Regardless of your political ideas and loyalties, I believe we can all agree that the world is a mess right now. War and the threat of new wars are a daily reality. Mud-slinging goes back and forth between our politicians while important issues that they should be finding solutions to go unresolved and forgotten until the next election cycle. The soaring cost of buying a home or even purchasing groceries shows no sign of significant improvement. Anxiety and stress levels are high, causing many both inside and outside of the church to feel hopeless.
And yet, we have hope! Although there is quite a bit of reading material from the Bible today, I’m going to focus on just one verse that can bring all of us hope. In the NASB 1995, Isaiah 2:4 says:
“And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nations, And never again will they learn war.”
Imagine living in a time and place where God is our judge. Of course, he is already in our hearts, but the nations of our world don’t worship and obey him. Even the USA, with “In God We Trust” printed on our money, documents, and buildings, does not truly and wholly worship God.
Imagine no more need to create bigger and faster weapons. In verse four, by turning weapons into plowshares and pruning hooks, they are creating tools used for growth instead of destruction. Without war or the threat of war, more creativity and time could be devoted to feeding the hungry and easing each other’s burdens. No one would fear their loved ones becoming a casualty of war or going off to fight only to return as a different person because of their experiences.
I encourage you today, as we await God’s Kingdom, to seek out ways to bring good to the damaged world we live in. Regardless of the hate and dismay, help to cultivate life and renewal for your family, church, and community. Seek peace whenever possible and spread hope far and wide.
-Lacey Dunn
Reflection:
• What are ways that you can spread the hope of God’s peace to others in your family, church, school, work, community, etc…
• Take time to imagine what life will be like in God’s Kingdom. What does it look like, smell like, and feel like?
• Are you feeling hopeless? Who is someone you can talk to who can help restore your hope?
Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.” – Deuteronomy 16:13-14
Today we read God’s commands to begin observing three major feasts: Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these festivals was meant to be an intentional time set aside for remembrance (a recurring theme in Deuteronomy). The Israelites had witnessed God’s power and provision in so many ways… like so many. They were delivered from Egypt, provided for in the wilderness, and were finally being brought into the Promised Land—all of which included various miracles and supernatural occurrences. These celebrations were more than legalistic rituals—they were acts of worship and gratitude intended to continually remind God’s children of His unending goodness.
While most Christians today don’t keep these feasts in their traditional form, their purpose no doubt remains deeply relevant. We are still called to remember God’s goodness, rejoice in His provision, and keep His Kingdom promise forefront in our minds. Jesus, our Passover Lamb, has secured our ultimate deliverance, and we live in the hope of the final harvest when God will gather His people into His eternal presence. Not only must we live in hope, but in daily remembrance. Our hope is not a baseless one. We have a book full of stories and people and places that display our Father’s faithfulness. We live in a world uniquely and precisely designed for human life in ways that defy mere chance. We see glimpses of the Kingdom in small moments every day. These are the things that we must recognize and reflect upon on a daily basis.
Whether through communion, worship, prayer, or perhaps even partaking in some feasts or holidays, we are called to consistantly honor the God who has redeemed us, sustains us, and promises us a future. I pray today that we cultivate hearts of gratitude and remembrance, celebrating our Father’s steadfast love and infinite goodness in every season of our lives.
-Isabella Osborn
Reflection Questions:
God established specific times for Israel to remember His faithfulness. How can setting aside time for remembrance strengthen our faith? How might neglecting remembrance weaken faith?
How can you intentionally set aside time to remember and celebrate God’s goodness?
What are some specific ways God has delivered you in your life? Have you taken time to truly reflect on and thank Him for those moments?
As we go through life, there are times when it seems like God is very active and involved in our day to day lives and we sense God’s love, nearness and active interest in our lives. However, if we are honest, there are other times when life seems to just move along and God doesn’t seem to be saying much or doing much on our behalf. The technical term for this awareness of God’s absence is called “the dark night of the soul.” Many growing Christians have and do experience times of God’s apparent absence in our lives.
As we read through the Bible it becomes apparent that there are times when God gets actively involved with His people. God was there in creation, making the earth, making the plants and trees, making the animals, making Adam from dirt and Eve from Adam’s rib. God was there in Eden talking openly and directly with Adam and Eve. God was there asking Cain about his brother Abel. But then we don’t hear much from God. We know that people like Enoch “walked with God”, but we’re told very little about what God is up to for hundreds of years, as the population of earth increases and also the sin of humanity increases. There is a long period of God’s apparent absence from history until the days of Noah when God appears to Noah and tells him to build the Ark because a flood is coming.
After the flood there appears to be more years of silence, until the Tower of Babel gets built and God comes down and confuses people’s language. Then there is more silence from God until he calls Abraham. And so on and so on…There are intermittent times where God is active and involved and times when God seems silent throughout the book of Genesis.
