Daniel 6:6-7, "So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: ‘O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den.'" Isaiah 65:9, "I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there."

Think

A group of meddlesome government officials were jealous of King Darius' affection and respect for Daniel. So, they got together and devised a plan for Daniel's demise by appealing to the king's ego, and he played right into their hands. He could have said, "Let me think it over and run it by some of my trusted advisors," but he didn't. He went along with the crowd and inadvertently signed Daniel's death warrant. But even in the face of persecution and death, there was no way that Daniel would go thirty days without talking to his God. The Bible reassures us that if God is for us, nothing can stand against us. God was for Daniel because Daniel was for God! This is a very encouraging and powerful fact. But the reality is, when the crowd is pressuring us to conform, it's often easier to cave in than stand with conviction. But here's another fact – the majority is often wrong! To stand for God often means swimming against the current of today's social climate. But if we are willing to stand firm in our faith, we will experience immeasurable growth and be useful to God in ways we never thought possible. Today, you can choose to be part of God's remnant and be positioned for greatness.

Act

Meditate on Jesus' words in Luke 9:23-24: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.'" How are you picking up your cross daily? Are you standing for Jesus? Or are you caving in to the crowd?

Pray

Father God, thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Please help me to remain rooted in Your absolute truth in the midst of today's relativistic culture. And allow me the opportunity to be Your witness and share the good news of Jesus Christ.