the greater—giving his only Son to die to accomplish our salvation. He will do the lesser—keeping us by his life. Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Turn over to Romans 8 at 28. Romans 8:28.

Listen to these promises: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called; whom he called, these he also justified; and whom he justified, these he also glorified.”

You know, the religion I grew up in, we didn't have justification and sanctification. We had what was really a progressive justification because we were trying to earn our way. We were trying to be good enough, we were trying to participate in sacraments and do the right things and give and suffer and all those things to contribute. Therefore, we had what was called the sin of presumption. The sin of presumption said that if you say that you know that you have eternal life, if you say that you know you're going to heaven, then you're damned to hell because you’re presuming on God's grace. 

Because, see, you're trying to earn your way, but you can never know if you've done enough. The Apostle John says in 1 John 5:13, “I write you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life.” God wants you to know that you have eternal life. He wants you to be justified in a moment. Justification is a legal declaration of righteousness whereby I turn from trusting myself and my religion, and I turn to trusting Jesus alone and what he accomplished in my place—in my stead on the cross—and in a moment I am justified. I am made right with God, not because of what I do, but because of what he did. 

Then a process of sanctification begins, whereby he's conforming me to the likeness of Christ. He's working through trials and tribulations; he's showing me who I am; he's showing me who he is; and he's working through me by his grace and power to make me like Jesus—to be a witness in this world. There’s coming a day, I hope soon for me, when he will glorify me; he'll take me out of this world; he'll remove the very presence of sin for me; he'll give me a new body, and I'll be in heaven with Jesus forever. 

Now look at what that verse said. It says those whom he justified, he also glorified. That means if you believe Jesus and you've been justified, you've been saved, then you will be saved; you will go to heaven. We’re kept by his power. Those whom he justified, he also glorified. God will finish the work he began in us when he saved us through faith in Jesus. He will conform us to the likeness of Christ and deliver us to heaven. 

Look at Romans 8:31. “What should we say then about these things? How do we respond to this? Listen, if God is for us, who can be against us? Me and God are a majority, right? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, here's this greater and lesser argument, he who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” 

You imagine someone coming to your door and asking, “Can I have your son, your only son?” What do you want to do with him? Now we want to beat him and scourge him and mock him, put him on a tree and nail him to that tree and kill him. Can you imagine giving your only son? Well, let’s say you gave him your son, this is an old Adrian Rogers illustration; I should give him credit—let’s say you gave him your son and then a week later he came back and said, “We’d like his basketball and his tennis shoes.” What would it be to give him a basketball and the tennis shoes? You gave him your son! 

This is nothing! This is what he's saying—if God did not withhold his Son—if he gave his Son to accomplish our salvation—how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? What all things? All things necessary to save us, to complete that work of salvation, to bring us to heaven.

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? Is God who justifies? Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died. Christ is the judge, and he’s my intercessor. He died for me. Furthermore, he’s also risen, he’s at the right hand of God, and he makes intercession for us. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors—Nike is the Greek word, right?—we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Not Satan, not demons, not any created thing. Are you a created thing? Not you, right? When you believe Jesus, he completely recreated you; he transformed you; he made you into a new creature, took out your heart of stone, put in a heart of flesh, caused his spirit to dwell in you and quickened your spirit. Now you're going to undo that? No! 

Do you want to undo that? No! Right? God did not go to the great lengths of giving his son, allowing him to be crucified on the cross, raising him from the dead, bringing faithful witnesses into your life to bring you the gospel. He did not save you through faith to simply lose you, to have his purpose foiled. He will accomplish his will to make you like Christ and bring you to glory. 

He will also accomplish his purposes in your life as a witness for him, as a demonstration of his life and power for his glory. He can do so much more in your life if you're a faithful servant like Daniel, if your passion becomes Jesus—to know him, to live for him.

We see from the life of Daniel his example to us. The truth that God has done the greater—setting all things in place—he will do the lesser. He will, through faithful believers, accomplish his purpose and will. This is our promise in Jesus Christ as well, and we can trust him and know that he will keep his word. Our job is to believe him, to trust him, to be faithful today.

We see in our text today that Daniel purposed in his heart. He had a passion to keep his identity, his relationship with God, and because of his passion and purpose, he sought active obedience. He pursued living in accordance with who he was. This is the key to the Christian life as well—to live in consistency with who we are in Christ. But it takes purpose; it takes passion; it takes pursuit of active obedience by faith in Jesus, renewing our mind with his word, walking in his spirit. 

My friends, Daniel is a great encouragement to us and an example of a faithful life even in impossible circumstances. 

Let’s close in prayer. Father, we thank you; we praise you for Jesus, for the gospel truth. We thank you that we can trust you, that we can believe you, that we can know that we have eternal life, and that we can then begin to focus on you and on others and loving men as you love men—not on ourselves. 

We pray that you would help us to understand these things, that you would guide us into all wisdom, that you would show us what really matters in life and eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.