King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Remain In His Clutches
Date: Thursday September 15, 2011
Chapters: Daniel 1-3, Proverbs 15, Psalm 94
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-15

Hello My Friend/Guest,
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” - Titus 3:3-8.

Satan loves to see a Christian fall, although he cannot take them away from God, he can put enough doubt, pride, and desires of the flesh in them to get them to walk away from His presence or at least ignore it. God is strange, we can reject Him, pretend like we never accepted His Son, and live the most wicked life we could live and yet, He never leaves nor forsakes us, meaning we still have a place in heaven when we die. Granted, I believe there will be much suffering if we choose to live a wicked life, but His mercy endures and keeps us from hell. Praise God! However, if we want a blessed, profitable life here on earth as well as in heaven it might be a good idea to keep our eyes on Jesus, who is the only one who can withstand the wiles of Satan.

The Book of Daniel is the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twelve chapters. The author of the book is Daniel and it was first written to the Jews that were held captive in Babylon. The time line for these events took place approximately 534 BC. The purpose of the book was to show how God rules the affairs of all men, Jew or Gentile. What we are to learn from the book is that God is sovereign and honors and protects all who serve only Him. “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.” - Daniel 3:28.

Daniel was a captive carried into Babylon when he was a youth. Soon after his capture, he and several other select Jews were favored and assigned new names which would hide their true identity as Jews and as citizens of Babylon. Among these men were, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

“And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” - Daniel 1:3-8.

The name Daniel means God is Judge, but his Babylonian name Belteshazzar means Prince of Baal. As Daniel heard his new name called day after day, it was intended to remind him that the comfort, self-esteem, and high position he enjoyed in his new society were all the result of his being the Prince of Baal. The king's intent was that these select men would be taught to think and live like the Babylonians, slowly forgetting that they were children of God and turn to their false god.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had all sorts of opposition, but they never walked away from God. Daniel and his friends refused to blend in with society and remained faithful to God the entire time, they could change their names, but they could not change their faith in God. Their faith was put to the test when Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue built. Every time music played every person was to bow down to this statue and worship it. However, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, now named, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. refused to bow down and worship the idol. Out of anger Nebuchadnezzar had these men thrown into a fiery furnace, seven times hotter than it would normally be. That fire was so hot that it consumed the men throwing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace, but something miraculous happened.

“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” - Daniel 3:23-27.

Not one hair was singed on these men, in fact, the sign or smell of fire was not even noticed anywhere on them. Among them in the midst of the fire was none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, what an amazing picture of salvation right here. All of mankind is subject to being cast into the fiery furnace of hell, only by our faith and acceptance of Christ can we be saved from the fiery furnace. Can we still get burned being saved? Of course we can, Satan is never far from Christ's believers and he will not stop messing with us until Jesus comes back or we die. Can we endure the fire? Sure we can, we can do all things through Christ, He is our strength and protection against Satan until the day He comes to get us. In the mean time it is important that we remain in the clutches of our Savior, the only way to remain in His clutches is by putting on the Armor of God.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” - Ephesians 6:11-17.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, I want to be vigilant in equipping myself to battle the fiery darts of the wicked. Today, I stand against Satan's schemes as I take Your armor with me, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. As I prayerfully take on this spiritual armor I am fully equipped with the necessary provisions to overcome discouragement and defeat, in the clutches of my Savior, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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