: THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY 2019 THEME: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY 2019

THEME: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD

MEMORISE:
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:30

READ: Daniel 3:14-18

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;  and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

MESSAGE

The price of being a standard or trailblazer is indeed very high. Self-discipline will be required of you if you desire to be a standard among your contemporaries. Speaking on this, 1 Corinthians 9:25 & 27 says:

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible… But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are good examples of people who paid the price to be a standard. Although they were captives in a strange land, they stood up to be counted for their loyalty to the God of Israel, even though it came at a high price that required them to pass through King Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. One point to note from this story is that the king's decree was not only directed at the Hebrew boys; it was for all officials in the realm of the king, including a number of other Jews. Only God knows how many of those other Jews allowed their faith to be compromised in order to avert the King's anger. I suppose they were many. In any case, the stand taken by the three Hebrew boys was the price they had to pay to become standards for the other Jews to follow. We must learn from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that to become a standard, we must first stand out.

John the Baptist was another person who paid a high price to become a standard. Whoever wants to succeed in life and ministry like him must not be given to uncontrollable appetite for delicacies and fashion. John the Baptist ate wild honey and locusts which he found in the wilderness, and his wardrobe contains only coats of animal skins (Mark 1:6). He therefore had no dependencies on anyone. So, when the time came for him to tell the raw truth to the adulterous King Herod, he was not worried about missing out on any royal banquets or privileges (Matthew 14:1-12). Although John the Baptist paid the supreme price for speaking out against the king, our Lord Jesus Christ had this to say concerning him in Luke 7:28a:

“For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:”

After the three Hebrew boys went through the fiery furnace unhurt, the king acknowledged the Majesty of their God and promoted them in Babylon (Daniel 3:30). Beloved, there is a price of holiness to pay if you want to stand out and become a standard.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please empower me to pay the price of greatness, and cause me to be great before I see You in glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 10-11, Isaiah 29:1-14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.