The Lord says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!” – Zechariah 2:6-7

Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.
Sing out this message! Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. – Isaiah 48:20

Just as God had promised, the exile for the Hebrews ended after seventy years. Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, conquered Babylon and allowed all of the nations exiled to Babylon to return to their homelands. He did this in order to form alliances with these nations, expecting loyalty in future diplomatic matters. The Jews returned to Judah and Jerusalem. The stories of their return are recorded by the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. God was calling His people to return – return to the Promised Land and return to Him.

“I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’

Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead. But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’” – Zechariah 1:2-6

You have received what you deserve – God pointed this out in the first chapter of Haggai as well. The people had returned to Judah and started to rebuild the temple but their enthusiasm soon turned to discouragement and then to apathy. They turned their focus to their own homes and to making a living for themselves without restoring worship back into the community. Here is God’s response:

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. Your drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes.”

“…Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills – a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.” – Haggai 1:4-11

You are getting what you deserve but here’s how to deserve what you wish you were getting – Return to me and I will return to you. This is essentially what God was saying. God desired to lavish wonderful gifts on His children but He needed to get their attention because His intent was not only that they return to their land, His intent was that they return to Him. He wanted them to RETURN and REBUILD so that He could RENEW His relationship with them.

The people began to fear the Lord and a new enthusiasm for building the Temple was ignited in their hearts. They finished the Temple but realized that the new Temple was nowhere close to the splendor of the previous Temple. God reminded them that He is the keeper of the silver and the gold (2:8). He promised them that a day would come when He would restore glory to His Temple beyond its past glory.

Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”
And the priests answered, “Yes.”
Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.” – Haggai 2:13-14

In order for God to fully RENEW the relationship with His people, He needed them to REPENT. He reminded them of how little their crops produced before they rebuilt the Temple and asked them to look and see how He was now blessing them after the Temple had been restored. “Think carefully,” the Lord said. God desired to bless them but was requiring them to turn from their sin – to repent.

What does God want to do in our lives? In what ways does the Keeper of the silver and the gold – the Keeper of all blessings – desire to bless us? Return to me and I will return to you.

Look at what’s happening to you!
Think carefully.
RETURN, REBUILD, RENEW and REPENT.
RETURN – Come away! Flee from your captivity! Walk away from your sin and return to me.
REBUILD – Do the necessary work to restore our relationship to where it once was.
RENEW – Make a new covenant with me so that our relationship can be renewed.
REPENT – Turn from your sin so that I can bless you the way I desire to bless you.
Return to me and I will return to you

What God was asking of Daniel, was huge! His visions left him feeling weak and physically pale, as if all his strength had left him. Have you ever experienced this to a degree? The journey God has you on or the life situations you are facing have left you drained of all energy and strength. Do you ever feel alone? May today’s words to Daniel wash over you and give you strength. May you hear the voice of God and picture the heavenly realms today. May you know with confidence that you are loved by God and that you are most definitely not alone. May you feel the hand of God touch you and lift you up.

My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” – Daniel 10:8b-12

Notice the progression of Daniel’s position. He faints and lays with his face to the ground. The hand of God touches him and lifts him up, but only to his hands and knees. Then with a voice that roared like a vast multitude of people, the man of God told Daniel to stand up. Then Daniel, still trembling, stood up.

Have you ever been so drained from your life experiences, from the struggles and troubles surrounding you, that it was difficult for you to pray? You fall on your face before God and perhaps weep but there are no words. There are times when we need the strength of God simply to get on our knees and be able to come before him and speak – to pray what we are feeling and present our requests to Him. Praise God, He is just the kind of God to give us the strength we need to pray. He also loves us enough to tell us when to stand, to confirm to us that He has heard our prayers.

While he was speaking to me, I looked down to the ground, unable to say a word. Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” – Daniel 10:15-17

It’s too much! It’s more than I can handle! I can’t breathe! Have you ever spoken these words or prayed something similar? There are times when what God is asking us to do or asking us to experience seems impossible, seems too big for us. At times the situation ahead is difficult, painful, overwhelming or just seems impossible. Listen to God’s words to Daniel:

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
As he spoke to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” – Daniel 10:19

All God has to do is speak to us and we suddenly feel stronger. There is a new hope born in us that strengthens us for what is ahead. God went on to reveal to Daniel what was happening in the spiritual realms that man could not see in the earthly realm. There was a spiritual battle taking place on behalf of God’s people and God had commissioned His archangels to fight the battles. Daniel’s visions spoke of what would happen at the end of time. It is difficult for us to understand and comprehend, just as it was difficult for Daniel. Theologians disagree on the meaning of these last three chapters of Daniel. But what I can take from this passage, what I can hear God saying is – I will fight the battle! I will be victorious! (Daniel 10:13-14, 20-21).