At the end of Genesis God saves Abraham’s family from famine by bringing them down to Egypt. At first, all is well as Joseph, Abraham’s great grandson is the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. But Joseph eventually dies, and he is no longer able to protect his family from the powerful Pharaoh, and eventually the descendants of Abraham are enslaved by the Egyptians. This lasts for a period of roughly 400 years. During that 400 years it seems that God is once again silent.
During that time Israel is growing from a few hundred people, to millions of people. Millions of men, woman and children living in bondage in a foreign land. Perhaps stories about God and their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were passed along by word of mouth, but we might imagine that so many years of silence may have left the nation of Israel in a permanent Dark Night of the Soul. But then… out of the darkness and silence, Moses is born and becomes a member of the Egyptian royal family. God is at work, but he’s not quite ready to make himself fully known to Israel. Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to the wilderness and it seems that the darkness continues and the voice of God remains silent…until God appears to Moses in the burning bush and tells him to go back to Egypt.
In Exodus 10-12 the time has come for God to make himself known to His people… and to Egypt. Exodus 10:1-2 – “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”
Here, God tells Moses that He’s about to make his presence known in a powerful way. God’s about to show up, the darkness is ending, the silence is over. And show up He does! God shows up in a profound and powerful display of his power and might. Bear in mind, Egypt was, at the time, the most powerful empire in the whole world. Pharaoh was the most powerful person in the whole world. Pharaoh had been exerting his power in a ruthless way over God’s chosen people for hundreds of years. Lord Acton once said “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In the United States we live under a Constitutional system that intentionally balances power among three different branches of government- Executive, Legislative and Judicial. This is to prevent any one person from having too much or absolute power. These lessons were learned after observing thousands of years of kingdoms. Pharaohs and other absolute monarchs have historically used their power in destructive and unjust ways. And with such unmatched power comes hubris.
The Poet Percy Bysshe Shelly captures the hubris in his powerful poem Ozymandias:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Pharaoh, like Ozymandias in the poem, was filled with hubris over his unmatched power. He believed himself to be king of kings. He needed to be taught a lesson in humility by the true King of Kings. God showed up. Ten plagues later and all of Egypt was brought to their knees. Meanwhile, the people of God began to see first hand just how great and powerful their King, the true God, YHWH really was. That story has been told for thousands of years, and today, the people of Israel continue to sit down and eat bread without yeast and drink wine and remember the Passover and how powerful their God really is.
Sometimes, God seems to be silent, but make no mistake, God is still there and God is still powerful and in the end, God will show himself to be greater than all human opposition. May you know the true God.
Jeff Fletcher
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 2, 2020 – Thank you, Jeff!)
Reflection Questions
Have you ever felt like you were in a dark night of the soul? How would you describe this time? How might God describe this time? Is there anything you found helpful during this time?
How do you think the Israelites were feeling as they: made bricks without straw, encountered the first 9 plagues, asked their Egyptian neighbors for jewelry – and received, selected a lamb, killed it, put the lamb’s blood on their doorframe, experienced the distinction God made between Israel and Egypt?
What lesson was Pharaoh learning in Exodus 10-12? What were the Israelites learning? What are you learning about man and about God?
At the end of their lives the patriarchs bless their children. The ancients believed words matter. If you asked them, “What’s wrong with the world?” or “Why is the world broken?” they would answer, “The curse.” What’s wrong with the world is that God cursed it–using words. So, how should we expect the world to find healing and redemption? How does God plan to undo the consequences of our first parent’s rebellion? He blesses. First he calls Abraham and blesses him. Abraham calls Isaac and blesses him. Isaac calls Esau, but Jacob impersonates him to receive the blessing. Even so, now Jacob has come to die and he wants to pass on the blessing to his twelve sons who will become the twelve tribes of Israel. Somehow or other, God is going to use this dysfunctional Abrahamic family to initiate his master plan of redemption that will one day culminate with making everything wrong with the world right. Jacob is here playing his part in God’s agenda.
What’s interesting about how he blesses his children is that for several of them, the blessing sounds more like a curse. For example, to Levi and Simeon he says, “Cursed be their anger…I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” Through Jacob’s words, God is prophesying about the future. Indeed Levi was scattered throughout the tribes and Simeon was absorbed into Judah. What’s so fascinating about the blessing is that Israel passes over his first born, Reuben, as well as his second and third born, Simeon and Levi, and he jumps to boy number four–Judah. He compares Judah to a lion and then says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Genesis 49.10). This prophesy is rather staggering as we look forward to the rest of the bible. The great king David and his successors were from Judah. Ultimately, Jesus, himself, descended from Judah. So, how did Jacob know which of his children would hold the scepter? The odds of guessing it right are only one in twelve–about 8%. God was working with this man of faith to know what to say and whom to say it to. Jacob might be old, but he is still walking with God, right up until his last breath.
