Author: Scott Lane

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 12:1-13 (day five) “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Does the future frighten you?  Pandemic? Economy? Return to “normalcy”?
Daniel is reminded of a delicate balance that helps bring perspective and hope. The balance between “the now” and “the future”.  What he believes about life now and what he believes about the future are both important. Daniel is reminded that there is service, ministry, and mission to be accomplished now (today). He is also keenly aware that the future finally finds its end with the reign of the Lord and rest of the people. Perhaps our fears of the future would be eased somewhat if we looked far enough to see this picture of the very end.

The lesson Daniel learned in this balance helps us in the present and in the future.  God does not forget. He remembers and reminds His children of His faithfulness for the future and His nearness and involvement in each human life in the present.
One takeaway from the book of Daniel is that from the present moment till the end of time, God does not forget which means His children will not be lost in the shuffle (now and forever).

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 11:1-45 (day four) “And now I will tell you the truth:” Chapter 11 is distinctively different than the rest of the book. No visions. No dreams. No pictures.  Just words. Did reading Daniel’s spoken apocalypse (chapter 11) feel different without any visual content?  Our culture has shifted to place for more importance on the visual rather than the verbal. Perhaps the influence of TV and computers. In fact, a nickname for a younger generation is “digitals”.   Have we come to value what is seen more than what is spoken? Sounds like Thomas (unless I see, I won’t believe). In God’s economy, the verbal (words) matters more than the visual (visions, pictures).   “Faith comes from hearing”.  Pictures, visions, and examples are all important, but not more than the words that accompany them. Words bring clarity and certainty. God please speak to us that we might hear, trust, and obey!!

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

“Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees…And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips;”  

Many people believe that all religions are essentially the same, in that they are all climbing the same mountain using different paths to reach the same God. The problem with this perspective is that it ignores the uniqueness of the Living God of Biblical Christianity. While this belief may be accurate of other religions, the Living God of Biblical Christianity doesn’t wait for man to get to Him (climb to the top of the mountain).  He comes to man bringing mercy, grace, redemption, and restoration- most clearly through Jesus Christ.

Do you remember when and where God came to you and brought salvation and new life through Christ ?  Do you have experiences when God comes near with forgiveness and restoration through confession and repentance? This is the God of the scriptures.  He comes near. He saves. He restores. He guides.

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

Throughout the book of Daniel we are presented with a tension that we must not only recognize but navigate. The tension is caused by the very nature and character of God being in relationship with man- powerful/personal, sovereign/intimate, immediate/eternal.

Daniel has experienced God dealing in his daily circumstances. Daniel has also experienced God’s glory and seen His everlasting splendor. We must do the same. We must look to God for daily strength and guidance while knowing He has created and controls the world (present and future).  The challenge for the human heart and mind is to hold onto both ends of the tension. To praise and request. To worship and to obey.

(Lyrics from a new song I’m singing these days)

Who can spin the world around
And hold me ever close

Who can search the depths of me
And  love me to the core

Who controls the world I see
And walks me through it all

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day five)  Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God.
One of the opportunities we have in this season of quarantine, is solitude. God has slowed us down. There is room now for deep meaningful individual and personal reflection, study, and prayer. Those times with God are designed to be sweet, intimate, and powerful. Daniel experienced a personal and dynamic relationship with God. Yet, even in isolation he carries a burden for the people of God.  We must pray I/We prayers.  Personal and corporate. Individual and community. My concern is that members in our  family of faith will be seen only as windows on a zoom conference- that through virtual community, we might somehow lose our passion to bear one another’s burden. They must be on your heart. We must call out their names to the Living and Holy God. This week as you pray (personally), will you also pray for your class and church.  Will you let them know of your love and deep concern?  May we love the Lord and each other well!

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

“The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future. ”

One of the truths we are gleaning from our study of Daniel is the sovereignty of God.  Daniel certainly has a faith that is built around trusting God’s judgements, His control, His provision, and His protection.  So much so, that we have heard Daniel say, even if He chooses not to save me, it will be ok because His sovereign plans are just and right (my paraphrase).

Trusting the many facets of God’s sovereignty are not easy for human hearts. We like control. We like to be right. We press back on authority.

There’s another facet of God’s sovereignty we must also trust. His timing.  Daniel is told not to tell- to wait. Jesus does the same thing over and over  in the gospels. Why?  Because there is an eternal timing that we often ignore or miss. God’s sovereignty has an eternal perspective. We must learn to trust His timing just as much as His sovereign justice and mercy. Not easy, but a perspective that helps the human heart rest and find strength in God’s power and wisdom.

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

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.”

Daniel is in the midst of uncertainty and disruption. He’s still in captivity. He’s still immersed in a pagan culture. There’s a new king with different priorities. His influence and credibility seemingly diminished. Might call this a time of crisis for Daniel. Yet, God demonstrates a facet of His faithfulness. He speaks to Daniel. Don’t miss this…  in the midst of uncertainty and disruption, God is speaking to Daniel. In our current climate of uncertainty and disruption, what might God be saying to you?  Will you ask Him to speak to you? Will you carve out time to listen?  Will you carve out time to process?

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time,
That will echo down through eternity.

And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises.
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.

Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built,
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

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

“and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.”

Daniel’s life of faithfully serving God was sustained by discipline. Even his enemies knew where Daniel would be and what he would be doing.  He was that disciplined. In his book “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” Donald Whitney explains that the result of discipline is freedom. An accomplished pianist can play (has the freedom to play) any piece of music because they have spent countless hours in disciplined practice and study. Same is true in the Christian life.

Daniel’s discipline provided structure and substance that created devotion and determination for serving God.  In Daniel’s life his freedom (even in captivity) looked like courage, patience, wisdom, and insight.  Daniel found strength, peace, and the voice of God in his discipline.

In these days that seem so disrupted and unpredictable, maybe we can find the same freedoms that Daniel had (even in Stay Home Work Safe). Let’s begin rhythms of prayer and devotions during this COVID crisis. Let’s find freedom to faithfully serve God and others.  May our discipline lead to  freedom.

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

“Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”

Belshazzar commits a sin that is not uncommon these days- idolatry. There was the obvious idolatry (misusing holy vessels) and there was subtle idolatry too. Belshazzar doesn’t deny the existence of Yahweh, but in using the gold vessels to drink to the Babylonian gods, he declares Yahweh subservient to the Babylonian gods.

We have the same tendency in 2020. We acknowledge/worship God on Sunday’s, yet the rest of the week we exalt the gods of sports, money, family, and pleasure- placing God alongside these other things. God has harsh words for those that do this… ““I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah‬ ‭42:8

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 4:1-37 (day five) 

“Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him.”

We have seen (in previous chapters) Daniel’s devotion to God bear the fruit of courage, trust, discipline, and perseverance. In chapter 4 we see another evidence of a vibrant relationship with God- love. It is Daniel’s love for Nebuchadnezzar that caused the emotions of being perplexed and terrified. I don’t think he was terrified of the king. I think he was terrified for the king. It was love for the king that motivated Daniel to tell him the truth about his dream- hoping the king would repent and avoid consequences. It was Daniel’s love for God that fostered a genuine love and concern for the  king (the king even recognizes it).

We would do well to have that same kind of love and regard for those who don’t have a relationship with God through Christ, even if they mistreat us or others.  This goes for our leaders (no matter how good or bad we think they are). We should pray for them. We should care about their souls and their circumstances.

Loving God empowers us to love others.