Four Men Who Dared to Be Different ~ Part 2

I can see those little monkeys set apart and huddled in the corner of their cage saying, “hear no evil, speak no evil, and say no evil”; but, how many of us would boldly do the same? Would we dare to be different from all the rest of the ones in the cage of our society? Are we willing to feed ourselves on something different from the rest of them?

To reiterate; this is about four men who dared to be different - four men who refused to eat the foods that would cause them to defile themselves and set cause to break the laws of their religious beliefs.

A few days before beginning this new journey through the book of Daniel, I was doing a little online surfing for articles and blogs on how people are coping in light of the downward spiral of the world’s economic systems.

Of course, there a great increase in number of articles and blog entries on how people are coping and saving money, of recent. It is reflecting the times in which we are living.

People are downsizing, particularly with the large population of baby-boomers entering their more senior years. Personal debt and bankruptcies are at an all-time high. Companies are moving their production facilities to cheaper lands, investments are plummeting in the stock market arenas, and people are losing jobs left and right. Oh, what troublesome times we are living in, but should we be surprised?

Aside from the inundation of articles and blogs and frugality, there are a newer substantial amount of blogs and sites for a growing number of people who are now opting out of the societal pressures to look like we have it all made. They are choosing instead, to move with a purposed directive towards a new trend called “voluntary simplicity”. They are the new army or breed of those fighting to step back from the society’s focus on self absorption and indulgence, and the overwhelming pressure to “keep up with the Joneses”.

Living the great American dream is no longer the dream.... in fact, it has become a nightmare! Society is starting to say “we have had enough”. They are opting out, and discarding all the stuff that really isn’t necessary. They are no longer interested in accumulating treasures, and storing the “stuff”.

My own sister-in-law and brother-in-law made a decision, a little over year and a half ago, to sell off their home and all of their world possessions, in order to purchase a large RV motorhome and drive off to discover North America. The timing, they felt, was right. Their kids, now in their twenties, had left home, and being only in their forties themselves, they were young enough to enjoy the concept. They also wanted to do it while they have the health to do it. They were both of tired of their jobs and the rat-race, and were ready for an all-out adventure. So in just a few short weeks, they got rid of their stuff, and were waving farewell.

Their challenge and part of the whole exploit would be to see how little they could spend. It would be more like a game, but not a regimented, unbending requirement. They wanted to do it all as simply as they could.

They chose an online trip journal, and daily post their happenings, as well as keep a running tab on their expenditures; namely fuel, food, and overnight fees. Since they have never been big spenders to start with, they spend very little, and have surprisingly, on average, spent only around a thousand a month over the past year, for their new style of living. Internet is picked up randomly here and there, on whatever signals they happen to find along the way, and cell phone pay-as-you-go is a monthly five dollar phone card they keep topped up only for roadside emergencies, should they ever need it.

Board-games, cards, strolls on the beaches, bike rides, dog-walks, and get-togethers with other fellow RV-ers are high on the list of activities. They trade books with other travellers, eat foods in season and with simplicity, pickup cheap dvd movies once in a while to watch on their laptops, they read the headlines and news videos online, and participate in free activities and touristy items as they motor along. It’s a low-key lifestyle they have become accustomed to, and that they absolutely love. So, what started out with intent to be only a couple of years long, has now become a lifestyle, and has progressed into plans for a longer timeframe.

They have chosen, and they have dared to be different.

While there is a part of many of us that may be envious of such a freedom to be able to pick and move like that. I, personally, have to say that I am too busy enjoying this season of writing and ministry. I absolutely love what I am blessed to be doing right now, and of where He has me. I love the simplicity of what we, as a family unit of our own, have chosen for this very busy season in our lives.

While we have never been too passionate about keeping up appearances, we have opted to step out of the influences and to clamp down on spending. Like others, who are choosing to rebel, we are no longer interested in spending our money or time on the unimportant things. Again, like many others, we have chosen to say "no', and to no longer conform to make the status quo - we choose to store the stuff, instead, where it counts... both personally and spiritually.

Do we, as believers in Christ, want to be strong in our conviction to not be conformed of this world?

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

It is all about setting our boundaries. We can choose to be a part of what is happening around us or to standout and be unique – to dare to be different and set apart.

