Bible Ballistics: Vol. 11 No. 25 As Daniel Prayed, So Must I!!
Wrestling with fatigue becomes a real annoyance at times, yet there is a place that I find strength–and that is in the Lord. You know those days when you think you can’t take one more step and you cry out to “Thou God seest me”!
“The name of the LORD
is a strong tower:
the righteous runneth into it,
and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
It is The Lord our God—The Almighty—who is my/our strength and my/our sustenance at all times, especially in times of need. It is when I/we get distracted from Him that we find ourselves lacking. So I would like us to spend some time today considering the call of scripture to maintain our nearness to The Lord.
“Hear my cry, O God;
attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth
will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock
that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter
for me,
and a strong tower
from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle
for ever:
I will trust in
the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5 For thou, O God,
hast heard my vows:
thou hast given me the heritage
of those that fear thy name.” Psalm 62:1-5
God is The One in whom we can trust—do you notice all the descriptives of an active relationship here?
“Hear……………. my cry…..
Attend…………. unto my prayer….
When I cry…….lead me to the ROCK…
Thou are ………my shelter….
And………………my strong tower…..
You cover……. me with your wings….
You have ………heard my vows….
YOU have ………given me your heritage—-“
And because of Who our God is: what He has done, what HE is doing, and what HE has promised to do, we can have total confidence in Him—for it’s not dependent on me, but on JESUS!
“If we believe not,
yet he abideth faithful:
he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
While we are frail flesh and bone—our God reigns supreme—The God who “cannot lie”! Never has—never will!
“In hope of eternal life,
which God,
that cannot lie,
promised before the world began;
3 But hath in due times
manifested his word
through preaching,
which is committed unto me
according to the commandment
of God our Saviour;” Titus 1:2-3
Our hope must be in God not self! Daniel had that same hope and confidence in his God. While we’ve looked at Daniel a lot in recent weeks, it’s worth examining again, for we can learn so much from this young godly man and his friends.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself… ” Daniel 1:8a
While Daniel had been taken captive and defiled by others, he made a commitment to “not defile himself”, and he displayed that commitment with his walk with and confidence in his GOD!
“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies
of the God of heaven
concerning this secret;
that Daniel and his fellows
should not perish
with the rest
of the wise men
of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed
unto Daniel
in a night vision.
Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:17-19
Daniel was caught in the midst of a dilemma, a life and death dilemma, and his first response was to call his friends together to pray! It seems that for many of us, we often go to God as a last resort, rather than the first, and that is something we all must strive to turn around. When we come to Jesus we are relying upon a restored relationship with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and like Daniel we have the privilege of going to God’s throne of grace.
“For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points
tempted like as we are,
yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help
in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16
Praise God we can come into His presence with every need and burden of our heart, and the issues of our life. Daniel understood this and when God answered his prayer, he didn’t forget to thank God, but gave us one of the most insightful and intimate pictures of a man’s relationship with his God—a God he knew!
“Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God
for ever and ever:
for wisdom and might
are his:
21 And he changeth the times
and the seasons:
he removeth kings,
and setteth up kings:
he giveth wisdom
unto the wise,
and knowledge
to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep
and secret things:
he knoweth what is in the darkness,
and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee,
and praise thee,
O thou God of my fathers,
who hast given me wisdom
and might,
and hast made known unto me now
what we desired of thee:
for thou hast now made known unto us
the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:20-23
When we come to know God it affects not only our own lives, but also the lives of those we encounter each day. God wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him—to be his sons and daughters, restored by salvation to intimacy with Him– that we may reflect His glory to the world; all this because we have peace with God and not enmity through the blood of Jesus.
“But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye stedfast,
unmoveable,
always abounding
in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know
that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Our victory is in God, and we can stand fast in HIM, and bring Him glory in every situation—a showcase of HIS glory.
“Whether therefore
ye eat,
or drink,
or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God.
32 Give none offence,
neither to the Jews,
nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men
in all things,
not seeking mine own profit,
but the profit of many,
that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
Oh, to be as quick to respond rightly as Daniel—to make the commitment to be right with our God in all our life choices. And because we have been restored to a right relationship with God in Jesus, we can walk in confident victory! I just want to leave you some food for thought—some of my favorite passages to ponder as we consider our expression of God’s presence in us. So as we consider Daniel’s practice of the priority of and dependence on God, may we be reminded of the wonder of our salvation and our new relationship with God—remember whose you are, and don’t let the world’s darkness overcome the light that is within you—JESUS–
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
Spend some time pondering on the beauty of Paul’s message to the Romans.
“Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith
into this grace
wherein we stand,
and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so,
but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation
worketh patience;
4 And patience,
experience;
and experience,
hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength,
in due time
Christ died
for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man
will one die:
yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die.
8 But God
commendeth his love
toward us,
in that,
while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
9 Much more then,
being now justified
by his blood,
we shall be saved from wrath
through him.
10 For if,
when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son,
much more,
being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so,
but we also joy
in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received
the atonement.” Romans 5:1-11
Amen and Amen….
We have peace with God—
We have access into HIS grace–
We can stand in that grace—
We can glory in God’s presence in all our life–
In tribulation which grows our patience–
In patience which grows our experience—
In experience which grows our hope–
And living in HIS presence reveals our hope
to a lost and dying world.
All because Jesus came to die for and save the “ungodly” and make them children of God—because “we have now received the atonement” by the blood of Jesus.
“…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”!
Amen and Amen! Draw close into His presence and share your burdens and joys with the One who loves you! May we pursue a “Daniel-like” commitment to our God?