Road Warriors: Daniel—A Message of Holiness - Tuesday
Daniel 1:6
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. (NLT)
It’s important who your friends are.
I honestly don’t know how it would have turned out if Daniel didn’t have his buddies with him through it all. We commonly know them as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but those were their Babylonian names (v. 7). Their given names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
The Bible talks about how a cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Well, these guys had a cord with four strands! Individually, each of them had high integrity and high character, but together, they made each other stronger. No doubt they often reminded each other of their commitment to purity and the promises God had made to them. I can just imagine them giving each other a nod and a wink as the king’s staff ordered them around, or a discreet high-five when they stood up for their faith.
You can endure a lot when you have some friends in it with you. It makes me think of classic movie friendships: The Goonies, The Avengers, The A-Team, even The Three Amigos. Having friends in the foxhole with you changes everything.
Have you ever realized that your friends contribute to your holiness?
It’s true, and they have the capacity to contribute negatively or positively.
Proverbs 18:24 - “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 - “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.”
1 Corinthians 15:33 - “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
So maybe it’s time to change your playground and change your playmates. After all, we do still get to choose our friends. Daniel and his friends had each other's backs, and it made all the difference. Yesterday’s lesson was, “Determine not to be defiled.” Here’s today’s lesson: Determine to have friends who can help you stay committed.
Tuesday’s Reflection
So who are they? Who are the friends helping you pursue Jesus? Are there friendships you can identify that are actually pulling you in the opposite direction? It’s important who your friends are—determine today to have good ones.
