This week, we will wrap-up our examination of the first six chapters of the Old Testament book of Daniel. I have been stunned at how applicable and relevant these chapters have been to the time and place in which we live. There are growing strains in our day and age as to how God fits into the schemes of life. We live in a time when God is often dismissed and discarded, only to be replaced by the idols of our own making designed for our own pleasure. Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, the various government officials and throngs of spiritual advisors all seemed to be focused on elevating themselves and one another. The unfortunate reality is that the things of this world can never satisfy our hearts in the end. Our hearts were designed to ultimately be satisfied with the presence of the one and only living God. It was on that God that Daniel and “the three amigos” depended with all their hearts… no matter what the consequences might be.
Daniel tells us that kingdoms will come and go over time. Daniel tells us that behind the scenes, God is unfolding a plan that will end with Him establishing an eternal kingdom that will endure forever and He will be just as sovereign over that kingdom as He is in today’s. Daniel tells us that we can either conform to the culture and become irrelevant to God or stand strong in our faith and risk being out of step with the culture. The choice is ours. The problem is this… if we dismiss and discard God, we bring on ourselves and others a profound poverty… a catastrophic poverty of our spiritual and moral lives. If we stand strong, like Daniel and others, we can retain the potential of God using us to bless the communities in which we work and live. Without us standing strong, we guarantee that we will be unable to be used by God in a way that brings life to those around us. However, if we listen carefully to God’s voice, we will find that His words are full of giving us a future and a hope.
This week we will wrap-up our series as we visit the lion’s den, a place of danger and threats. Join us and discover the beauty of God’s will.
Kevin