Daniel’s vision spoke of a long battle between the king of the north and the king of the south – how each would plot against each other and attempt to deceive each other. The anger of the king of the north will be poured out against the people of the holy covenant. He will reward those who forsake the covenant, flattering and winning them over. But the people who KNOW their God will be strong and will resist him (Daniel 11:32).

Those who KNOW their God will be strong and able to resist their oppressor! Praise God! The God who draws us into a personal relationship with Him strengthens us through that relationship. It is our connection, our intimacy with God that gives us the strength to resist evil. And the experience of facing a battle with evil changes us. It refines us, cleanses us and makes us pure.

And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come. – Daniel 11:35

Praise God! He does not leave us alone during the difficult times. He does not ask us to do something by ourselves, of our own strength. He is with us. His angels are defending us. He is strengthening us for what he has called us to. Then he allows the difficult times to refine us and make us clean and pure before Him.

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. – Psalm 29:11

God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. – Psalm 68:35

The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. – Psalm 28:8-9

Have you ever read a portion in Scripture or a Bible story that you’ve heard since you were a child yet now, as an adult, you have an increased understanding of what the Scripture is saying? God’s word is familiar but it comes to life in a new way, as if you were hearing it for the first time.

Daniel was a young man when he was brought into the royal service but he would have heard from his parents and grandparents the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He might have celebrated Passover and heard how the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites who had sprinkled the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. He would have heard the stories of how Moses led them out of captivity in Egypt into the Promised Land and he would have most likely had the Ten Commandments memorized. Yet now, at this stage in his life, he is coming to a new understanding of what God has done for His people and their continued unfaithfulness generation after generation.

During the first year of King Darius’ reign, Daniel is studying the word of the Lord as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet. He reads that this exile to Babylon is to last seventy years. It must be apparent to him that the seventy years is coming close to completion. He sees the need for his countrymen and his people to fully repent and turn to God so that their captivity can come to an end and they can return home again – home to Jerusalem.

Daniel put his spiritual concerns ahead of his physical needs and began fasting, turning to the Lord God in prayer – pleading for his people. He went into mourning by dressing in burlap and sprinkling himself with ashes. He took it upon himself to fall before the Lord and confess on behalf of the Israelites.

Wow! Do we pray like that? Are we so concerned with the sins of our society that we fall on our knees and confess on behalf of our country? What would happen if we did pray like Daniel prayed, with fervency and desperation? What if we wept as Jesus did when he looked out over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41)? What if we prayed this prayer:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets…

“O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city – the city that bears your name – lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O LORD, HEAR. O LORD, FORGIVE. O LORD, LISTEN AND ACT! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.” – Daniel 9:4-19

I love this next part! What happens next reminds us that God hears our prayers, sees our hearts and responds from His heart. Consider what the angel Gabriel said to Daniel in response to his prayer and hear God’s words to you this morning as you pour out your heart to Him.

“Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God…” – Daniel 9:22-23

Something happened immediately – the moment Daniel began praying. Do we want to see God do something incredible for our nation in 2014? I think it is time to start praying for just that.

Dear Lord, this morning we come before you in repentance – repenting for our own sins and for the sins of our nation. Heavenly Father, You have poured out Your blessings upon us and we have rebelled against You. As a nation, we have not obeyed you. O merciful God, lean down and listen to us this morning. We plea for your mercy on behalf of our country, even though we do not deserve it. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! Please give us new insight and understanding. Like Daniel, may we hear from You today – may we hear the words from Your heart, “You are very precious to God.” Amen.

Chapters 7 and 8 of Daniel take us back in time a little, in order to take us forward in time. During the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He had another dream or vision during the third year of this king’s reign. These chapters reveal the dreams and then explain the meaning behind the dreams.

