Making a Difference

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies (Daniel 1: 8). Would you dare to believe that God, who called you to Himself and equipped you with His Spirit, could work mightily through you? Have you made the connection between the time and place in which you live and God's call upon you? World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose. Daniel did not let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to the Lord. He knew that to make his life useful to God he must be obedient in all things. Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what he knew God required of him. History is replete with examples of Christian men and women who believed that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God placed Esther strategically in the king's court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God's people (Esther 4: 14). God placed Joseph strategically to become the most powerful adviser to the pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Gen. 41: 39–40). Are you allowing your surroundings to determine how you invest your life? Or are you letting God use you to make a difference in your generation? Ask God to reveal His purposes for you and His will for your life today.” —Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day

As we read today’s devotional thought from Experiencing God Day by Day, let us “read between the lines” a bit to notice that God placed Daniel in his circumstances, Esther in hers, and Joseph in his, all essentially “for such a time as this” and which have lived on now for centuries as testimony of God’s faithfulness and power. Let us ask ourselves about the settings and surroundings (and even the circumstances) we find ourselves in. Perhaps some of the very things we struggle with today are to be glorious opportunities for us to witness and testify on Jesus’ behalf in the future. Who knows … perhaps God has allowed us “here” for just such a time as this! May we pray into our circumstances and settings today with such faith; that God has us here and He is able to make the very most of it all as we commit ourselves to Him in the process. Gives whole new meaning to the phrase, “Let go and let God” now, doesn’t it. May God reveal His purposes to us today!—DH