by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Daniel 8-12
In this section, we come to one of the most important principles for a successful Christian life. It’s a lesson the Lord wants us all to know.
God is sovereign; He makes the rules and He implements them. However, many people stop with that thought and never go on to think: so what are the rules?
One of the most significant rules is that He has given to man a certain amount of authority on the earth. He has designed it so that men are to pray for even His will to be done. We have a part in all that He does.
To use the words of John Wesley, forerunner of the Methodist Church, “I am convinced that God does nothing in the earth unless a man first prays.”
Wow!! That certainly goes against the grain of those who say that all we have to do is sit on the sofa and eat popcorn while God runs the world.
Yet this is the thing. God sends His word to the earth so that man will know what to pray for. How about that? We get a “cheat sheet” which tells us what to pray for; then He brings it to pass.
We see a perfect example of this in Daniel’s book. The prophet saw that God had told Jeremiah that the children of Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. And guess what! 70 years were up!(9:2)
So Daniel prays for God’s will to be done. (This is the real “your will be done” prayer, when you see in the Word what is His will and you pray for it to happen).
Now let’s be clear about this. Most of us don’t have God telling us exactly what He intends to do in the whole world – or even in our own country. O.K. So we aren’t a prophet to the whole church. But what about our family? He certainly tells us about what His will is for them.
Right in the Word when we see our covenant, we see over and over that He wants us to walk with Him, be healthy, prosperous, and successful. He wants that for our families also. Abundant life – isn’t that what Jesus said? (John 10:10)
So we do what Daniel did. We take that word and we pray it back to our Father. Then we speak it into the atmosphere for all of the demons and angels to hear. (Remember, the angels hearken to the voice of God’s Word to obey it. When we speak it, we are giving it voice).(Psalm 103:20)
We are working with God to bring about His best for our families and our communities. We aren’t begging Him for something He is trying to withhold. He wants to give us the kingdom; it’s His pleasure. (Luke 12:32)
Pray. Speak. Pray. Speak. Don’t give up until you see it manifest!
III John
This thought just moves us right into III John:2. “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.”
There is a doctrine of demons our there, which has really worked its way into the church, and which says that God wants us poor, sick, and suffering “for his glory.”
Well that doesn’t give Him glory. What gives our God glory is for us to be filled with his love and mercy. And for us to have blessed lives in every respect so that people can see that He is really the One True God in heaven and on earth.
So let’s shake off that phoney doctrine, which is the devil’s will for our lives, and look at what His Word says.
He wants us to prosper and be in good health. I’ll take that, won’t you?
Then we take the cue from Daniel and we pray that Word of God until we see it with our eyes and hear it with our ears!
Let’s never give up until we see God’s Word being performed in our lives!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Daniel 5-7
When you read these stories, I hope that they aren’t just good old stories. They are meant to be much more than that. They are meant to show us God’s principles, and they are meant to be examples of heroic faith for us to follow. As you read, prayerfully consider what your Lord is showing you.
We are living in times very similar to those in Daniel. You are probably wondering why I would say such a thing, so I’ll tell you.
Earlier in these studies, I shared how the Babylonian captivity in the natural, parallels a spiritual one which has gone on for centuries. The word “Babylon” signifies a state of confusion which will come from mixing the cultures of Israel and of heathens. You can easily see that the same thing has happened to the modern church.
For centuries now the church has succumbed to a state of confusion by mixing the ways of God with the ways of the world. When we allow that to happen to us in our own minds and hearts, we no longer are sure about what God wants. We look around us to see what is true and what is not. And, unfortunately, we can never find God’s truth just by looking around us to see what everyone else is saying and doing.
In the midst of that confusion, we see some truly remarkable young men, and we see God really showing Himself strong toward them. We also see our God showing Himself strong toward the arrogance of men who don’t honor Him.
So when the new king and his cohorts mock God by taking the vessels from God’s temple to use for their partying, they see a hand writing a message on the wall. A message which foretells the king’s demise. And instantly the kingdom is overthrown. God shows Himself as God Almighty, Creator of all things.
Then when Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den for his refusal to pray, again we see a miracle. The mouths of the lions are shut, and Daniel remains safe. Only an all-powerful God could accomplish such a thing.
My guess is that none of us will ever be thrown into a lion’s den. Yet in a mixed-up world, when we remain true to God, He does and will continue to intervene on our behalf. The more we trust Him, the more we see His hand.
There will come a day also when the Lord will arise to judge the arrogance of men. I want to be on the right side when that happens!
The wisdom for us in all of this is to be like Daniel and learn to trust Him more. When we get to know Him and trust Him, we see His hand working in many ways that only He could do.
II John
Babylonian thinking was already getting into the church in John’s time.
There were those who were trying to change the gospel. Some were even saying that Jesus Christ never came in the flesh. It’s amazing that such heresy was already starting so close to the time of Jesus.
That’s the way it is, however, because we do have an enemy out there – the devil. The one thing he tries to accomplish is to make us unbelievers. If he can discredit the gospel and the true message of Jesus, he has us. So our enemy is busy at it from the first.
Beware of deceivers. That’s John’s message to this lady who has a church meeting in her home. That’s also a message we need to keep in mind.
Beware of deceivers. They are dangerous.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Daniel 3-4
Our God is able!
If you ever are in a situation where those around you don’t believe in God and you feel your faith waning also, these chapters should help rev you up. Daniel and his buddies, in a foreign land, surrounded by unbelievers, are remarkable in their ability to continue to be faithful.
It would have been so easy for them to cave in to the influence of those around them. After all, they are there because most of their fellow countrymen had long ago stopped believing in their God. But not this crew. Nothing can stop their faith!
The jealousy aimed at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by the Babylonians is obvious. Annoyed with the newly earned prestige of these foreigners, the locals quickly snap up the opportunity to point out their disobedience to the king. If the king had asked for most things, they would have complied. Yet there is no way these faithful ones are going to bow down to worship anyone but Jehovah God. So they get into trouble, but God turns the tide for them.
As they are obedient to Him, the fire in the furnace can’t even touch the young Jews. Even though the furnace is seven times as hot as usual and the men who throw them into the fire die instantly, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come out without even the smell of smoke on them. Could it be because of the “fourth man” in the fire with them? I think so.
Hopefully you and I won’t be thrown into a furnace during our lifetimes. But every life has hardships, and every Christian suffers unfair treatment from those who don’t know the Lord. There are times when we feel like we are in a furnace. And it can be tough.
Yet our Father is there for us, just as He was in the early days of captivity. If we will believe in Him and stand tall, we will be amazed at the many ways our God can turn things around for us.
But we have to be faithful, and we have to believe.
If we do, we will see miracles – just like the Jews of old. And God will get the glory for His greatness.
