God Is In Control....Of ALL Your Life

Daniel 5:22-23 - "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

 

Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar took over as king while his father was left to be crazy for 7 years. He loved his parties…and loved the things around him even more.  One party he remembered the beautiful golden cups his father had brought back from the Temple in Jerusalem…and had them brought out to use that evening. As they drank and made a merry time…a disconnected hand appeared and wrote three words on the wall before his eyes.  But once again none of his magicians could translate their meaning.

 

The Queen reminded him of Daniel…so he was called for to tell them what they meant.  His news that the king’s days were numbered….his kingdom would be divided…and his prideful life would be judged to the fullest…were paired with Daniel’s take on the reason.  He told the king that he should have learned a lesson about humility from what happened to his father.  He told him that he should have honored Jehovah ….who held evry moment of our lives completely in his hands. Belshazzar died that very night.

 

It is a great reminder to me that God holds my life…all of it…every moment I am allowed to breathe. He controls what blessings or tragedies can become a part of my time here.  He alone chooses to protect and show mercy for the sin we allow to become a part of our life….or allow our mistakes to tumble into a life lesson that is meant to bring us to a greater understanding of who he is. The chances of staying on the mercy side of his glory are increased greatly if we maintain humility and see God as the creator and owner of everything we have.

 

Staying humble is not a guarantee of a blessed life…it just helps us to understand that the bad things that come our way have some purpose in God’s great master plan.  I will be the first to admit that I am more of a Belshazzar…than a Daniel. I struggle daily…especially this time of year to see purpose in the things that have happened to me that I perceive to be bad. I know in my heart that everything has a purpose under the son…and believe Solomon’s words from Ecclesiastes 3….but sometimes it is just hard to see the good in a divorce that broke up my first marriage…and to accept as a good thing the death of my second after such a short time. Even when I can see the purpose…it is still hard to be strong…and wait on God to show me the rest of his master plan to use it for good. I drift into times of…I need this because it will make me feel better…even if I know I don’t have God’s permission. The amazing thing is that God loves me through those times…and shows me mercy anyway.

 

Father…. Thank you for one more reminder that you are in complete control of everything I have…and you have a plan to prosper me and bless me beyond my imagination.  Forgive me for the times that I have done things just to make me feel better…and hindered the work you are trying to do in me.  Help me to find the strength of Daniel…and Paul…and Jeremiah…to listen and do exactly what you tell me. Amen.

Pride...dangerous Unless Repented Of

Daniel 4:36-37 -  At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

 

Nebuchadnezzar had a terribly frightening dream that none of his magicians or astrologers could interpret. Daniel was the only one that God favored to know its meaning…but even Daniel was terrified by the insight God provided him.  He had to tell the king that the dram was a prediction of his fall.  God was going to allow him to lose his sanity and drive him from the kingdom that was so strong.  He would live for 7 years as a wild animal eating grass before he would be restored to power.

 

The problem was the King’s pride.  He realized Daniel’s God was a powerful God….but he never accepted that he had done anything wrong.  His pride was his fall…and until he gave God the credit for all that he had accomplished…until he repented of his sin and ask God for mercy …his power on the throne was in danger of crumbling. It was a short year till the dream came true. It took 7 more years for the King to realize that his pride stood in the way of his reinstatement as king.

 

Pride….the puffing up of our hearts and souls to believe that we have any control over the things that happen to us.  Pride…the false belief that we accomplish anything on our own. Pride…the feeling that we are better that those around us simply because God has given us a time of blessing and peace. It is still this kind of false confidence that separates many a person from a deep relationship with God…the kind of relationship that Daniel had.

 

God’s remedy for the king’s pride was a huge dose of humility.  The kind of humility that made him homeless for 7 years.  The kind of humility that changed his diet to grass. It was the kind of humility that blinded Saul for a time so God could show him how to use his power to preach the rest of his life.  It was the kind of humility that gave the Messiah…the Christ child of Mary the power to live a perfect life and then sacrifice it for all who would come into the world after. 

