Today’s Reading: Daniel 9

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. 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 was studying the word of the Lord as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet. He read that this exile to Babylon was to last seventy years. It must have become apparent to him that the seventy years was coming close to completion. He saw the need for his countrymen and his people to fully repent and turn to God so that their captivity could come to an end and they could return home to Jerusalem.

Daniel put his spiritual concerns ahead of his physical needs and began fasting; he turned 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.

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 chose to pray like Daniel prayed — with fervency and desperation? What if we would weep 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…

“Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets…

“…we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him…

“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

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

Action was taken the moment Daniel began praying; the answer to his prayer began the moment he asked. Do we want to see God do something incredible for our nation in the next year? I think it is time to start praying for just that.

Dear Lord, this morning we come before you in repentance 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 and feel your love.

Today’s Reading: Daniel 8, Revelation 13:11-18

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, Daniel saw another vision. The vision started with a ram standing beside the Ulai River. The ram had two horns, one longer than the other.

The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great. – Daniel 8:4

As Daniel watched, a shaggy male goat appeared from the west so quickly that his feet did not even touch the ground. He had a large horn between his eyes and came charging at the ram, striking him and breaking off both of his horns. Now the ram who had become so great was the helpless one. The goat knocked him down and trampled on him and there was nothing anyone could do to rescue the ram from the powerful goat.

The goat continued to grow more and more powerful until his horn was broken off and replaced by four horns pointing in all four directions – west, north, east and south. Then from one of the horns came a small horn who grew in power. It reached up to the heavens to attack the heavenly army, knocking some of the heavenly beings and stars to the ground and trampling on them. It cancelled the daily sacrifices to the Commander of heaven’s army and destroyed the temple.

Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?” The other replied, “It will take 2300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.” – Daniel 8:13-14

The angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel to explain that these events would take place at the very end of time. Overwhelmed by all he saw, Daniel fainted with his face to the ground. The same angel who announced the birth of John the Baptist and then the birth of Jesus Christ reached down to Daniel and helped him to his feet. He explained that the two-horned ram represented the kings of Media and Persia, and the goat represented the king of Greece (Alexander the Great) and how his kingdom would be split into four kingdoms. He then spoke to Daniel of another leader who would rise up at the end of human history.

“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.” – Daniel 8:23-25

OUR GOD WILL PREVAIL

Paul spoke of this great rebellion in his second letter to the Church of Thessalonica. He told how a man of lawlessness will exalt himself and defy God, even sitting in the temple of God claiming to be God. He will come to do the work of Satan but our God will prevail!

For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. – 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Lawlessness is already at work all around us but it is being held back from its full potential of destruction. Although it would be easy to succumb to fear of the unknown turmoil to come, we can rejoice in the power of our Savior. All the Lord Jesus will have to do is breathe for this man of lawlessness to be killed. Jesus will come in all of His splendor and evil will be destroyed.

So do not be deceived by evil. Choose to love and accept the truth that can and will save us. Cling to the truth and refrain from being enticed by all this sinful world tempts us to enjoy. The pleasures of this world are temporary, its power is counterfeit and its promises are false. Jesus will come, evil will be destroyed and our God will prevail!

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast… – Revelation 19:19-20a

Today’s Reading: Daniel 7, Revelation 13:1-10

OUR FUTURE IS STRONG IN THE HANDS OF GOD!

Once more, we see evidence in the book of Daniel of how arrogance and pride can be destructive. Daniel had a dream during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign and then again during his third year. These next two chapters reveal the dreams and then explain the meaning behind the dreams.

Picture a powerful storm swirling around over a great sea with strong winds blowing in every direction. Out of the water came four huge beasts. The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings and a human mind, the second beast was like a large bear who was given the command to devour human flesh, and the third beast who was given great authority looked like a leopard with 4 wings and 4 heads.

Daniel described the fourth beast as terrifying, dreadful and very strong. It devoured its victims with its strong iron teeth and trampled them with its feet. It had 10 horns that represented kings but another small horn appeared as Daniel watched; it had human eyes and a mouth that boasted arrogantly. It was waging war against God’s holy people and defeating them until the Ancient One — the Holy One — came and judged in favor of His holy people (7:21-22).