We can certainly live in the world, but we don’t have to live of it.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rom 12:2 (NIV)

Part of the study of His Word, is the factor of application; taking what you learn and applying it to your own life. So with an awareness of our own financial situations, and with the conviction of my faith - for the length of time that I am studying this amazing book of the Bible, I am personally committing to eat simply and at home (as much as possible), to not to spend any unnecessary money on what could be construed as frivolous items, and to live my life as simply as possible. I shall commit to purging out my belongings in order to downsize our home to its’ simplest form, and its' most mobile, move-ready basics. Not because I have to to, or because circumstances may force it in the future... but simply, because I want to.

We can learn much from the example of four men. Four men, who opted to take a stand for the simpler things - to eat with the simplicity of a diet of strictly vegetables and water, (and not the indulgent diet of a royal palace), and of whose bodies and minds ultimately reflected its intrinsic value. Four men, who chose to not be conformed to the patterns of the world around them, but to take a stand for righteous faith and respect for the Law.

Four men, who dared to be different.

Four Men Who Dared to Be Different

All of the offers of the world, sat before the men who dined at the King’s table. The finest, most tantalizing, highest quality fruits, vegetables, pastries, breads, meats, wines, and cheeses were spread before them in a very specific quantity – all, no doubt, for optimum physical performance and maximum, mental fuel.

Yes, indeed, the prolific abundance and resources of the royal kingdom were being invested into the physical bodies of the finest specimens in the kingdom – all handpicked and chosen to be trained for the king’s service.

There was only one hitch.

There were a couple of men, who didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. In their culture the foods were considered unclean, and eating them would have defiled the Law to which they would stanchly defend and preserve. To break that Law, would be to sin against their God.

Let’s read the first chapter of Daniel, in the New International Version, and see how the actual story is recorded...

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

While it was, no doubt, probably an honour to have been chosen, (and most assuredly the family and friends, of those that made the cut, were proud of their loved ones), it was apparent that not everyone was willing to compromise!

Four men, who dared to be different. Notice the court officials even tried to change their names. Talk about losing your identity, and just becoming another one in the crowd!

It was all about motive, pleasure and self indulgence; the king’s, his courts’, his interns’, and his nations’. Oh, how this parallels our life, here in the present day, and from within our western culture! Indeed, we are living in a modern-day version of Babylonia! After all, it wasn’t just the name of a place, it was a culture, a way of life, and a philosophy for living!

The world is our oyster! Our eyes and ears can now hear and see and experience the voices of influence from around the world in a nano-second, through technology and media, all as never before in history - all implying that we really are the center of our own universe!

Think about it. We are enraptured with pleasure for ourselves - our five senses are never dulled and they too, are fed their finest! Education is now available through means and sources never dreamed or perceived in years past; physical health is scientifically explained, altered, reproduced, and cloned in peitre dishes; and dictionaries have words that are now considered parts of everyday speech - words that would make even an animal blush!

Our hands fondle the finest of textures and objects in their purest, natural form or their man-made, artificial counterparts. Our palettes exercise the diversity of cultures and tastes, and exotic aromas fill our nostrils, taking our imaginations to distant lands across the globe.

We can feed not only our bodies, but our egos! We can choose to find ourselves, remake our appearance, access unlimited banks of knowledge, get cash at the touch of a button or the swipe of a card, and cross oceans and continents in a heartbeat! We have choices like no other time, or nations, in history; and, we tell ourselves it is entirely possible to have it all!

Well they too, had it all, and it was being offered to them on a silver platter, literally. However, they made a choice, and like Mary would, many years later, they chose what was better!

Four men, who dared to be different.

© January 2009 Brenda Lois Crowe
All rights reserved.

Insatiable Hunger... Temporarily Satisfied

It was back in time... I can’t tell you where exactly, but I saw myself as though I was on the side of the Road to Damascus or somewhere. The sun was suspended somewhere back and behind me to the right, and it appeared to be late morning or early afternoon. Expectancy and anticipation hung in the air. The atmosphere was like a tangible, insatiable hunger that had to be fed.

Word had gotten out, and throngs of people began gathering in a cluster, that begat another cluster, that begat another cluster. Again and again, one after another, the numbers of the assembly grew. Each member was hoping to catch an opportunity to see Him, close-up, in the living flesh of Glory.

Yes, it was Him indeed... He, the One who was the awaited Messiah, was coming towards the multitude that was gathering.

I glanced, longingly, to catch a glimpse of His face as He was walking closer. Would He look like I had imagined? Would He smile, or look my way?

