(No audio)
Gratitude in a busy schedule
- Daniel, as busy as he was running a nation, he made time to be grateful three times a day. he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. David did the same thing as a king, Psalm 55:17.
- Now add to the busy schedule that the government comes down on Daniel making it illegal to publicly thank God. You’re not given why this was reasonable or what scientists were put before the king in order to make this law rational. But you can imagine the men convincing the king about this law had some argument and scientific data as to why this was a good policy to create.
Gratitude as a public testimony
- Fear of people will prevent you from being publicly grateful for what the Lord has done in your life. Daniel’s options are he can either quit thanking God or be fed to the lions.
- his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem…
- But there is something else in here that needs to be noted. There is a supposed time frame on this ordinance – 30 days. Look at verse 7. Now, Daniel could’ve easily said I’ll wait until the 30 days are up, then resume my prayers.
- But a man like that is not someone God can use. Daniel was used by God because he didn’t make those kind of compromising decisions.
- Second, if Daniel had waited 30 days before resuming his prayer schedule, do you think that would’ve been the end of it? Of course not because the only purpose of the law was to get rid of Daniel. And if in 30 days they couldn’t get rid of Daniel, the same people who dreamed up this stupid law would come up with another plan.
- John 12:42 – being afraid to be publicly thankful
Gratitude that is reasonable
- Immutable is unchanging. Daniel wasn’t seasonal in his prayer and thanksgiving. He was consistent. But the trouble makes us think what in the world do I have to be thankful for?
- In everything give thanks
- We immediately think toward the exceptions. What about…?!
- Bethany and Sarah illustration
- Count your blessings before you get bitter. For every one reason you think you have to be bitter, you have 10 blessings that you’re not counting.
- #1 – Suffering was limited. Here is a soul that never experienced suffering.
- #2 – We knew where Sarah went. To be with the Lord. David lost a child once and said, I will go to him, but he will not come to me.
- #3 – We knew that we will see Sarah one day, forever.
- #4 – We knew that she was in better hands.
- When I thought about it, the only real problem I had was the pain of separation. But everything else was taken care of by the Lord.
- Reasonable to be grateful
- Before you get bitter, count your blessings.
- Trouble doesn’t change that. For every trouble there are ten blessings you and I could thank God for.
- Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