I am not going to attempt to explain or interpret the visions Daniel had foretelling what would happen in the end times. I find it interesting to read but over my head to completely understand. I went through the study of Daniel by Beth Moore several years ago and found it fascinating but I am still without a deep enough understanding to wrap my mind around all of it. I would like to point out a couple of things that stuck out to me though before I move onto Chapter 9.

These two visions went into great detail of what the beasts, ram and goat looked like but not a lot about them beyond their appearance and actions. What was described sounds familiar to what we have seen earlier in the book of Daniel – how arrogance and pride can be destructive. Daniel described the little horn as having a mouth that was boasting arrogantly and described the ram as doing whatever it pleased, becoming very powerful.

Out of the four beasts, the fourth with the little horn whose speech was described as boastful was the only one who was immediately killed and destroyed by fire. The other three lost their authority but were allowed to live a while longer (7:11-12). It is as if the Ancient One sitting in judgment had heard enough and swiftly shut the mouth of the beast. I love the power and authority displayed in Daniel 7:20-22:

This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, UNTIL the Ancient One – the Most High – came and judged in favor of his holy people.

Go God!!! I love the power displayed by our Omnipotent King of Kings! Daniel 8:23-25 describes again the victory that will take place over evil. “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but HE WILL BE BROKEN, though not by human power.”

Whether we completely understand how the end times will play out or what Daniel’s visions mean, what we can understand is that our God is powerful and that He has always been and will always be victorious. As God’s holy people, we can see that our future is strong in the hands of God. There is nothing to fear.

“But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” – Daniel 7:18

“But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” – Daniel 7:26-27

The future of those who bow to the authority of their Lord and Savior holds victory. But let us also remember that the future of those who are arrogant, proud and boastful is bleak. Those whose speech is boastful and who do whatever pleases them will be brought down and destroyed. There is only one God – the Most High, Omnipotent God – and our future is in His loving, yet just, hands.

“The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.” – Oswald Chambers, today’s reading of My Utmost for His Highest

As we read on in chapter six of Daniel, God’s blessings on Daniel are met with opposition. Last week, we described Daniel as more capable than others, faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy. I guess it is no surprise that those around him reacted with jealousy and found pleasure in the possibility of seeing something go wrong in Daniel’s life. We see this reaction play out today on the job, within families and, sadly, the Church.

Everything has gone right for Daniel – well, except for the whole captivity thing. Let’s review: Daniel goes from being a Jewish captive to a member of the royal service to ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all King Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men. Under King Belshazzar’s reign, Daniel is made the third highest ruler in the kingdom and Darius the Mede then appointed Daniel as one of three administrators over all the high officers. Now Darius is making plans to place Daniel over the entire empire and the other administrators have had enough!

The plot to destroy Daniel strikes where they know it will affect him the most – worship of his God. They stroke the pride of King Darius and trick him into issuing a decree that no one can pray to any god except the King himself. Once more, someone placed in a leadership position and given authority allows pride to take over and makes a foolish decision based on his own wants and desires.

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help (Daniel 6:10-11).

Just as he had always done, Daniel went to his knees to pray to his God for help. He was not praying because he was now in a difficult situation and needed rescuing; he prayed just as he had always done, three times a day, giving thanks to his God.

“The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.” – Oswald Chambers, today’s reading from My Utmost for His Highest

Daniel had faithfully developed a habit or life pattern of spending time in prayer, which is what made him the kind of man worth studying. Spending time daily in God’s presence resulted in God’s presence dwelling daily within Daniel, giving him strength and wisdom. Today was no different. Daniel trusted in God, just as he had always done.

As a result of his decree, King Darius had no choice but to follow through with the punishment as declared in the new law – Daniel would have to be thrown into the den of lions. We do not know how Daniel reacted to this but we know that the king was deeply troubled and spent the night fasting for his faithful servant, Daniel.

Was Daniel scared? Did he ask God “why?” Did he question his decision to pray just as he had always done, with the windows wide open? I choose to believe that Daniel reacted the same way his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. I choose to believe that Daniel trusted in God to save him but loved God enough to say, “But even if he doesn’t…”: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

The next morning, the king hurried to the lion’s den and called out, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” – Daniel 6:20-22

As a result of Daniel’s faithfulness and his testimony of how God had rescued him from what man would consider an impossible situation, God was glorified and given the praise. I pray those around us can see that we serve God faithfully and that we trust in Him through all situations, good and bad. This kind of faithfulness starts in our quiet times with the Lord. It is in the intimate moments with God that He takes us deeper in our relationship with Him and draws us closer to Him, creating fellowship and oneness with Him.

