November 26
Daniel 2 (cont.)
There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries… (2:28). Daniel was as sharp a young man as you’d ever meet, but neither his wits nor his looks could save him from death. He had to trust God for the interpretation of the dream, and I mean really trust God.
God gave him the interpretation the night before he reported to the king. Daniel had to lay there in bed, no telling how long, in faith that it was God who showed him the details of a wacky dream. Tell me you would not have wondered at least a couple times if you were imaging the whole thing. Maybe Daniel didn’t but I sure would have.
The next morning, Daniel had to prepare himself to speak God’s word, still in faith that it was God that gave him the info and not last night’s vindaloo. There was no way for Daniel to know until it was too late. One false statement, and the king would have his head, his friends’ heads, and a bunch of other heads. That’s a lot of blood resting on one’s ability to hear God, isn’t it? But and this is one of those big-as-Kim-Kardashian-buts, God keeps His promises. He said that anyone who held to His word was protected. He protected Daniel and He glorified Himself in the process. God is so good!
I wonder if God is telling all His children some mysterious things, but we’re too dull to hear Him. Maybe we lay awake tinkering through the thing and talk ourselves out of it. Maybe we should be a little more open with things we hear (shoot, maybe we should spend some more time listening for God). Speak to some trusted, wise elders about what you think God says to you. You may save the rest of us a lot of trouble!
1 Peter 4 (cont.) -5
Those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good… Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (4:19, 5:6-7). Suffering according to God’s will is not the subject for a holiday chat, is it? In fact, many Christians find the idea repugnant and deny that God wills suffering, even though the Bible says that He does. Jesus suffered by God’s will and told us that some of us will do the same.
Not all suffering is by God’s will, of course. Self-inflicted wounds are far more common. God wills suffering at times, and we may conclude that because His steadfast love endures forever, suffering somehow grows His kingdom better than comfort. Suffering by God’s will, while unpleasant, is holy, honorable, noble, and rewarded by Him.
Other suffering, depression, anxiety, or chronic, physical pain of any sort for instance, is hard to pin down. I’ve known more than one dedicated and godly servant who suffered terribly. Such maladies seem needless to us, and many people find fault with God for allowing them, while others (even a few sufferers I’ve known) see God’s hand using pain to draw them into a deeper relationship with Him. (According to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul had a tormenting spirit that kept him humble.) You may believe that such pain is caused by the Devil dropping by, nipping at the edges of one’s mind or body, trying to lure them into a dark alley where he may take a lion’s bite. You may be right.
I’ve found that God’s presence shines through the blackest curtains. Admittedly, I’d prefer that the black curtain was in another house, and I envy those for whom suffering is a mystery. It’s equally a mystery to most sufferers. What is not a mystery is that Jesus’ suffering allowed our healing (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24). Jesus did not pay the ultimate price so that His followers could suffer, but so that we could find freedom in Him. God does not allow suffering for the fun of it, and through His healing, He receives glory.
Psalm 119:81-96
If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I hope you never have to face suffering, but if you do, I hope you will trust God’s word. David’s faith in God’s word kept him alive.
I remember the testimony of a man who was held prisoner for four years, tortured daily, fed just enough rice and monkey meat to sustain him. When it rained, he had water from the leaky roof; when it didn’t, he was dehydrated. Most days, he was sweating, most nights shivering, and almost always sick. He had memorized a few Scriptures and prayed them daily. He said God’s word kept him alive.
Proverbs 28:15-16
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. If you think the hope of the poor is in political justice, you do not know the hearts of rulers. The farther they are from God, the worse they’ll treat people without enough money to fight back. In our country, the people who campaign to help the poor tend to be the ones who keep them poor with burdensome taxes and silly regulations.
