Ever feel like …
you’re being followed?
You are not just being paranoid. The truth is that you ARE being followed. People follow your life: some for good; some for bad. Some look for faults and failures with which to accuse you, demean you, denigrate you, control you, or discredit you. (This goes with the job description for those in ministry: People look for faults to accuse.)
As a young, wet-behind-the-ears staff pastor in the seventies, I saw a senior pastor do this to another staff member. It was ugly. He went out of his way to discredit this respected leader in a very public and demeaning way. The point I am making is this: It is real.
You also have a spiritual enemy who is tracking your every move. He prowls, sneaks, and waits for an opening with which to afflict you, distract you, or in some way prevent you from doing and being what God has for you to do and be.
I do not say this to scare you, but I do want you to understand that this is real. You are not being followed by agents in dark glasses talking to “headquarters” via ear pieces. It is far more serious. 1 Peter 5:8: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
In today’s Scripture passage, Daniel learned the hard way that it was real. In this case, there were enemy agents–except their dark glasses were turbans and the orders they followed were from the same enemy we oppose today. Whatever their garb and modus operandi, they were doing the same thing: Trying to find fault with Daniel.
And … they did–sort of. Unable to find ANY fault in his behavior, integrity, or character, they invented something. Like the pastor I described above, they set him up.
They manipulated the king into signing a bogus law, then waited for Daniel to break it. They knew he would (and he did) because it was contrary to his relationship with God. They pounced (pun intended) and Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den as a method of execution.
Except … it didn’t work. God delivered him and the manipulators were eaten by the lions instead. (You know the story.)
The point for today is that those who will follow, sneak, manipulate, and set up good people for a fall are real. The only way to defeat them is to do what Daniel did: Live in such a way that they can find no fault regardless of how long and hard they search.
You can only do this if you live according to God’s law. I do not mean the regulations given by Moses that people call the law, but THE law–the principles, truths, and character and ways of God. These laws are eternal. They will never cease. EVER! “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” (Psa 119:160 NIV)
Live in agreement with God and bad actors will then have to invent something–which will put them in disagreement with God. In that event, you will have His protection. They will not. Who do you suppose will come out on top?
If you wonder, you could ask those who set up Daniel. Oh, but … wait: They were eaten by lions. Oh well.
Today’s Seed™ Scripture and Prayer for May 23, 2023:
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” (Dan 6:3-5 NIV)
Prayer: LORD, I want Your character, ways, and integrity to be revealed in everything I do so others can see Your influence in my life. Help me live such that if someone wanted to accuse me, they would have to invent something because nothing could be found out of order. I cannot do this on my own, however, with Your help, it can be so. Thank You for Your great patience with me as I grow more mature in You and our relationship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(c) 2023 Randall Vaughn • All Rights Reserved • http://www.e-min.org
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‘Today’s Seed’ from E-MIN • May 23, 2023
About Randall Vaughn:
With 40+ years as pastor, author, teacher, worship leader, and songwriter, Randall pioneered E-MIN in 1997–one of the earliest online ministries and today the longest operating. His passion is leading people to deeper, genuine relationship with God. He lives in Alabama with his lovely wife, Karen, and their dogs, Hadi and Rayah. He enjoys hiking, exploring new tech, and “prayer walks”.
Copyright (c) 2023 Randall Vaughn • All Rights Reserved.
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