“The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him.” – Oswald Chambers, today’s reading from My Utmost for His Highest

Let’s join King Darius this morning in praising and trusting in the Most High God!

“For he is the living God, and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.
He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:26b-27).

I have no idea what you are going through right now, but I pray that the depth of your daily private times of fellowship and oneness with God give you the strength of faith to trust in Him, believing that He can rescue you as He rescued Daniel, but also giving you the faith to say, “But even if He doesn’t…”.

Have you stepped on the scales lately? For the last few weeks we have all celebrated Christmas with yummy desserts and delicious feasts. Dreading what we would find, we stepped on the scales and cringed at what our festivities have added to our waistline. We were weighed on a balance and given a number, like it or not. So we enter the new year and immediately start making resolutions regarding our health and weight.

The days of you being in control are numbered (Mene), you have been weighed (Tekel) on the balances and have not measured up, and your kingdom has been divided (Parsin) and given to someone else. This is the writing on the wall – God’s message to the next King of Babylon, Belshazzar.

King Belshazzar knew his history. He knew that King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and mind had been puffed up with arrogance and that he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society and made to live like an animal until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone HE desires to rule over them. Knowing all of this, King Belshazzar still did not humble himself but proudly defied God by drinking from the cups brought to Babylon from the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:20-23).

“You have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. This is the message that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN” (Daniel 5:23b-25).

He knew better. He knew what could happen if he put himself and what he wanted above the Most High God. He knew and yet he chose to build his own kingdom instead of honoring God. How often could we be found guilty of the same thing? If we were weighed on a balance would we measure up? When we choose our own way and do our own thing and hope that God will bless our plans, we are fooling ourselves. The days of us being in control of our own life are numbered and the blessings God has poured out on our life can easily be taken away and given to someone else.

Let’s see how Daniel measures up when he is weighed on the balances:
But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king – your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar – made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” – Daniel 5:10-12

The queen mother was not a believer and yet she knew the difference in Daniel. She knew that Daniel had a holy spirit within him that set him apart from others. Each day we are surrounded by unbelievers and we have the opportunity to let them see something different in us that cannot be found in the hearts of the world – they can see Jesus!

That night King Belshazzar was killed and a new king took his place, King Darius. Just as the writing on the wall foretold, his days were numbered and his kingdom was divided.

Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy – Daniel 6:1-4.

Daniel: insight, understanding, wisdom, exceptional ability, filled with divine knowledge and understanding, ability to interpret and solve difficult problems, capable, faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy. Wow, what a description. When weighed by others, Daniel was found to be all of these things. When weighed by God, Daniel was found humble and faithful and God’s blessings increased in his life.

If we were weighed on a balance would we measure up? If left to our own ability and strength, probably not. But Daniel had something we have even more access to – a Holy Spirit. Being all of these things is not a matter of trying harder and hoping to be something extraordinary, it is a matter of humbling ourselves before God and allowing Him to fill us with Himself so that He can be exactly who He is and we can become just what He created us to be.

“But even if He doesn’t…”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the right attitude. When faced with the possibility of being thrown into the fire if they did not bow and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue, these young Hebrews said with confidence, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve IS ABLE to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will NEVER serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

Life will be much easier for this control freak if I can just learn how to say – “But even if He doesn’t…” (Daniel 3:18). Daily I have to let go of the reins and trust that God reigns. I must let go of my need to manipulate and control a situation and let Him be Lord saying – I know that the God I serve is able to save and rescue me by His power but, even if He doesn’t, I will never serve anyone but Him. I will trust Him.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a similar lesson to learn, again through the interpretation of a dream. He dreamt of a large tree growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for the whole world to see. It had fresh green leaves, was loaded with fruit, and offered shade to wild animals and a home for the birds nestled in its branches. This tree was large enough to feed all people.