I watched as thrones were put in place
and the Ancient One sat down to judge.
His clothing was as white as snow,
his hair like purest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne
with wheels of blazing fire,
and a river of fire was pouring out,
flowing from his presence.
Millions of angels ministered to him;
many millions stood to attend him.
Then the court began its session,
and the books were opened. – Daniel 7:9-10

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

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14

OUR FUTURE IS STRONG IN THE HANDS OF GOD!

It is difficult to understand how the end times will play out or what Daniel’s visions mean, but it is easy to understand 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

OUR FUTURE IS STRONG IN THE HANDS OF GOD!

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.

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”
Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. – Psalm 30:6-7

Father God, you are the one in whom we put our trust this morning; you are the one in whom our confidence lies. May we never become arrogant or prideful, losing sight of the source of our strength. May we never lose confidence in your power and presence, letting fear set in regarding our future. May we know this morning without a doubt that our future is strong when we trust in you to be our rock and our fortress. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Daniel 6; Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. – Psalm 27:1-3

If you can ignore the fact that he was in captivity, you can say that everything had gone right for Daniel. He went 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 was made the third highest ruler in the kingdom and Darius the Mede appointed Daniel as one of three administrators over all the high officers. Darius made plans to place Daniel over the entire empire and the other administrators had had enough! They reacted with jealousy and found pleasure in the possibility of seeing something go wrong in Daniel’s life. Sadly, we see this same reaction play out today on the job, within families and sometimes the church.

The plot to destroy Daniel strikes where they know it will affect him the most – worship of his God. They stroked the pride of King Darius and tricked 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.

Daniel had faithfully developed a habit or life pattern of spending time in prayer, which is what made him the kind of man we have been 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. The king was deeply troubled and spent the night fasting for his faithful servant, Daniel.

Was Daniel scared? 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 also loved God enough to say, “But even if he doesn’t…”

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 seemed 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, My Utmost for His Highest

Chambers words convict me this morning, but they also inspire me. Oh how I long to go deeper.

Here me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” – Psalm 27:7-8

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. I pray you believe that He can rescue you just as He rescued Daniel. I pray He will strengthen your faith and give you the courage to say, “But even if He doesn’t…”

Today’s Reading: Daniel 5, Psalm 93

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air. – Psalm 62:9

Have you stepped on the scale lately? It is one of my least favorite things to do yet I find myself doing it every day. Like it or not, the number on the scale is the reality I am facing and the need to make improvements in my daily habits is evident. I have been weighed on a balance and the truth is speaking louder than my denial.

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. 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 are we 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.

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, Belshazzar’s 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 to be 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. It 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.

Lord, I pray that others can see the evidence of your presence in our lives. I pray that you will be glorified in all that we say and do so that those around us will grow in their faith. As we step on the scale this morning, we pray that our value will be measured by the fruit of your Spirit living within us.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 40-48

Chapter 10 speaks of a vision Ezekiel had of God’s presence leaving the Temple and going into the wilderness. What a huge loss for Jerusalem. They had forsaken their God and were experiencing life without His daily protection and provision. Babylon had attacked the city and destroyed the Temple. It sat in ruins in the middle of the city. The pride of Jerusalem was now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

But when it seems all is lost, God has a way of restoring hope into our lives. Chapter 40 begins a detailed description of another vision of Ezekiel’s. In this vision, God took hold of Ezekiel and placed him on a very high mountain where he could see what appeared to be a city.

As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a linen measuring cord and a measuring rod. – Ezekiel 40:3

The man began to measure the wall that surrounded the Temple area, and then he measured each gateway to the Temple. He measured the outer courtyard, each room in the Temple and then the inner courtyard. The details of the Temple were slowly being revealed as the man took time to show Ezekiel the exact measurements of each element of the building. After measuring the inside of the Temple, the man led Ezekiel out to measure the entire perimeter. The area was 875 feet on each side and had a wall around it to separate what was holy from what was common.

Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of the rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory…I fell face down on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway.

Then the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple. And I heard someone speaking to me from within the Temple, while the man who had been measuring stood beside me. The Lord said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel…” – Ezekiel 43:2-7

Ezekiel was given instructions to describe this vision to God’s people, to remind them of how they had defiled His name. He was to give them the details and let them study God’s plan closely. This Temple would be different from the temple they had built. He would not be defiled in this holy place for the basic law of this Temple would be absolute holiness (43:12). Only those who have fully surrendered themselves to the Lord will worship there and God’s chosen priests will be given the responsibility to teach the people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean (44:23).

