NorthStar Church Blog

 

Dear woman, that’s not our problem… My time has not yet come.

John 2:4 (NLT)

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GOD’S TIMING > OUR TIMING

 

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Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

 

Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” … So the servants followed his instructions.

John 2:7-9 (NLT)

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OBEDIENCE UNBLOCKS BLESSINGS

 

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Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

 

The wine supply ran out… His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:3-5 (NLT)

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LISTEN UP

 

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Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

 

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 

John 2:1-2 (NLT)

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JESUS IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

 

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Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

 

¹⁰ But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.

Daniel 6:10 (NLT)

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PROCESS OVER RESULTS

 

College football is always a big deal—especially down here in the South. This past season was a bit different, though, without Nick Saban patrolling the sidelines in Tuscaloosa. Coach Saban retired with a career record of 292-71-1 and seven national championships.

Many people regard him as one of—if not the—best college football coaches of all time. Though I, like Bulldog fans everywhere, won’t miss him on the other sideline, I am in awe of all he has accomplished.

A hallmark phrase for Saban and his former players is the idea often referred to as “the process.” Essentially, it refers to the mindset of focusing on daily improvement—getting better every single day—regardless of the results on the field. The concept of being process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented is the crux of the philosophy.

Conceptually, the idea is this: if your goal is to win a championship or beat a particular rival, what happens once you accomplish that goal? What will continue to motivate you? How will you keep growing if your sole focus is the outcome? Trusting the process is paramount to finding lasting success.

This week, we’ve studied Daniel in the lion’s den. This famous encounter tells of a faithful man sent to certain doom, only to have God intervene to protect and preserve his life. There are many lessons to be gleaned from this passage—many of them applicable to our daily lives.

It’s important, though, that we don’t focus solely on the outcome. History is rich with stories of people who faced peril and prayed—and yet were not delivered this side of heaven. So, the outcome of Daniel’s story isn’t the sole focus for us as readers. Rather, it is the fact that Daniel trusted the process, regardless of the outcome.

Pastor John MacArthur, in a sermon, said it like this:

“Believing in God doesn’t mean that the lions aren’t going to eat you. There have been martyrs throughout all the history of God’s dealing with men that have believed God—and they’ve died. The issue is that we accept God’s will. If it is to live, it is to live. If it is to die, it is to die. But in either case, we’re never defeated.”

Daniel knew what his fate would be if he were caught praying—and yet he did it anyway. His faithfulness to God was more important than the outcome these men intended for him. Did Daniel know he would be saved or protected? We have no evidence to suggest that. Did he accept his fate? Yes!

Our faith can’t be outcome-driven. We are not God, and we don’t determine all the outcomes. But if we believe His Word to be true, then we know we can trust Him and His process—just as Daniel did. May we all walk with such faithfulness!

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

 

¹⁶ So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

Daniel 6:16 (NLT)

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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

 

How dangerous is an African lion? Well, according to the stats—pretty dangerous. CNN reports that they kill roughly 250 humans a year. That’s more than sharks, bears, and tigers—combined.

Lions can weigh up to 550 pounds and stand around four feet tall on all fours. They have a bite force approaching 1,000 PSI, can run in short bursts up to 50 miles per hour, and can leap up to 36 feet.

They also have retractable claws capable of shredding through skin, bark, or nearly any other material they choose. Their sense of smell is excellent, and their vision—especially in low light—is exceptional.

In other words, there’s no running, no fighting, no hiding. If you are trapped in a cold, dark cave with a hungry lion, survival is unlikely—if not impossible. At least, without divine intervention.
Such intervention is exactly what happened to Daniel when he was forced into the lion’s den and emerged the following morning unharmed. Why didn’t the lions attack? Because God protected him.

We have a tendency to view our problems through a humanistic lens. This is normal—after all, we are human. However, there are biblical examples that teach us never to lose our capacity to accept unexplainable mystery and to develop a palate for miracles. Jesus Himself tells us that the things impossible for man are possible with God (Luke 18:27; Matthew 19:26).

We serve a God who created the heavens and the earth, who knows the bounds of a limitless universe, who sparked the very inception of life itself—and I have the audacity to try and understand Him? Who do I think I am?