But then a holy messenger came down from heaven shouting, “Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground…For seven periods of time, let him have the mind of a wild animal instead of the mind of a human. For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses – even to the lowliest of people.” – Daniel 4: 14-17

Daniel was frightened by the meaning of the dream, knowing it would be King Nebuchadnezzar who would be cut down and made to live like a wild animal for a time – until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses (4:25). Daniel interpreted the dream and advised the king to stop sinning and do what is right – to break from his wicked past and be merciful to the poor.

The dream got the king’s attention but his attitude remained the same and is revealed in this statement he made while looking out across the city: “Look at this great city of Babylon! By MY OWN mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.”

While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.” – Daniel 4:30-32

Now the king reigning over God’s people who were in exile for 70 years was experiencing his own exile of 7 years. When his sanity returned and he was given back the throne, his attitude had changed. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.” – Daniel 4:37. He had learned the hard way that God was in control and he was not, a lesson I have had to daily learn from my Savior and Lord.

Lord, I have no idea what you have ahead in the coming year, but it is the desire of my heart to give you the reins. I want nothing more than for you to be in charge. No matter what I face this year, I want to say with confidence that YOU ARE ABLE. Lord, give me the strength in every situation in 2014 to say “But even if He doesn’t…” I long to trust you THAT much! Reveal any pride in my life and replace it with humility. Help me to let go of the reins of my life, of my family, of my friends, of my job…and trust YOU – the God who reigns!

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were right to trust God. In anger, King Nebuchadnezzar did throw them into the furnace, which he had heated seven times hotter than usual – that’s how angry he was! But as the king looked into the fire, he saw four men walking around – unbound and unharmed! He called for the young Hebrews to come out of the fire and that is exactly what they did. The fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! – Daniel 3:27b

That is what our God is capable of. He can rescue us and chances are He will rescue us. But even if He doesn’t, are you willing to serve Him? Are you willing to trust Him even if there is a furnace ahead for you? Even if you don’t know how things will turn out in the end, are you willing to say with confidence that you will never serve anyone else but Him? Will you let go of the reins and trust in the God who reigns?

Tell me what I dreamed and what it means – this was the unreasonable demand of King Nebuchadnezzar of all of the wise men of Babylon. When they were unable to do this, he ordered their execution. When the officers came to kill Daniel, “he handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.” He asked for more time then went to his friend Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and asked them to pray. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said,

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.
He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.” – Daniel 2:18-23

So, when faced with a difficult situation, a matter of life or death, Daniel gathered his friends together and they prayed for God’s intervention. Then, when God answered their prayer, Daniel first took time to praise God, acknowledging the source of all wisdom, power, knowledge and strength. Prayer and praise – two of the main ingredients to Daniel’s success, to his excellence.

God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel, who in turn gave God all the glory explaining to the king why God was revealing this dream. Daniel in essence said – What you have asked is impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. God doesn’t have to explain this dream to you or reveal the future to you, but He has because God wants you to understand what is in your heart (Dan. 2:27-30).

Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court (Dan. 2:48-49). Now these four young Jewish men in captivity were being entrusted with even more. These young men of excellence were faithful to God and God was enlarging their territory.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to God revealing the meaning of his dream was to acknowledge that Daniel’s God is the greatest of gods. This was the problem. He did not recognize God as the only true God, just that He was the Most High of all the gods. He still did not accept that God was the only One to be worshipped. Nebuchadnezzar made a 90 foot by 90 foot statue made of gold out in the province where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in leadership. The base of this statue would have been much bigger than a basketball court to give you an idea of its size. He commanded that everyone bow and worship this statue.

Once more, these three young men were given the opportunity to choose excellence, even when faced with the possibility of death. You see, although the king did not recognize that God was the only true God, these young men did. Their new positions of authority and power did not boast their pride but they remained humbly faithful to their God. They refused to bow to the statue.

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

Wow! This has been one of my favorite testimonies of faith since I was a little girl and it remains extremely powerful to me today. Even if God doesn’t answer their prayer as they have requested, they will serve God and only God.

Today, New Year’s Eve, is a day when people naturally look back at the year that is ending and remember all that happened – the good times and the difficult times, the struggles and the triumphs, the mistakes and the victories. Prayer and praise – we have the opportunity to spend time today praising God for EVERYTHING and then praying over the year we are about to begin.