After Jacob dies, we learn about how Joseph forgives his brothers rather than taking vengeance into his own hands. Ultimately, Joseph himself arrives at death’s door. We read in the New Testament hall of faith the following about Joseph:
Hebrews 11.22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
Out of everything that Joseph went through, his heroic perseverance and faith in God, this is what he is remembered for. When he came near to death, that same Abrahamic promise that had burned in Israel’s heart, blazed in Joseph’s as well, even while he came to the end of his life. He expressed his faith by this last request:
Genesis 50.24-25 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
Look at the faith of this man! He’s suffered so much in the course of his life and yet he never gave up on God. He had been elevated to the highest office in the land, next to Pharaoh, and he still retained his faith. In the end, God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would not die. One day he would return to the land of his childhood. It would be centuries, but eventually, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they carried Joseph’s sarcophagus with them through the desert and laid him to rest in the promised land. Whether you experience hardship or prosperity, be like Jacob and Joseph and keep faith your in God’s promises to bring the kingdom.
-Sean Finnegan
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove – back when it was Grow16BibleReading – on August 8, 2016 – our first full month of daily devotions!)
Reflection Questions
What can we learn from Jacob and his blessings for his offspring? What part of Jacob would you like to display in your life?
What can we learn from Joseph and his relationship with his family, with Egypt and with God? What was important to him? What part of Joseph would you like to display in your life?
Why is “the land” important? What have we seen happen throughout the book of Genesis in regards to the land?
What have you learned from the book of Genesis about God and how He works? What characteristics does He have? What is important to Him? What is God’s agenda? How has He interacted with His people? What has been a genesis/beginning in your relationship with God? What blessings are awaiting God’s children?
Jan 2, 2025 – Day 2 of the SeekGrowLove 2025 Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Just a few months ago, my family and I found ourselves in the path of Hurricane Helene. While the storm left widespread devastation, we were fortunate to remain safe, experiencing minimal damage, and counting our blessings. However, like millions of others in our region, we found ourselves without power. Looking back now, I can’t remember exactly how many days we spent unplugged (although I most certainly knew the number at that time with every passing day) As I witnessed the unprecedented number of power trucks traveling in every direction, I most assuredly knew the power would be restored, it was just a matter of time.
You better believe that Noah had hash marks on the side of the ark. Noah knew beforehand how many days it would rain, but he didn’t know how long he would be making his home with a boatload of animals. On day 41, he saw with his own eyes the Word of God fulfilled, for He had completed an unprecedented thing. So Noah waited, holding onto hope that God would provide a way to get off the ark.
Noah’s enduring faith, to build the boat, to endure the storm, and to hang onto the promise, show the beautiful exchange of God’s grace and protection when we trust and hold onto hope. Noah found favor in God’s sight, but we can declare this to the world: through Christ, we too can experience the fullness of God’s grace. As we look to our Savior for this hope, we can emerge from the storms of life victorious. Through the flooding waters of baptism we are cleansed. But now, emerged from the flood, we wait.
There is still plenty of work to do. We do not twiddle our thumbs until the return of Jesus. Noah continued his calling to give life and care for his flocks, herds, and packs while awaiting the return of a dove. Like Noah, we have been given charge to continue the work of Jesus, giving hope to every nation. If we are awaiting the return of Christ, we are approaching two-thousand years into our tally, but we are sustained, knowing the promise of God is not fleeting or pending. It is fulfilled in its perfect time through Christ Jesus.
We would be crazy not to look to the horizon. The fact that we do shows that we have a founded longing and are aware of the signs. We see the birth pains that lead to the return of Jesus with resurrection power, so let us declare and defend to every nation that He is the reason for the hope we have.
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
What have you waited for? While you were waiting what storms did you endure? What was the reason for your hope?
What do we learn from Genesis about Noah? What do we learn about God from the account of Noah?
How was Noah different from the rest of his generation? How can you be like Noah?
You can download and print the whole year’s Chronological Bible Reading Plan in a compact 1 page booklet form:
January 1, 2025 – Day 1 of the 2025 Chronological Bible Reading Plan
In case we have forgotten, we serve the Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth. By His word alone, He spoke the universe into existence, forming the earth and filling it with life. From eternity to today, His hands continue to hold the world as a loving Father to humanity, created in His image—the climax of His creative acts. As part of this creation, it is a powerful reminder that we are not the owners but stewards in our Heavenly Father’s domain. Yet, we can draw from the strength and power present from the very beginning. The same power that called light into darkness, parted the Red Sea, called fire from heaven, and raised Jesus from the dead is also available to us. We simply need to stop wandering aimlessly in the garden, worrying about what we will eat next, and turn to Him.
