By REV.(MRS.) SEUN DADA
When King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel’s Southern Kingdom, Judah’s defeat became the final blow to the glory days of Isrealites’ history. Already, the northern kingdom had fallen to Assyria over a century earlier. The days of Saul, David and Solomon were long past.

Wicked kings and sinful passions had ruled and divided Isreal for most of the preceding 350 years. Judah was weakened by sin, especially idolatory and ungodliness. Nebuchadnezzar stole Judah’s wealth, robbed her of hope by seizing her children.

Through three massive campaigns of exile and enslavement, he destroyed Judah’s heritage by driving the people from the land of their inheritance, and demolished every vestige and culture that might lure them back.
Nebuchadnezzar razed the temple and leveled the city of Jerusalem. Israel was in ruins, as the enemy marched triumphantly through it.
Does this not sound like today’s church? Today’s home? When we were young, fornication and adultery were called by their names; today, they are called “making love”. Years back, authentic ministries preached holiness, preached the rapture and the second coming of the Lord; today, almost everybody preaches only one message: prosperity.
Decades ago, when a brother or sister falls into sin or error, you see brethren crying in pain, asking God to restore; today, they laugh it off and even try to rationalize it.

Time was when there was a thing called “bribe”; today it is called “PR”. Time was when believers were careful about what they watched on television; today, so many Christians have series of pornographic materials in their homes and phones.

Time was when parents devised whatever punitive means was effective in training their children; today, most of what is done in the past which produced good, positive result in the children, have been branded “child abuse”.

Daniel could not have stopped Nebuchadnezzar from destroying Jerusalem. You may not stop your children from the invasion of forces of corruption. But, there was something Daniel could do- and he did just that: if you cannot stop a bird from flying across your head, you can at least stop it from building a nest on top of your head. Daniel decided to be different in a hopeless generation.

Let us not under-estimate the cost and implications of holy living in a morally decadent society. But, let us also not imagine it is not possible to be holy. If Daniel could do it, in spite of the cost and implications, you can do it. Never imagine that living for Christ is painless or easy.

Temptations abound everyday. Pressures to compromise are rife every time. Any attempt to stand up for righteousness is often mocked at. The in-thing now, is to be more engrossed in sin and error. But, every generation has its peculiar challenges. Ours is not different. The question is: in spite of the risks, in spite of the implications, are you willing to stand up for God?

“There hath no temptation taken you BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. – 1 Corinthians 10:13.

God has made a way to escape from the pressures and temptations of this generation.  If you are not standing your ground, it is not because you have no choice: it is because you decided to join the multitude to do evil. Will you stand your ground today?