The heads bobbled back-and-forth in front of me, as all of them struggled to catch their own glimpse of the One who delivered people from demons, and did great miracles all in the Name of God.

There were others with him. Two, or maybe it was three, walked just a step or two in front of Him. They, like Him, were sandal-footed, and small puffs of dust were being raised from the dry soil with each step that they took.

His friends were smiling and glancing back at Him, ever mindful of the need to protect Him, should the crowd press in too closely. Their dark curls peeked out from underneath the coverings over their heads, and their faces were clearly impressed upon my heart. They were having a wonderful time with Him, and were enchanted with the penchant in the hearts of people, to adore Him in the place of His Presence.

I stretched higher on my tip-toes to see over the heads that now moved from side to side blocking my sight-line. I was no longer able to see over these ones that stood in front of me, and all I knew, was that I had to see Him...and I desperately began seeking fresh openings between the moving masses of hair and head coverings...

But, it was to no avail.

The whole situation for me, almost felt hopeless. He was known for finding the ones who were least likely. So, possibly there would be hope even for me. Even behind the throngs of people, He would notice if His Father noticed... or if the power had gone out from Him.

I too, had heard of the woman with the issue of blood – she had touched the hem of His garment. She had crawled between the feet of the ones who had gathered. There in her desperation, she had allowed nothing to stop her.

She knew He was the One. He was her only hope. No longer would she be a woman who wore a name of shame. It was insatiable hunger... and it drove her to it. She found a way... and now, so would I.

I caught a fleeting flash... mostly of the back right side of his head, going past, and out in front of me.

I had to see Him, and I caught myself slowly lowering myself to the ground, like she had done, and I too began crawling. The dust was now thick from the bare feet and sandals that stirred on the earthen surface below my knees, and I momentarily held by breath, and squinted for the sake and protection of both my extremities and my eyesight.

I would have had to presume that He didn’t know that I was there... but then again, maybe He did. The murmuring and blurred sounds of the crowd were disappearing somewhere off into the back, and over my head, as they continued shuffling off, and following behind Him.

My knees were clamping down on the lower half of the beige garment that I wore. It slowed down any possible speed in terms of progress. The head covering was now dangling and blocking the vista that could possibly lay before me. Frustratingly, within my haste to break free from them, I was continually being forced to pull my fingers out from underneath the feet of the dispursing mass of "Followers" – all to spare any possible breakage of the very hands that guided me. The tops of my feet were now dragging over the small pebbles behind me, and I winced with the pain.

Finally, the thinning crowd in my area had dispersed enough for me to see, and I was able to come out and from around them. I wanted to jump to my feet, and see Him... but, alas, it was too late. All I could see was the back of them.

Sigh.... The crowd was starting to move in tighter behind them, once again obstructing my view, and now there was no longer any chance of seeing Him.

Really, I had not even dreamed of touching Him. I merely wanted to see Him; that was all, and it would have been enough for me. My head hung in disappointment, but my heart held onto its desperation. It was insatiable hunger.

Then it happened...

Suddenly, instinctively.... I began grabbing and clenching the handfuls of fine sand that His feet had walked upon. Perhaps, to the others, if they had even noticed me, I would have appeared to be a desperate, crazy woman who was grabbing sand from the street...but they didn’t understand.

I had touched-not the hem of his garment, because I had no access to it, but I was able to hold what He, Himself, had touched. Some may have thought that might have been settling for second best... but to me, it was the very best.

After all, it made perfect sense to me, that if power went out from Him when she touched the tassels of his robe, then surely the sand would carry the power of His presence where He had stepped. It was the next best thing... it was within my grasp... and it met my need.

I would hold onto it with all I had. It was tangible, it was a memory, it was power, I could take it home, and now, it was mine. I would carry it with me like precious cargo, to a place where I could safely store it. Perhaps, it could be a vessel of some sort, that could I could set in a place of honour upon my mantel. Yes... that would do nicely, for now.

Little did I understand in that moment, it was what I would carry in my heart, that would outlast it all. I had experienced insatiable hunger... and I would only be temporarily satisfied.

With an incredible jarring sensation, I was suddenly removed from the indwelling vision of where I had travelled, to my place of physical reality...

A place of insatiable hunger... temporarily satisfied.

© Brenda Lois Crowe, December 28, 2008
All Rights Reserved.