There was a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar. The man measured the stream as he led Ezekiel into the waters. The water came to Ezekiel’s ankles, then to his knees. As they walked across the stream the water went from Ezekiel’s waist until it was too deep to walk across.

“Have you been watching, son of man?” – Ezekiel 47:6

Ezekiel noticed that there were trees growing on both sides of the river. The man revealed to Ezekiel that the water was flowing into the valley of the Dead Sea, healing the salty waters so that fish will abound and waters will be fresh for the first time. Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea casting their nets into the water.

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.” – Ezekiel 47:12

As Ezekiel described the vision to God’s people with the detailed description of what the Temple would one day be again, hope was restored. God wanted them to see what was ahead for all those who choose to be faithful to Him. One day there will be a magnificent Temple in which God will dwell and His people will worship. Blessings will flow from this place of praise and adoration. Water will flow from this temple as it gives life to those who stand at its riverbanks and provides healing to all who step into the waters.

“And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The Lord Is There.’” – Ezekiel 48:35b

When God is present, sins are forgiven and hope is restored. We can enjoy the flow of His healing waters and find roots along the riverbank to grow in our knowledge of Him. He is the God of restoration and redemption; He is creating a place of absolute holiness. What a beautiful message of hope for us to cling to this morning!

Today’s Reading: Daniel 4, Psalm 137, Jeremiah 51-52

The number of captives taken to Babylon in the 17th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was 3,023. Then in Nebuchadnezzar’s 18th year he took 832 more. In Nebuchadnezzar’s 23rd year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more – a total of 4,600 captives in all. – Jeremiah 52:28-30

Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem…
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp..
May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy. – Psalm 137:1,5-6

Let’s go back to where we left off in the book of Daniel, now in the context of the people of Israel and Judah being carried off into exile. When faced with the possibility of being thrown into the fire if they did not bow and worship the gold statue, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 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…” 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: A large tree was 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.” – Daniel 4:14-16

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. 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. Daniel was a refugee. He had been taken from his home into captivity and then taken away from his family to be assigned to the royal service of King Nebuchadnezzar, a very selfish and evil man. Interpreting this dream took courage and the kind of faith that says – I believe my God will rescue me, but EVEN IF HE DOESN’T…

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 during their 70 years of exile 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, 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, I want to say with confidence that YOU ARE ABLE. Lord, give me the strength in every situation 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 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. 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 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 serve only Him? Will you let go of the reins and trust in the God who reigns?

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 37-39, Jeremiah 45-49

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. – Ezekiel 37:1-2

Can you picture this – a valley covered in old dry bones? The first thing that comes to my mind is a scene from the animated movie “The Lion King”, where the young Simba and Nala run through what they call “the elephant graveyard” – a valley full of bones. What the Israelites probably pictured was the prophecy of Jeremiah just a few years before this:

“So beware,” says the Lord, “when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them. The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away…

“In that day,” says the Lord, “the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon and stars – the gods my people have loved, served and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure…” – Jeremiah 7:32-8:2

What a horrifying picture. God was using this imagery to represent the people of Israel. By now Jerusalem had been destroyed and all of God’s people had been scattered. The Jews feared they would never be a nation again – that the people of Israel would slowly fade away and die.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones – all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to RISE AGAIN. Then I will BRING YOU BACK to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and RETURN HOME to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’” – Ezek. 37:11-14

As angry as God was with the unfaithfulness of His prodigal children, He still heard their cries and wanted to give them HOPE. He spoke to his people through the prophet Ezekiel concerning the dry bones: “Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life.” – Ezek. 37:4-7

As Ezekiel watched, that is exactly what happened to the valley of dry bones – They all came to life and stood up on their feet – a great army (37:10b). Praise God! The people already knew with confidence that God COULD extend grace to them, forgive them and breathe life back into their nation. The question was whether or not He WOULD. They needed to hear that He was not completely abandoning them in their sin but that there was indeed hope for their future (Jer. 29:11).

