Month: March 2022

Daniel 12:8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

Chapters like this make me incredibly uncomfortable. They are so different, so beyond comprehension for me. Even Daniel, who was the only one capable of interpreting the dreams early on cannot understand. The angel Michael’s response brings me comfort. He basically tells Daniel that this prophecy is beyond what he needs to know right now, that he has a job to do, and he needs to just keep on keeping on.

Daniel 12:9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.”

There is so much in life that I don’t understand. And I crave understanding, sometimes to the point that I stop doing in order to search for understanding. Michael’s advice applies to me, too: I’m not meant to understand everything, but I do have a job to do, and I need to keep doing that job, regardless of what I don’t understand.

Daniel 12:10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

Lord, Thank You for the example of Daniel. Thank You for this new understanding of the things that confuse and trouble me. Help me know when to keep seeking understanding and when to let it go so I can keep doing the job You have for me. Thank You, Lord, for meeting me here each morning and for helping me to understand You more. Amen.

Daniel 12:13 “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.”

Have a blessed day.

Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

Flattery leads to pride. Pride can lead to all sorts of issues—chiefly, a lack of humility. Humility, being humble, not clinging to pride, is something God has been working with me on for a while.

Daniel 11:33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.

The nature of pride can be insidious. It’s not like I’m strutting around thinking that I’m “all that and a bag of chips.” It’s more about attitude, the things I think I deserve, the anger and bitterness when they don’t pan out.

Daniel 11:34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.

Lord, You have already given me so much more than I deserve or could ever earn, simply by giving me the title of Your beloved child. Help me to be forever humble in You. Help me to resist those who oppose You. Help me to shine Your light, to comfort Your people, to be Your hands and feet. Draw me closer. Amen.

Daniel 11:35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Have a blessed day.

Daniel 10:12 Then he continued, “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.

I find this verse incredibly profound. God heard Daniel’s prayer. Why? How? Because Daniel set his mind to gain understanding and Daniel humbled himself before the Lord. And since the first day he started—not the day he finally got it right but from the first attempt—God heard his words, his prayers. Thank You, Jesus.

Daniel 10:18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.

I am at once both humbled and unsettled. I have been studying God’s word earnestly for years, trying to gain understanding, trying to humble myself. And I’ve been praying most all my life. According to this verse, my prayers reached God from the moment I set my mind to studying Him. Sadly, not all my words have been worth hearing. There is a lot of grumbling mixed in, like this morning when my alarm went off and I didn’t want to get up. Help me, Jesus.

Daniel 10:19a “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”

Lord, Thank You for recognizing that I have set my heart to study You, that I strive to humble myself before You. Thank You for hearing my words and my prayers. Help me not to grumble, Lord. Help me not to squander a single precious moment You have given me. Help me to strengthen my prayer life as I lift up Your people. Amen.

Daniel 10:19b When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”

Have a blessed day.

Daniel 9:20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—

There is a lot in this chapter, but as usual, I want to focus on what spoke to my heart. Verse 23 says: “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out….” God didn’t even wait for Daniel to finish his prayer before God began acting in response. That’s the kind of rich prayer life I want.

Daniel 9:21 …while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

Looking at Daniel’s prayer, I notice many things. Daniel’s prayer addresses God and gives Him glory. His prayer is also humble. Daniel says, “We have sinned and done wrong.” He’s not standing aside and pointing fingers. He asks God to act, not for Daniel’s sake or Israel’s sake but for God’s sake, “because Your city and Your people bear Your name” (verse 18).

Daniel 9:22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.

Lord, I still have so much to learn about You and about prayer. Thank You for the wisdom of Daniel. Thank You for the understanding that this life is not about me. It’s about You—Your goodness, Your glory, Your people. Humble me. Use me in Your service. Draw me close. Hear my prayer. Amen.

Daniel 9:23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

Have a blessed day.

Daniel 7:15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.

I have so many questions about this chapter. Daniel has been the go-to dream interpreter thus far in this book. Why can’t he interpret his own dream? Why was he troubled in spirit? Because of the dream itself or his inability to interpret its meaning? Who exactly were the people he approached to ask about the dream? Were they godly? Were their interpretations accurate?

Daniel 7:16a I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this….

Why didn’t God give Daniel the ability to interpret his own dream? Did it have anything to do with keeping Daniel humble? Why is Daniel so troubled about the whole situation? That’s mentioned in both verse 15 and 28. Again, was it his inability to interpret that disturbed him or the dream itself that was bothersome? Why did he keep the matter to himself? Why is someone who has always been so confident and so strong suddenly so different?

Daniel 7:16b …“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things….

Lord, I have lots and lots of questions, but I know You are here with me. Perhaps there are answers to my questions and perhaps the lesson is that I can move forward even in my confusion with You by my side. Maybe that’s Daniel’s lesson, too. I’m looking and seeking, Lord. Help me to see and understand. Draw me closer. Amen.

Daniel 7:28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

Have a blessed day.