Truth Matters 73: Truth Cannot Be Cancelled

Welcome to Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. In the present era of the cancel culture, it's important not to let capricious ideas about facts and reality distort truth, especially biblical truth, for it comes from a source that knows all truth. The truth cannot be canceled, erased, or rewritten to appease whimsical notions of kings, rulers, or the PC culture. Men throughout history have tried to reinvent truth to conform with their agendas, but their effort failed because they were working against God's will. We see this evident in the life of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, who failed to surrender his will to God's will and suffered a great defeat at the hands of King Darius.

Here's Dr. Davis and Truth Matters. We are still continuing in our study of Daniel. In the last chapter, in finishing chapter 5, we ended with Babylon being taken by the Medes and the Persians and Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, losing his life with a handwriting on the wall. I'm reminded of something I've heard Dr. David Jeremiah say, that a man in the center of God's will is immortal until God is finished with him.

So a man that is in the center of God's will, fulfilling his purpose, glorifying God, really nothing is going to happen or stop the work of God until the Lord says that he is finished. And in this case, we're going to see this play out in Daniel's life. But now the satraps think that they're picking a fight against Daniel, but technically they're picking a fight against his God. So in verses 6 through 9, Therefore King Darius signed the decree. When Daniel is again about to be promoted under the second king, Satan attempts to destroy him again. And we see Satan's attempt to destroy Daniel all throughout the book of Daniel, mainly because of his excellent spirit and the favor of God. We know that Daniel will be given end of time revelation, but Satan really has a plot against Daniel. Which method is used to trick the king or influence him?

Quickly we see, oh King Darius, live forever. All the governors of the kingdom and the administrators and satraps, we've gotten together and we want to make a petition. This is obviously flattery. Whenever you see flattery, you know, you really need to have a red flag go up as to say, if they're flattering me so much, really what are they plotting against?

What do they need? For any persons in leadership, whenever those that are followers or those that are following someone's lead that come with flattery, I often start questioning really what is the intent. An important point in the rules that cannot be changed is that they thought that their kings were invaluable and that's what I discussed early on in the beginning of the study. That if they could get him to make a mistake, they knew that the mistake was not a mistake and that whatever words that he signed or whatever words that he put forth, that they would go forth unchanged.

And that is what happened. They tricked King Darius into making this decree and then now this is going against Daniel. Let's move on to verse 10. 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. So what did Daniel do?

Really what he always did. And the reason that Daniel was consistent because it goes back to chapter one and Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile God. Daniel still has that commitment. He still has that purpose made up in his heart that he's not going to defile God. It is the importance of faithfulness even more often in trial. Because Daniel purposed in his heart, he was able to do what he always did.

Go home, open the windows, point them towards Jerusalem so that he can kneel down on his knees to continue to pray regardless of what the king's decree was. There's an old hymn in the church that simply says, when we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his goodwill, he abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. This was the life of the prophet Daniel who desired to live in the center of God's will regardless of circumstance or event.

This is the Lord's will that we like Daniel might live in the light of God's word as he did, whether we are in the lion's den, a fiery furnace or wearing a crown of nobility. If you need help, Dr. Davis and the Truth Matters team would like to help. You can connect with her by email at CherylDavis at ProjectTruthMatters.com or write to her at PO Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina, 28384. Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis is committed to the teaching of God's word. We are a ministry of The Truth Project.