And that is the God we serve! There are times when God allows us to experience the full consequences of our sins. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). But the God we serve is also a loving God who does not give up on us – HE BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO US through the blood of Jesus. There are also times in our lives when God allows us to suffer from illnesses, disease or tragedies. We know we serve a God who CAN heal and make everything better, but we find ourselves watching and waiting to see if He WILL.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers of the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is SO rich in mercy, and he loved us SO much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) – Ephesians 2:1-5

Let’s praise God along with the psalmist David and make this our prayer today:
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will NOT leave my soul among the dead
Or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the joy of your presence and
The pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:9-11

I am so thankful for a Father who never gives up on His prodigal children. I praise Him for being a God of grace and love who shows us the joy of His presence and leads us back into the fold.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 32-36, Psalm 23, Jeremiah 50

“You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.” – Ezekiel 34:31

I find great comfort in the imagery that God is my shepherd, caring for me and watching over me each day. The comparison of the sheep and their shepherd is used over and over again in the Bible and Jesus used the same description more than once. Of course, we could be a little insulted by being called sheep because of their lack of intelligence, yet we find ourselves agreeing with the fact that alone we are lost and unprotected and most definitely in need of a shepherd.

In Ezekiel, the Lord expressed anger with the leaders of Israel who were supposed to be “shepherding” the flock. “You abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve” (Ez.34:8).

Jesus expressed this same frustration with the leaders of Israel during His time on earth: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15).

This is what the Good Shepherd has to say about how He will care for his sheep after their time of exile in Babylon: “I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak” (Ez.34:11-16).

Oh, how our Heavenly Father loves all of His sheep! He takes care of His flock, individually caring for each and every lamb. He doesn’t give up on the lost but actively draws them to Himself and heals them from their time away from the flock. This is what Jesus had to say about our Good Shepherd:

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven in not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” – Matt. 18:12-14

What?!! He cares more about the one who has wandered off into sin than for the one who has remained with the flock. We should be hurt by that, shouldn’t we? Oh, the sin of self-righteousness that trips us up over and over again. The prophet Isaiah clears this one right up for us: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Let’s join the psalmist David in this prayer, recognizing that God is OUR Shepherd:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake.
Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23

We have so many reasons to praise and worship our Heavenly Father today. Let us enter into His presence with thankful hearts for our Good Shepherd, recognizing that we were once lost and now we are found!

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 25-31, Jeremiah 39-44

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to STAND IN THE GAP in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30

There are many choices that people make in reaction to the sinful culture in which we live. Some are lured in by the promise of happiness and choose to join the party. Some plan to simply enjoy the pleasures of the world for just a short time; they ignorantly plan to have fun for awhile and then submit to God later. Some mourn over the choices of the world and lock their doors, guarding themselves from the evil that is so prevalent in our society. But some are willing to be a voice for the Lord, just as Jeremiah and Ezekiel were.

This is not an easy decision to make. To speak out against sin is now defined as hate. To define what is moral and what is not is now considered hate speech. To call out the behavior of a group of people is now thought to be prejudice and is equated with racism or abuse. To be conservative politically is now regarded as judgmental and uncompassionate.

In the next few chapters of Ezekiel, God reveals His judgment for those who have taken the blessings of God and corrupted their thinking. He speaks out against those who have disregarded His call to righteousness and chosen their own path.

“You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.
Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned…
Your heart was filled with pride because of your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor.” – Ezekiel 28:15-17

But for those like Jeremiah and Ezekiel who have stayed faithful to God and been willing to be a vessel of truth, God had this message: “I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Because you have trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 39:16b-18)

Just as He promised, God rescued Jeremiah from his chains. The captain of the guard recognized that God was pouring out His judgment just as He said He would. He took off Jeremiah’s chains and let him go. He even offered to let Jeremiah come with him to Babylon so that he could see that the prophet was well taken care of. He was given his freedom to go wherever he wanted to go but he chose to stay in Judah and minister to those who had been left behind under the leadership of Gedaliah, whom the King of Babylon had named Governor.

Jeremiah continued to be a voice for God, encouraging the people to obey God so that everything would turn out well for them. He gave them the Lord’s message that they would be protected if they stayed in Judah but destroyed if they chose to live in Egypt. They looked at what little was left in Judah and lusted after all the promises of happiness that could be found in Egypt. They walked away from all God had to offer them in order to experience all the riches this world promised to give them.

Do not be surprised when those around you will not listen to you. Do not be shocked by their choice to indulge in the temporary pleasures of this world. God is calling us to continue to be the voice of truth in the midst of a sinful generation, while also being the voice of grace that offers salvation. We are not to celebrate the judgment of sinners but show them the love of Christ, continuing to invite them to follow after all God has to offer them. Show compassion to sinners without redefining morality; show love to those who are lost while also rescuing them from the lies of the enemy. Let’s SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE — kindly yet unapologetically — while we stand in the gap for our country.