Our God exists outside the confines of nature itself. How did Daniel emerge from the lion’s den without a scratch? Because the Creator of lions was the one who was with him. Paul writes,

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)

God’s sovereignty over all is something we, as believers, can take refuge in. I don’t know what lion’s den you are walking into, but I do know that we serve a God who has dominion over every inch of it. Don’t try to rationalize or worry. Instead, stand in awe of our God—and allow yourself to trust in the Savior whom even the “wind and the waves obey” (Mark 4:35).

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

 

¹⁰ But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. ¹¹ Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 

Daniel 6:10-11 (NLT)

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HOLY HABITS

 

Scripture is filled with examples of people facing hardship and responding with prayer. We see Jesus in Gethsemane the night before He went to the cross; there’s David’s numerous prayers during times of affliction, or others like Nehemiah, Paul, and Job.

In those instances, there is a very relatable sense of desperation, fear, or even sadness that accompanies the prayer. It is a good thing to be faced with suffering or difficulty and to run to the pages of God’s Word for inspiration and hope.

In studying Daniel, we see that his prayer in chapter six led directly to his punishment and condemnation, resulting in his being sent to the lion’s den for the night. We don’t get a direct portrayal of what Daniel said or what his prayer might have been, but we do get confirmation that his prayer was a direct response to the command not to pray to God (verse 10).

Based on everything we’ve learned about Daniel, it is reasonable to assume he was an educated and discerning man. He likely understood that once the edict came down from Darius forbidding prayer, dissenters would be punished harshly. Yet he did not run from the punishment in the slightest. He prayed. That was his response.

Daniel’s prayer wasn’t just a desperate plea in the face of danger—it was what he did every day, three times a day. We are repeatedly commanded in the Bible to pray. Jesus gives us direct instruction on how to pray (Matthew 6:9–13), Paul tells us how often to pray—hint: all the time (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)—and we are reminded to pray when we feel anxious (Philippians 4:6–7; 1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 6:25–34).

Prayer is meant to be a habitual activity for believers, a way of refocusing our attention on our relationship with God. Dietary habits, sleep habits, and workout regimens all matter to our physical health—but habitual prayer serves a deeper, eternal need. Daniel is an example of that.

Pastor and author Alistair Begg discussed Daniel and his prayer life, highlighting it for other believers:

“Daniel is, I think, in passing, an illustration of the priority of forming holy habits. It was his unswerving witness which made it possible for him to be caught. And as loyal as he’d been to these various empires in serving them, nobody could be in any doubt about his loyalty to the Kingdom of God. He looked towards Jerusalem, where he believed the truth was found and where he believed men and women from every nation would look for their salvation.”

May we all be as committed to the forming of holy habits so that similar words can be written about us!

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

 

³ Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

⁴ Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.

Daniel 6:3-4 (NLT)

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STANDING OUT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

 

I have played the bass guitar since I was 15 years old. After getting my first bass—a Washburn that still holds a sentimental place in my heart—my dad signed me up for lessons, and I was off and running.

Those lessons, and my awesome teacher named Eddie (who is still playing live music), had a huge influence on me as a player. I had an interest in playing in a garage band with my friends, and I wanted to learn how to do all the flashy stuff—yes, like slapping the bass, which is the number one question bass players everywhere get asked (thanks a lot, Paul Rudd).

What I learned from my teacher was that none of those things matter if you don’t have a foundation in the fundamentals of music, the instrument, and technique as a whole. He taught me to keep it simple and focus on the basics.

Playing in the pocket—having a sense of how to play in a way that adds to the song or makes the other musicians sound better—that is what matters. You might be able to wear sunglasses like Joe Dart, but if you don’t actually know how to play, then you’re standing out for the wrong reasons.

As we discussed Daniel chapter six this past week, we learned a lot about who Daniel was as a man even before he had to survive a night in the lion’s den. He had earned the favor of Darius and was placed in an administrative leadership role over the 120 satraps governing the area (v. 3).

When jealousy took hold among his colleagues and they began to plot and scheme against him, they kept coming up short. Verse four says, “…they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”

Everything we can glean from Daniel suggests that he was a great leader (v. 3), a man of integrity (v. 4), and a man loyal to God above all else (v. 10). We have a very clear picture of someone who set a godly standard for us to follow.

I’m brought back to my bass lessons with Eddie—perhaps it’s best to focus on the basics. If we can be people of integrity who place God above all else, then we can stand out for the right reasons, like Daniel.

 

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Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.