Daniel 10:12 Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
The tenth chapter of Daniel provides details for Daniel’s vision prior to war with the Persian Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great. This places the event c. 559-540 BC. While I do not pretend to have knowledge of prophetic scriptures, and limited knowledge of historical events; still, when I read the scriptures I often find passages that are timely even in today’s modern world. There are so many phrases that stand out to me today. Even if this post seems a bit long, I think it is well worth looking at each phrase for the message it holds for our time.
Do not be afraid… Life is full of concerns, health issues, and uncertainties. Yet why do we live in fear? Christians have a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is the ability to have peace in the midst of all the storms of life; a peace which the world cannot fathom. It is peace that does not erase the storm but guides us through it. (cf. Joshua 1:9; Matthew 6:27, 34; Philippians 4:7; John 16:33; Psalm 4:8; Psalm 23:4; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 139:23-24; Psalm 94:18-19; Psalm 34:18)
Since the first day…. God was with Daniel from the very onset. This is such a comfort to me. Since the very first day I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I have never been alone, nor will I ever be. God is with me every step of every day—to quote a popular phrase, “24-7”. It is never He who turns away, it is only I who stray. (cf. Philippians 2:13; Psalm 37:28; Psalm 23:6; 2 Samuel 22:33; Psalm 71:17-18)
…that you set your mind to gain understanding…. Daniel had to put some effort into gaining understanding. We are promised guidance from our Heavenly Father, but it doesn’t occur when the pages of the Bible are closed. Remember the days of Reader’s Digest and Cliff Notes? Sometimes I think Christians are all to quick to find condensed, summarized, paraphrased versions of scriptures because it’s “easier” than spending time in prayer, asking for the Lord to guide their understanding. (cf. John 14:16-17; Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Philemon v. 6; Proverbs 9:10)
…humble yourself before your God…. During this same period in history there arose in the world two other prominent gods: Buddha (ca. 550, India) and Confucius (ca. 551, China). But these were man-generated gods and not the One, True LORD God Almighty. When we approach our Heavenly Father, it is to be in righteous fear and awe of Who he is. He is the Creator of all that exists; and all that exists is held together by Him. He is light. He is eternal. This reminds me that as Christians we ought to use great care in how much of other worldly philosophies, cultures, and religions we allow to seep into our thoughts unchecked. How much of what we believe today is based not upon the Bible, but upon other philosophies, cultures, and social mandates of our day? We are to humble ourselves before God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. (cf. Psalm 29:2; 2 Samuel 22:31-32; James 4:10; 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 6:15-16; Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 5:6; Jude vs. 24-25; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 100:3)
…your words were heard… Our loving Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we need. He hears every prayer we express either vocally or silently within our hearts. He knows what is best when we only know what we desire, and what we desire isn’t always what is best. Yet we can be sure that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. (cf. John 11:41-42; Psalm 5:1-3; James 5:16; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 John 3:20; Revelation 5:8b; Psalm 55:16-17)
…I have come in response… Perhaps the greatest promise we have is that Christ will come again! It is the promise of the resurrection and the coming of God’s Kingdom. We are called to be ready for no one knows the time of this event, only our Father in Heaven. It will be a time of unsurpassable joy for those who belong to the Family of Faith, but a time of unspeakable anguish for those who do not. Our job (from which there is no retirement age), is to spread the good news of the gospel by any means we have so that others might come to know and trust our Savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ. (cf. John 14:3; John 14:6; John 14:18; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 3:3-14; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 22:20-21)
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your written word, preserved through time and so desperately needed today. We are so grateful for your mercy and forgiveness. To catch a glimpse of your greatness fills us with reverent fear and awe at your power and majesty. Direct our steps and deepen our understanding that we might be found faithful at your return. Thank you for hearing our prayers.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
The devotional Your Prayers Are Heard appeared first on Write From My Heart at writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
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