Author: Larry Soape

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 12:1-13 (day four)

Blessings await those who persevere to the end…this is the message and promise that Daniel gives to his people.  There will be very difficult times along the way, but the end result will be worth it.  “Can’t we just skip the pain and difficulty and just move straight to the blessing! “ Our society in modern day has the same mindset…we do not want to go through heartache in order to arrive at blessing.  We want immediate reward…’take out blessing’ that is available right now.

Somewhere along the way, God’s people have gotten the idea that if we are obedient to God and have enough faith, everything in our life will be positive.  We will not experience any heartache or trials and we will always be prosperous and successful.  This model does not fit with biblical teaching…Daniel’s vision tells us that just the opposite will be true.  When hard times come though, we have God’s promise that blessing awaits those who persevere to the end.  Hold tight…it will be worth it!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 11:1-45 (day four) 

To read this passage in Daniel could have been very discouraging in his day.  One king after another, one nation rising after another, one kingdom overthrowing the last…there seems to be an endless parade of wars and conquerors, intrigue and deception, death and destruction.  All of this narrative seems to read like today’s headlines.

In just a few days, we, as a nation, will celebrate Memorial Day.  This holiday is a time to remember the men and women who have given their lives in war so we can have the freedoms we enjoy.  Wars are a part of the fabric of life.  Wars have continued from Daniel’s time, even until today and there seems to be no end in sight.  Scripture tells us that until the end of time, there will be wars and rumors of wars.

To find encouragement and comfort in the middle of all this conflict, remember who controls the outcome.  God is our strength, our very help in trouble!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 10:1-21 (day four)

Battles are won only when we are fighting the right enemy.  While Daniel fasted and prayed for three full weeks, the real battle was going on in unseen heavenly places.  The messenger from God was sent to Daniel, the ‘first day he set his heart on understanding.’  His arrival though was delayed by a heavenly conflict to prevent him from coming to Daniel.

When we are opposed or persecuted for our faith…instead of being offended…we should immediately intercede for our detractors.  Sin has so overwhelmed mankind that, often, they are pawns in the hands of evil forces.  We should pray for those held in the grasp of sin.  Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Know your enemy…then allow God to fight the strategic heavenly battles.  Set your heart on understanding!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:23-27 (day four)

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”  These words could have been written by Daniel, but they weren’t…Jesus spoke these words in John 17.  Captivity and exile in Babylon was tough…the circumstances of daily life for the Jews were very difficult.  When Daniel explained his vision, he was offering hope and joy.  God was in complete control of their lives and circumstances, and the Jews could take comfort in that fact.

Do you feel that the circumstances of life are out of your control?  Are you overwhelmed by what the future may look like?  The message of Daniel and the message of Christ are the same…God is in control…He is sovereign over the circumstances of life…our relationship with Him brings joy that supersedes all circumstances.  We can rest in the calm assurance of His sovereignty and His love for us. We can have joy!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day four)

When reading our passage this week, one character quality stands out for Daniel…humility.  This was not the first time Daniel sought the Lord, but when circumstances became overwhelming, he went to God for answers.  Daniel’s humility is evident as he confesses the sins of his nation…he includes himself in the intercession.

Daniel’s eyes were on the Lord.  He knew where to find truth amid the confusion.  When the voices of culture are screaming confusion and accusation, truth can be found in only one place…the Lord.  Daniel had oriented his life around his relationship with the Lord and he found understanding through prayer.  He recognized that each of us is responsible for obedience to God.

Are the circumstances around you confusing?  Are you hearing mixed messages everywhere you turn?  Whether it’s political speak, coronavirus speculation, or outright lies, the world will not give you truth.  Seek truth where Daniel found it…in humility, read His Word and pray.  You may discover how much God loves you!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day four)

These visions deal with some very heavy events.  The impact of what is to come will affect the whole world.  Empires and nations…kings and armies…death and destruction…no portion of the earth will escape their repercussions.

One thing that stands out in these narratives is the trust that God placed in Daniel to receive these visions of the future.  Daniel had a long and intimate relationship with God.  His regular, consecrated prayer relationship with the Lord punctuated the glory he ascribed to God and his willingness to serve God, even in very trying circumstances.  Consistency and longevity in our walk with Christ will result in a deeper relationship and a greater usefulness to the kingdom of God.  When we are faithful to the little assignments God gives us, we find He will give us greater responsibility.  God will not give us a new and greater task though until we have obeyed the last thing He told us.  What is God telling you to do? …and have you obeyed?

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 7:1-28 (day four)

Books have been written and lives have been spent, trying to explain every detail of Daniel’s vision.  Taking a step back to gain a wider perspective, we can make a summary of observations.  Earthly kingdoms will come and go…each new dominion is more evil than the last.  Evil is not static and is never content with the status quo…it continually seeks more violent and repulsive means of rejecting God’s sovereignty.

In Daniel’s vision, we see that God (Ancient of Days) is still on His throne…always has been.  His dominion…His sovereignty is never challenged.  By His permission, other kingdoms exist.  Ultimately, it is the kingdom of His Son that will be established for all eternity.  All other kingdoms are temporary.

God has opened up the divine playbook.  Those who follow Him will not be devoured…those who invest their lives in the eternal will receive a crown of glory.  Is your life invested in Christ? Is your eye on the eternal?

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 6:1-28 (day four)

King Darius was oblivious to the schemes of his officials.  He did not recognize their treachery against Daniel.  Daniel understood though.  Since his captive and kidnapping to Babylon as a young man, he had distinguished himself before the Chaldeans.  Now, in his late eighties, he continued to demonstrate the devotion to God that had set him apart from all the rest.  Even after all these years of serving as a leader in Babylon, he was still viewed as an ‘exile from Judah’ by these jealous leaders.

Daniel knew when the injunction was signed…He knew they would come for him…He did not change his pattern of worship and prayer to God though.  Daniel’s devotion to God brought its own reward.  That God elected to deliver Daniel from the lions was extra blessing.  Just as his three friends had responded years before,..“God is able to deliver and even if He chooses not to deliver us, we will still serve Him”…Daniel was steadfast in his commitments.  Daniel gives us a model of devotion! Stand firm.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day four) 

It is easy to see why Belshazzar might have thought it was a good idea to mock the God of the Hebrews.  When one nation was conquered by another (Israel conquered by Babylon), it was commonly believed that the conquering nation’s god was more powerful than the other nation’s god.  The concept that a powerful god would allow his people to lose was foreign to them.  That a sovereign God would use another nation (pagan) to discipline His people and turn them back to Him just did not compute.

Have you ever heard the phrase or question, “Why would a loving God allow bad things to happen to good people?”  Wrong question…it should be a ‘what’ question.  “What is God doing or teaching me through His activity?”  The Sovereign God uses the events of our lives to draw us close to Him.  A relationship with the personal, sovereign God is a prerequisite to understanding the truth of our circumstances.  Are we asking the right questions?