Honor God above all else by Pastor Peter Outar

Several years ago I knew of a Christian who had huge struggles in his walk with Christ.  Confronted with the usual weak areas in his life he would always choose to give in to the pleasure of sin and the indulgence of his fleshly desires. Thus began his long foray into a lifestyle of sin while he remained sitting in church every Sunday.

What a contrast to the story of Daniel in the Bible. When the kingdom of Judah was invaded by the Babylonians, Daniel was taken prisoner, castrated, his family most likely killed, and he was forced to adapt the lifestyle of the Babylonians.

The challenge before Daniel Daniel was faced with a situation where his Babylonian captors set before him “the king’s delicacies”. There was one small problem. The meat was sacrificed to false gods / idols and forbidden by Jewish dietary laws that God had handed down; therefore Daniel could not partake of it.

So Daniel faced a challenge. He could have rationalized partaking of that which God forbid. He could have said in his heart that God had abandoned him, that God had allowed him to be taken prisoner, that God did not meet his needs. Often times when we are confronted with a choice to honor God we find excuses why we are not to do what the Word says. We rationalize away our sin, saying it is a “small thing”. Or that we can always get back to serving God later.

We too are confronted with situations that challenge us. Will we do what honors God or will we indulge our fleshly desires? Will we be Daniels or will we be like Demas who Paul says “has deserted me because he loves the things of this world”?

The convictions of Daniel Here’s what the Bible says about how Daniel handled it:

“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.” Daniel 1:8

Daniel made a decision; he “purposed” that he would not contaminate himself by disobeying the Lord. The decision was made in his heart, the very place where Jesus said that sin begins. You see, the problem with the person I mentioned earlier was that he never “purposed in his heart” that he would choose to honor God above all else. There was no resolve, no determination on his part. He was not walking wisely, walking watchfully, aware of his weakness and armed with a decision in his heart to honor God above all else.

It is more than a decision it is a position that we must take as believers in Christ. We must resolve, once and for all, that our position will be that we will do what honors God above all else. Never mind our weakness, never mind the fact that we may know we are simply not strong enough in our own strength. God will deal with that once we decide – above all else, I want to honor God by doing what He wants. This is not a one-time decision. It is a decision we make daily, moment by moment when confronted with following God or going our own way and indulging our flesh. Have you resolved in your heart that you choose to honor God with your life come whatever may?

My friend, when you do this, God becomes very interested in your decision to honor Him and whatever prevents you from doing so.

The Confidence and Favor bestowed on Daniel When Daniel resolved to honor God, he was in effect defying the orders of the most powerful man on earth, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Daniel had no power of his own to resist this man. By resolving in his heart to honor God instead of worldliness, Daniel had put himself in a position where he was totally dependent on God. And he had placed God in a position to show forth His power. Daniel gave God an opportunity to show He was able. The Bible says

Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. Daniel 1:9

God’s response to Daniel’s resolve and decision to be obedient was to give Daniel favor in the midst of his circumstances. God did not change the circumstances yet; instead He gave Daniel favor in the midst of the circumstances. Daniel abounds in God inspired confidence in this trial, and gives God an even bigger opportunity

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ¹² “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. ¹³ “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see. Daniel 1:11-13

What confidence and trust in God! Daniel was facing down the mighty Babylonian empire by relying totally on the power of God. He was not asking God to change his circumstances, but giving God an opportunity to show forth God’s power in the midst of the circumstances.

When we make a decision to honor God above all else, then we open the doors for God to bestow favor on us and demonstrate His power in the midst of our challenges. Deciding to honor God opens the windows of heaven and unleashes the full power of the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf and empower us to do that which is beyond our ability to do. When we decide to honor God above all else, God will see to it that we have the supernatural power and strength that we need to live holy for Him and to honor Him.

Do you want to honor God in everything you do? Do you want to walk holy and overcome all your weaknesses and fleshly behavior? Then it begins with a decision to honor God and not contaminate yourself. As long as you continue to drift aimlessly and decide that the sin that so easily besets you is “small” or that you like indulging your fleshly desires more than honoring God then you will never see the power of God in your life. You must decide. You must say “Lord, I am weak in this area, I’ve fought it all my life, but I WANT to give it up, I WANT to honor you, take it away from me”, then you have just given God the opportunity to work in your situation.

The Consecration (blessing, setting apart) of Daniel It gets even better for Daniel as God begins to demonstrate His power.

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. ¹⁶ So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others Daniel 1:15,16

Daniel had decided not to contaminate himself, but to honor God. Now God responds by honoring Daniel not just with favor and confidence in the midst of his challenges, but demonstrating His almighty power to deliver Daniel entirely. Daniel and his 3 friends were healthier than those partaking of the idolatrous food! What a witness, what a testimony to the Babylonians of God’s mighty power. When you decide to honor God above everything else, God will work supernaturally on your behalf in the midst of the trial you face.

Secondly, the Babylonian servant removes the idolatrous food entirely! The very temptation, the very request to sin against God is removed from Daniel’s presence by the very person who put it there!!! The Bible says

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. James 4:7,8

Daniel honored God. Daniel submitted himself to God and decided that he would not contaminate himself with the things of the world. And in return the enemy fled. God acted on Daniel’s behalf and the very bone of contention – the idolatrous food, was removed.

What about you? When you decide to honor God above all else, it gives God an opportunity to demonstrate His power. And He will do so marvelously in your circumstances to the extent that the very enemy you face be it the world, the flesh or the devil will flee from you. The Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome that which you cannot do in yourself.

And it all begins with having a heart for the things of God, to place God foremost in your life, and to decide that you are no longer willing to contaminate yourself with evil. As long as you decide to flirt with worldliness and indulge the desires of your flesh, then you have already decided that you will not honor God above all else. You will dwell in the world of spiritual mediocrity that you have created for yourself, not fully enjoying the sinful lifestyle because of the conviction you receive, but not experiencing the favor and blessings of God either. You will be in a dry, barren place in life.

Decide today to honor God in your heart above all else and His Holy Spirit will empower you to walk in His paths and do that which honors Him. Trust Him and He will give you the power to live holy.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

You will live by the power of God, the power of the crucified and risen Christ. Daniel went on to be a great prophet. He survived in the lions’ den. He survived his persecution. He rose to prominence in the kingdoms. He outlasted kings, and God gave him favor in their courts. He was well known and respected. Even Jesus referred to him hundreds of years later. And it all began with a decision to honor God and not contaminate himself with that which offends God. What will God do with your life when you have decided to honor Him completely?

You can listen to the sermon Do Not Contaminate Yourself