 

I will be honest and admit that I struggle with pride every day.  I know in my heart that all I have belongs to God…and he has great power over the outcome of all that I do….but I still fight daily to learn how to leave pride behind me and internalize the kind of humility that would give me the power I know God wants me to have through him. I hear Paul’s struggle from Romans 7:21-25 in my head… “  So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

Father …thank you for the reminder that my struggle with pride is not uncommon to all.  Forgive me for all the times that I have let the world win the battle with pride and model the wrong thing for the ones you have placed me with.  Strengthen me through the blood of Christ that saved me and allow me to feel the power that you can give me to overcome….so I can be a strong warrior for you like Paul and Daniel.  Amen.

I know That He can...But I Am Ready If He Doesn't

Daniel 3:24-26 - Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."  Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire…

 

It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  The leaders who served king Nebuchadnezzar don’t like the Jews that have been assigned to high government positions….so they try to destroy them with a decree to bow down They to the king’s gold idol. They refuse…and make one of the greatest statements of faith in the Bible. They say in verses 17-18…. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king,  that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

 

They survive the heat of a furnace set up to bake bricks…with heat of around 1800 degrees fired up 7 times hotter.  But they don’t just survive this heat on their own…Some heavenly being was sent to walk in that furnace with them. Even the king recorded that he saw four men in the furnace right before he called them to come back out.

 

It reminds me that God will not ask us to do anything that he has not already prepared someone to walk through it with us. We just have to maintain an attitude that mirrors the faith filled words of Shadrach….Meshach…and Abednego. We need to be ready to accept our time to cross over to heaven…while still holding onto the hope that God will always help us in any trial.

 

Romans 8:28 says…. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Or what about Philippians 4:13 …. “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me. Or Psalms 23:4 … “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And don’t forget Jesus’ last words from the great commission in Matthew 28:20 …. “ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you will help me in all that you ask me to do or allow me to suffer through. Forgive me for the times that I have not remembered the strength filled words of these three ….and let the world beat me up and get me down.  Help me to find the faith and courage to face life with a new attitude…one that always says….I know my God can…but even if he doesn’t it is okay.  Amen.

Give God The Glory...And Others Will See Him Too

Daniel 2:19-23 - During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.  I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."

 

The king had had a disturbing dream. He called all of his magicians and astrologers together…but none them had a clue what it meant. The king was going to put them all to death…but Daniel stepped in and requested for the king not to kill them. Daniel knew that God was going to use this time to show his power over the gods they worshiped….and Daniel was given great wisdom to interpret the dream.

 

Daniel thanked God for the wisdom to interpret the king’s dream….and praised him for having such mercy on him…and the people of Babylon.  So Nebuchadnezzar praised God too. It was a simple statement that Daniel’s God had more power than his…but it was a start. Nebuchadnezzar admitting that Jehovah was wiser than any of the gods he had worshiped was a huge step.

 

It is a reminder that we just don’t know when God is going to use us to reveal his glory and love to others. We may not be able to interpret a crazy dream for a non-believer…but if we model our faith on a consistent basis…the others around us will begin to see what drives us to love in the first place. Daniel held such reverence for life that he stepped up and volunteered to do what none of them could do…just to save their lives. He knew that if he asked God to help him…he could do anything that would elevate the king’s faith in God.

 

Philippians 4:13 says…. “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” It doesn’t say I can do some things…or the things that I think need to be done.  It doesn’t say I can the easy things…and back away from what is hard. It says I can do ALL things….if I call on God to help me.

 

Father…   thank you for the reminder that I can do so much more than I ever dreamed if I let you help me.  Forgive me for the times that I fall short…and give up because I think it is too hard.  Help me to embed this story of faith…and the words of Paul in my heart and soul…so my mind will recall them the next time I want to give up. Amen.

Eating Healthy Is God's Plan

Daniel 1:5-8 - The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.  Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

 

It was one of the hardest times for Jews.  God had placed a great king in charge of them…and he decided to take the strongest and wisest of them back to Babylon.  He picked several youth….intending to train them for his army. We only know the names of four….the four that God used to change the heart and life of Nebuchadnezzar.

 

Daniel and his friends knew that the kings food would defile them…they knew it was against the dietary laws God had used their families to teach them from birth.  So they ‘resolved’ in their heart to find a ways to follow God’s plan …and find a way to stay pure and undefiled. God gave the guard in charge of their food a special love for these boys…so that he gave them all that Daniel requested.It was a simple diet of vegetables and water….but it allowed them to be healthier and stronger than all the others in the kings training camp.

