DANIEL 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CLOSENESS THAT PEOPLE ASPIRES TO GET.
IF YOU ARE A BUSINESSMAN OR BUSINESSWOMAN, YOUR ASPIRATION IS TO GET CLOSE TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND BUSINESSWOMAN.
IF YOU ARE INTO POLITICS, YOU WANT TO GET CLOSE TO ELECTED PARTY IN GOVERNMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEM.
ALL THE CLOSENESS ARE VERY GOOD AND HIGHLY PROFITABLE BUT ALL THE BENEFITS FROM SUCH CLOSENESS CAN BE TERMINATED DUE TO ONE REASON OR THE OTHER. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE ELECTED PARTY IN GOVERNMENT, THE BENEFITS AND THE PROFITS DERIVED ARE ONLY FOR DURATION THAT THE PARTY IS IN POWER OR IN CONTROL.
SO, IT IS A WASTE OF TIME TO TRUST IN SUCH CLOSENESS.
JAMES 4:4 SAYS, “Adulterers and[b] adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
IF YOU ARE A FRIEND TO THE WORLD, EVERY PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD WIL OVERPOWERS SUCH PEOPLE.
BUT IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE CLOSE TO GOD FROM TODAY, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU BECAUSE IT IS A CLOSENESS THAT BRING INCREASE REGARDLESS OF STORM AS IT IS WRITTEN IN PSALM 1 : 1 – 3, “Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE MAKE UP THEIR MIND TO BE CLOSE TO GOD INSTEAD OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND GOD TRANSFORM THEIR LIFE FROM NOBODY TO SOMEBODY IN THE SOCIETY EVEN FOR SOME IN THE FOREIGN LAND WHILE THEY ARE LIVING AS SLAVES.
DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABED – NEGO CHOSE TO BE SO CLOSE TO GOD. IN THE TIME THAT THE KING IS IN GREAT NEED OF SOMEONE TO NARRATE AND INTERPRETE HIS DREAM, NO ONE WAS FOUND IN THE WHOLE LAND EXCEPT DANIEL. AFTER DANIEL MET THE NEED OF THE KING, DANIEL WAS PROMOTED ALONG WITH HIS FRIENDS. DANIEL 2:48 – 49, “ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
JOSEPH CHOSE TO BE CLOSE TO GOD AND HE REFUSED THE EVIL PROPOSAL BY HIS BOSS’S WIFE WHILE THE BOSS WAS AWAY. BUT THE WIFE LIED TO THE HUSBAND WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM THE JOURNEY AND WITHOUT INTERROGATION OR CAREFUL INVESTIGATION JOSEPH WAS SENT TO JAIL. AND IT WAS STILL IN THE JAIL THAT HE MET THE CHIEF BUTLER WHO LATER INTRODUCES HIM TO THE KING. GENESIS 39 : 11 – 20, “ But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my
voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
JOSHUA AND CALEB CHOSE TO BE CLOSE TO GOD BY FOLLOWING GOD INSTRUCTION FOR THEM TO GO AND TAKE OVER CANAAN DESPITE THE NEGATIVE REPORT BROUGHT TO THE ISREALITES BY THE OTHER 10 SPIES. NUMBERS 14:6 – 9, “ But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’[a] 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”
ARE THERE ARE PRICES TO PAY WHEN WE CHOOSE TO WALK WITH GOD?
ARE THERE BENEFITS OR GAIN TO THE PEOPLE WHO CHOSE TO BE CLOSE TO GOD?
CAN THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE PRICES YOU HAVE TO PAY?
KINDLY WATCH OUT FOR THE PART 2 WITH ANSWERS TO ALL THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, REMAIN BLESSED.
PASTOR ADEBAYO GBADEBO
PASTOR IN CHARGE,
THE REDEEMED CHRISTHIAN CHURCH OF GOD, THAILAND
THINK OUT OF THE BOX. 