What are you asking for today? What are you asking for 2014? Does your faith in God hinge on whether or not He answers your prayer your way? Prayer and praise – these two ingredients of Daniel’s faith are available to us. Are we prepared to praise God no matter how He answers our prayer? Do we trust the heart of God enough to trust His hand?

Are you ready? 2014 is just hours away. God has a plan for each of us in the coming year but are we prepared for the opportunities He has before us? We have been chosen for a specific purpose in the days ahead. The future is unknown but we know whom we serve. What do we need to do today to be ready for what He has for us tomorrow?

When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus (Daniel 1:18-21).

Let’s consider what an incredible opportunity this was for these four young Jewish men. Jerusalem has been attacked and God’s people have been brought to Babylon where they will spend the next 70 years in exile. These Jewish families were allowed to live in peace and comfort in this new country but it did not take away the daily realization that they were most definitely in captivity. They could not leave and go home – they were strangers in a strange land.

They were chosen because they were ready. The king ordered his chief of staff to bring to the palace some of the young men from Judah’s royal family and other noble families who were strong, healthy, and good-looking, as well as knowledgeable in EVERY branch of learning – gifted with knowledge and good judgment (1:3-4). These young men did not have to suddenly prepare themselves for this opportunity; it was given them because they were ready. They had spent their time learning and listening. They were already healthy and strong. They were ready, therefore they were chosen.

They remembered to whom they belonged. Now that they were in royal service to the King, he wanted their loyalty. He renamed them after Babylonian gods in order to redefine them. Daniel’s name meant “God is my judge” but the chief of staff renamed him Belteshazzar, “Bel protects his life.” Hananiah meant “the Lord is grace” but he was given the name Shadrach, “command of Aku”. Mishael, “who is God?”, became Meshach “who is Aku?”; Azariah, “the Lord helps”, became Abednego, “servant of Nebo” (1:7). Nebuchadnezzar was trying to redefine them but these young men never lost track of the God to whom they truly belonged – who was their judge, who defined “grace”, who would tell them what to do and who would help them.

They chose excellence, so God made them excellent. The King wanted their loyalty so he treated all of the young men very well. They were given fine wine and delicious foods to eat (you know what they say – the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach). But the meats prepared were probably unclean by Jewish standards, using unclean meats such as pork. The custom in Babylon was to dedicate their wine to their gods so drinking the wine would have been disloyal to God.

This royal treatment was a way for the King to win the loyalty of all of these young men – giving them a taste of what the world had to offer them, what the King could give them if they were loyal to him. Everyone else compromised their standards but these four young men remained loyal to the God of Israel. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah chose a more excellent way, denying themselves the rich foods and choosing vegetables and water instead (1:8-16).

God blessed their faithfulness by making them men of excellence. God gave these young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams (1:17). No one impressed the King more than these four young men. They were found to be ten times more capable than any of the others.

I want to be a woman of excellence. That is my prayer. I want to be prepared for the opportunities God sends my way in 2014. I want to prepare myself – both physically and intellectually – so that I am ready to be used by God. When the world tries to win my loyalty, I want to remember to whom I belong and who is my judge and choose what God has to offer me instead of what the world has to offer. When difficult times come, I want to remember the grace of God and that He is the One who will help me. I want to be ready. I want to choose excellence.

My friend, Rachael, posted this on Facebook yesterday:
We’d made our fifth and final stop on Christmas Day. It was late, Chris and I were exhausted, and the kids were still basking in the glow of present-opening.

“Yes, we certainly do,” I replied, feeling the warmth of gratitude in my own heart.

Love is a big part of the story of Christmas so we are thankful when our children understand. The reason we show our friends and family love at Christmas is because of God’s expression of love in the birth of His son. It was out of His great love for us and with the purpose of our salvation that God sent His Son into the World as a baby – knowing what His fate on earth would be.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus , because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:16-19

So, as we consider how much God loves us this Christmas, let us consider what He wants us to do with that love…

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:16-18

We cannot focus in on the story of Jesus’ birth without considering His command that we love one another. The two are discussed side by side over and over again: God loved us enough to give us Jesus therefore we need to show that kind of love to the world around us – a Christmas kind of love.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. – 1 John 4:7-21

Lord, give us opportunities today to show your love to those around us. Fill our hearts with a Christmas kind of love so that we can love others with a love that comes from You. Amen.