 

This story was perfectly timed for me. Years of very little exercise….eating all the sweets I want….and not worrying about the 20 or so extra pounds I have accumulated in the 56 years of my life have finally begun to take its toll on my physical body.  The last doctor’s visit revealed the damage done…borderline diabetes….high blood pressure….and high cholesterol. The choice must be made to refuse some of things I love…and find a way to exercise that won’t stress my arthritis any more than necessary.

 

My habits are so deeply ingrained…I will admit I have struggled this first week after I got the news. I need Daniel’s resolve to give up the sugar…eat healthy…and use the muscles of my body for more than just crochet and knitting. Walking into school from the parking lot doesn’t count. If I can be as passionate about my diet and exercise as I feel about my visits with God in the mornings…he can help me get this under control before I have to take any meds.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that this body you loaned me to use on Earth is your Temple…and I need to keep it as healthy as possible.  Forgive me for allowing the world to teach me so many bad habits that have damaged it.  Show me how to find Daniel’s faith and resolve to change the pieces of my world that I need to begin a healthier lifestyle. Amen.

GodLeft Us each A Great Inheritance

Ezekiel 48:29 and 34-35 -"This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions," declares the Sovereign LORD.

"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.  "The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. "And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE."

 

The last words Ezekiel heard in his vision was how to divide the land God gave them among the people he had chosen to be his. God set apart a portion for himself …then each tribe received a portion. Each portion had clear boundaries….with the priests living just outside the city that God placed central to all the land.

 

The note in my Life Application Bible said that God’s clear directions and accounting of all the tribes showed his desire to accommodate all people who believe. It made the point that God’s choice to place the city and Temple central to all the portions emphasized the need to keep worship central in our lives. It was meant to take the people’s eyes off of the world around them…so they could focus more easily on Jehovah… who was taking care of them.

 

The world has become such a distraction that I need a reminder every day to keep my goals and purposes set toward him. The distractions start with the news I watch after writing….continue throughout a busy day at school…hit me the hardest after school running here and there to do this and that…till I open my Bible each night at bedtime to refocus on him before I sleep.

 

It does not surprise me that God ends his visit with Ezekiel with these words.  I found myself staring at the end of this book …filled with so much rich wisdom. The Bible doesn’t record his death…just the rich insights and visions that God gave him. I am so thankful that his faithful obedience to God was recorded so that I may learn from its words too.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to work constantly to stay focused on you and keep you central to all my thoughts each day.  I thank you for the life of Ezekiel and the faith he modeled throughout the writings you let him record.  Forgive me for the times that I let my concentration fall…and drift away from your plan for me.  Help me to stay more focused and keep my eyes on you.  Amen.

God Is a River Of Love....Swim As Deep As You Can.... Daily

Ezekiel 47:8-9 - He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.

 

Ezekiel’s tour of the Temple took him to the outer door….where he saw a stream of water flowing out from under the eastern gate. It continued to flow eastward to the sea.  The angel guide measured off 1,500 feet several times and had Ezekiel wade out into the water each time.  The first time the water hit his ankles…the next time it came up to his knees….the next to his neck.  The last time…the water came so high that his feet did not touch the river bottom…so he had to swim.

 

I heard a sermon once…so long ago that I cannot remember which preacher gave me these thoughts….but they have stayed with me.  He used this scripture to draw a curious analogy of our own inclinations to follow God at different levels. Some of us wade into his presence and never let his life giving water go further than our ankles.  We barely see the full measure of what God could do if we allowed him to lead us the next 1,500 feet down the river. Some of take his hand and go a bit further…perhaps to our knees….but something keeps us from wading any deeper into a faith that is more full and rich.  A few of us make it one more 1,500 feet….letting God lead us up to our neck…the water never fully reaches our head though….and many who come here don’t stay very long.

 

What God really wants for us is to go that last 1,500 feet….where we let go of the ground beneath us and allow him to carry us across that river by his power.  When we let go of the world…and allow his full love and power to lead and guide us…we taste the richest part of God’s presence… and have a hard time going back to less. We become part of his river. We become his hands and feet and allow is life giving love to flow through us so others might take their first walk up to their ankles.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to wade so deep into your life giving love that my feet do not touch the bottom anymore. Forgive me for wading for so long…and not having the faith to stay in the deepest waters of your power and presence.  Help me to walk as deep as I can into your love…so that I can become part of your life giving river….and help you lead others to the love your son provided for us all. Amen.