Corona Virus hard lockdown – Daniel’s Example!
Corona Virus Lockdown – Daniel’s example
With the current lockdown restrictions because of Covid, the closure of all churches from 6:00pm Sunday til 6:00 pm Friday, provides us with another opportunity to grow in the midst of trial.
The inability to gather together as the body of Christ, this time including our ability to be allowed to have sufficient servants to enable our live streaming capacity, drew my attention to the prophet Daniel during his captivity. You will remember Daniel was taken captive by the invasion of the Babylonians in Israel, and taken to Babylon to live out his days.
He was just a teenager at the time of his captivity.
Now unable to attend the Temple to worship according to the law of Moses, Daniel would be greatly restricted in his ability to live out his faith whilst captive in a foreign nation.
We can take Daniel’s lead and example, how even though he was unable to worship as he done back in Jerusalem, this did not stop Daniel from his dedication and personal worship to the God of Israel.
It says in Dan 1:8 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 – that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself due to the restrictions imposed upon him captive under Babylon’s authority.
Daniel did not throw in the towel because now he was not able to live his life devotionally as he was able back in Jerusalem.
When Covid 19 first affected us now a year ago, churches were restricted and closed for a considerable period. Sadly, many people simple abandoned their walk with God and ‘adapted’ to not attending church.
Thus, Covid revealed their true lack of depth of faith in Jesus Christ as being simply a religious platform and having no real tangible relationship or sincere love for Jesus Christ.
Young Daniel, though thousands of miles away from the temple in Jerusalem, did not flinch in his devotion to God, even though he was away from family and Temple worship. Daniel’s age too had no bearing on His strength and faith in God devotionally.
Though unable to attend temple worship and prayer, Daniel kept his personal time clock to that of Jerusalem and not that of Babylon.
For we read later Daniel 6, greater restriction came down on all captives in Babylon with a ban on prayer to any God except to King Darius, and those breaking this ban should be cast into a den of lions. Dan 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
This new law and restriction was brought in by the enemies of Daniel, as a personal afront to Daniel, because of his well-known devotion to God.
They knew Daniel so well that he right from his early captivity, he had kept to the Jewish worship calendar of prayer even though he was in Babylon!
Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Three times a day, away from Jerusalem, unable to go to the temple, did not stop Daniel’s devotion, prayer and worship to His God.
We can take Daniel’s example and apply it this week during this hard lock down and even though we cannot gather physically at the chapel, we can pray, worship, read God’s Word and maintain our devotion to God just as we have dome previously.
Like Daniel our reading of God’s Word and prayer time should not deviate in any manner simply because we have restrictions limiting our gathering together.
Times like these again will reveal whether we are truly servant of the Lord or ‘fairweather’ followers.
This Sunday we celebrate communion together, Lord willing, with a special message on the cross following.
Wednesday night, because we cannot gather together to pray and study, I urge you to take time to still read through 2 Corinthians 13, and to pray for the needs of Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour just as if you were physically there.
Keep grow, keep contending for the faith and follow Daniel’s lead until we can gather again.
In His grace
Keith and Helen