Staying Committed to God

Daniel 3:1-18

Daniel was living in a pagan society whose values were opposed to God's.
Because of his devotion to the Lord and intimacy with Him, the young man was
able
to hear divine direction and maintain his spiritual zeal.

He was also motivated by an expectation that God was at work. Facing an
uncertain future, Daniel and his friends wisely performed the tasks assigned
to
them and trusted the Father for their future (Daniel 1:17-20). The Lord
desires followers like them - people who 1) commit themselves to Him without
reservation,
2) let the Holy Spirit empower them to take risks, and 3) say yes to serving
God in unexpected places.

Daniel and his friends also desired to have a strong witness before others.
His friends were given the choice to either worship an image of gold or be
thrown
into a blazing furnace. Their staunch desire to honor God and give a clear
testimony to those watching motivated them to reject idol worship. When
pleasing
God is our goal, we will find ourselves empowered to follow Him.

If our task is distasteful or too hard, we may falter. God then uses
pressure to move us along. Daniel did not waver, but Jonah did. The Lord's
relentless
pursuit motivated Jonah to turn back toward Him and agree to witness to
Nineveh.

God has called us to be witnesses to those around us as well. He uses the
Holy Spirit, people, and circumstances to push us to the place He wants us
to
go. Ask the

Lord to help you be fully committed to Him and to live out that pledge every
day.


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