Always Trust God - No Matter What!

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

ALWAYS TRUST GOD - NO MATTER WHAT!

Scripture: Daniel 3:17-18; Daniel 5:1-31; Daniel 6:1-28; Romans 6:23

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(To begin with I should mention that I got the title & some ideas for this sermon from a friend of mine, Ed Skidmore, a minister in San Antonio, TX. Of course I’ve changed & adapted it a great deal. But I thank him for the help his original sermon provided.)

Secondly, I know that today is Father’s Day, so I have chosen to speak about 4 men & their God. In fact, I hope this message will not only be helpful to men, but that it will be helpful to all of us.

My message is primarily about a man in the Bible named Daniel & his 3 friends. What do you know about Daniel? If Daniel could be here right now, I’m sure he would say to us: “Always trust God – no matter what!”

Now I’m going to do something I’ve never done here before. I’m going to ask you to repeat those words again with me. “Always trust God – no matter what!” One more time - “Always trust God – no matter what!”

You see, Daniel trusted God for ALL his life. As a child he was growing up in Jerusalem. His parents must have taught him about his wonderful God. They must have taught him that he should always follow God’s laws, no matter what.

Evidently, as a child, Daniel had some friends named Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah. When they were all probably teenagers everything changed for them.

A Babylonian King named Nebuchadnezzar went to war against Jerusalem & he won! Now King Nebuchadnezzar had what I think was a brilliant idea.

That was to bring some of the older boys of royal or leading families back to Babylon, not exactly to be hostages, but rather to train them in Babylonian ways in order to be future leaders of their own people.

So, after winning the war, he took some of the older boys -- like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah --- back to his country’s capitol, Babylon.

Now the people who lived in Babylon did NOT know about God. They did not know God’s laws, & they did not know that God loved them also. But Daniel remembered what his parents had taught him. Will you say it with me again? “Always trust God -- no matter what!”

King Nebuchadnezzar put these older captive boys, including Daniel & his friends, in a special training program where they could learn all kinds of things that would make them capable leaders & friendly with the Babylonians.

Of course, this training program did not know or follow God’s laws. So, as favored trainees, they were served the rich foods that privileged people in the palace ate. But much of that food was the kind of food & drink that went against God’s laws for Israel.

So Daniel went to the official in charge of the trainees & said, in effect, “We want to obey our God’s laws. So please let me & my 3 friends just drink water instead of wine. And let us eat vegetables instead of what the others are eating.”

The official replied, “I can’t do that! You have to eat what the King provides!” But Daniel said, “We have to do what our GOD says. Let me & my friends eat the way my God’s Law says. After a few days, you will see that we will be stronger & healthier than any of the other young men!”

So the official decided to give it a try. God honored their efforts, & after a trial period of 10 days, it was obvious that Daniel & his friends looked stronger & healthier than any of the other young men!

And it was all because God blessed them & they remembered what their parents taught them. Now please say it with me again: “Always trust God -- no matter what!”

And if people trusted God, then we would be stronger & healthier, too --- because God’s Word tells us how to live a good & healthy kind of life!

Well, years went by, & God watched over Daniel & his friends while they grew from boys to men. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed with Daniel’s abilities to interpret dreams & with his wisdom that he placed him in a powerful position in Babylon.

He also gave Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah, whose names were changed to the Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, important positions too.

For years they served God & King Nebuchadnezzar faithfully despite the fact that there were times they had to choose to disobey the King in order to remain faithful to God.

Most of you are familiar with the time King Nebuchadnezzar erected a giant golden statue & ordered everyone to bow down & worship it or else be cast into a blazing furnace.