JAM 4:4 says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

Cursed are those whom the world embraces. The curse of the Lord is as a warrant for their arrest. They are wanted, and their pictures are posted for all to see. They are wanted by the law of God to be brought to justice. If the world is putting its arms around you, you are on the wanted list of God’s justice. Justice is calling for payment in full.

Those who are friends of the world do not enjoy the assurance that God’s blessing rests upon them. Their food is not sure.

The book of Haggai speaks to those who are walking contrary to the ways of the Lord saying, "Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways," HAG 1:5-7.

Have you thought about food for your soul? ISA 33:17 shows the blessedness of such food. "Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off." Your eyes will come to see the King in His beauty, i.e., the "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS," REV 19:16. He has become the King of your heart.

The power of Satan is broken, and you are brought to serve the Lord. The Lord becomes the King of your soul, and now you will see the King in His beauty by the eyes of faith. By the eyes of faith, you will see the blessedness of walking under the Kingship of Christ.

The Lord is so pleased with those who obey His will. ISA 33:16-17 says, "He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure."

Isn’t that blessed? If we are walking in the ways of the Lord, we will never be concerned with where our food and drink will come from. The Lord will supply us. He will give us His blessing. We will have the blessed security of knowing God will furnish all we need. The Lord can supply because He owns the gold, the silver, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. It all belongs to the Lord.

Jesus says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake." They, like Daniel, will go through the lion’s den. Those who walk in the ways of the flesh will reject them, but they, as Daniel, will suffer persecution for God’s honor.

In DAN 2:37 we read, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory."

DAN 4:27 shows us the counsel that Daniel gave King Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord had put the nations under King Nebuchadnezzar; Daniel reproved this man saying, "Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity."

The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar all the riches of the earth. Daniel admonished him that the Lord could be pleased only if he broke with his sin, shewing mercy by giving to the poor.

Daniel put himself in the background. This is suffering for righteousness. DAN 2:26-28 says, "The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? [Take notice, the king asked, ‘Are you able?’ setting Daniel in the foreground. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said,] "The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these."

Daniel didn’t put himself forward as being the one to reveal the secret. The king put Daniel forward as if he was able to reveal the secret, but Daniel put himself in the background after the Lord had shown him the secret. Then Daniel told the king what his dream meant and what the visions of God were in his dream. Daniel gave him the interpretation, which the Lord had revealed.

Daniel said that he, of himself, was not able to interpret it, but only the God in heaven was able to do so. Daniel put himself back and put the Lord forward. That is doing God’s will for righteousness and walking in the way of the cross.