Contributor: Tobi Morakinyo

DAY 23 - CHAPTER 23

Verse: 1-3.

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

Revelation

Not every opportunity should be taken! Some are like weapons specially fashioned to derail us from God’s will.

Application

Daniel and his friends knew by wisdom that the King’s meat was defiling and should not be consumed (Daniel 1:8), otherwise, God’s plans for their lives would be thwarted. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:24-28). However, because our God can as well prepare a table before us (Psalms 23:5), we must continually watch, and pray for the spirit of discernment to know whether it is a table set by God or distraction from the enemy of our soul.

DAY 24 - CHAPTER 24

Verse: 4 and 16

4If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief”.

Revelation:

• Adversity is not necessarily synonymous to mishap, other Bible translation used “under pressure” (Joseph in Gen. 39:7-12), “distress” (David and his army in 1 Sam 30)”, “temptation” (our Lord, Jesus Christ in Mathew 4:1-11), “persecution” (Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10), trial of faith (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3:8-25) etc.

• Everyone will experience that the day (period) of adversity as many times in his/her lifetime. One thing is guaranteed, our faith in God will be put to test. As often as that happens, God expects us to stand firm.

• However, the strength to stand on such day must be sufficiently garnered ahead of time. God’s expectation from us during such moments, days or periods of adversity is to draw on His strength for victory. He is not expecting us faint on such day(s) because His grace is sufficient for us, and his strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). However, if we faint, it is indication that we need to build strength (capacity) in that area or sub-area of life. We should not remain in our fainting mode, we should rise again – vs 16 says “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief”.

Application

We must continually build capacity to stand on the day of adversity. The day of adversity is not the day to build but to manifest strength. How then can we build strength ahead?:

• Through God’s word and by His spirit. He is the true source of strength. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalms 46:1).

• By trusting and having faith in God because we know that “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13), and “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalms 34:19).
• By continually wait on him because “they that wait on the Lord, he shall renew their strength”(Isa. 40:31).
• By rejoicing always because the joy of the lord is my strength (Neh. 8:10); and • By not forsake the assembly of the brethren, and seeking godly counsel and prayers - Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Prov. 27:17).

Day 25 – Chapter 25
Verse: 4

Take away the dross [impurities] from the silver, and there comes out [the pure metal for] a vessel for the silversmith [to shape]. Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.

Revelation

Dross can be likened to sin or any attitude, character and association that could deprive us from reaching our full possibilities in life and Godliness.

Application

The silversmith can make nothing valuable out a dross-filled silver. Remaining intertwined with impurities limits our full potential in God.
Who takes away the dross? God, through the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus and His word (Heb. 9:14, Eph.5:26); and individuals – through wisdom, discipline and self-control. This responsibility can be established from these scripture - “Mortify therefore your members …..”(Col. 3:5), “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure”(1 John 3:1-3), “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:4-6), “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us…(Heb 12:1-3)”. Therefore, we must identify, ask God to reveal and be willing disentangle myself from dross limiting us from reaching our fullness in life and Godliness.