Ultimately, it is God who gave us free will—the freedom to wander or to follow. This choice is most simply expressed in whether we choose to worship and honor Him or to worship and honor something else, including ourselves. There are countless opportunities to follow our own flawed prerogatives that lead to peril because choosing sin over God is inherent in our nature. Genesis 3 presents the moment of humanity’s fall—a moment that could have marked the end of hope. Yet even in judgment, God extends consolation. He seeks Adam and Eve in their hiding, clothes their shame with garments of grace, and promises a future Redeemer who will crush the serpent’s head. This promise is repeated time and again to Israel, God’s chosen people (Isa 9:7; Gen 49:10, Deut 18:18-19), and now to us, His new nation (Rom 11:17,18, 1 Peter 2:9,10). This act of mercy reveals God’s goodness—His justice tempered with overwhelming compassion.
In our own failings, we find consolation in knowing that God pursues us in the same manner. He offers to cover our shame with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. This has been God’s plan from the beginning—that we would be redeemed and restored from our falls. In Christ, we are made a new creation. Yes, there is judgment and the penalty of death, but there is also the far greater promise of eternal life. Ultimately, we have a sustaining consolation like no other. God has given His Holy Spirit to us—not only as our Comforter as we await the fulfillment of His promises but also as a source of strength. Through the Spirit, we are empowered to reflect the fruits of our Creator and Father.
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
What is revealed about God Almighty in the first 3 chapters of Genesis?
Do you sometimes forget some of the things that Genesis teaches us about God?
What is revealed about man and woman in the first 3 chapters of Genesis?
Do you sometimes forget some of the things that Genesis teaches about man and woman?
What hope do you find in the first 3 chapters of Genesis?
You can download and print the whole year’s Chronological Bible Reading Plan in a compact 1 page booklet form:
I never grow tired of hearing my children belt out uplifting lyrics from the back of our van! I especially appreciate the passion in their voices reverberating throughout the vehicle every time we play Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” :
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me
While I’m encouraged by the song’s positivity, I can’t help but think of how little fight I feel I have left in me some days. I doubt I’m the only one who is burdened under anxiety, societal pressures, responsibilities at work and home, fear of the future, difficult decisions, sickness and death of loved ones, mysterious health issues, spiritual warfare, and a plethora of other emotional and physical plagues. I often feel like I just. can’t. do. it. The fight requires too much of me sometimes, and there is little motivation or strength left with which to fight. Can you relate?
Nehemiah’s construction team could relate! Sanballat and Tobiah were relentlessly hurling insults, threats, and discouragement at the builders. Not only was there oppression from outside their walls, but there was turmoil with them as well. The motley crew was trying to fix the wall – a monumental aspiration! – while also dealing with the other negative issues of daily life, which seemed to be compounding. And it was wearing on them. They already felt defeated, but the work was not yet complete. They were nearing the ends of their metaphorical ropes, anticipating the last symbolic straw that would break the camel’s back.
Nehemiah took action to provide defense for the workers, but most of all, he encouraged them to keep going! “… I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes… Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” (4:14, 20)
Not only did Nehemiah help resolve some of the immediate burdens of the people and foil the plans of their enemies, he also helped them remember the reason for their work so they could be filled with the mettle needed to recommence this noble work .
Not long after I prayed for God to revive the fighter’s soul within me, a new-to-me song by Rend Collective called “Shackles” rang through my speaker on autoplay. I paused in awe when I heard the chorus:
You’re my deliverer
My anthem through it all
When my strength and my fight is gone
I know You will come through
As I soaked in the life-giving lyrics, I was humbled by God’s gentle reminders of His provision. When my strength and my fight are gone, God will be my strength. He will fight for me (see Exodus 14:14). He will give us the strength and courage to do what he has called us to do. Remember your God; He will fight for you.
These verses from our poetry reading apply to the Nehemiah story:
Psalm 147:2-3, 10-11:
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds…
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
Think back on some of the dark times in your life. How was God faithful to encourage you and bring you through it?
Keep a journal of ways God has answered prayers and provided in big and small ways so you can look back on it during times of doubt.
If you have never read Daniel before, or you don’t remember it if you have, then we are now getting away from the stuff that we usually remember. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, stories of Daniel and the boys and the people they encounter and the God who is with them every step of the way. Chapters 7-12 leave the comfort of narrative behind, and we move into the murky and deep waters of visions and interpretations. Let’s start with a caveat: we don’t know everything that will happen in the future. If and when Daniel speaks about the end of days and the beginning of a new world, then we should and must take his prophecies seriously. But there are a lot of different opinions on the interpretation of the book of Daniel. I am hoping to give you mine. First, we’ll do a rundown, and then we will see what it means to us now.
First, Daniel’s four beasts who come up out of the sea are connected with the four kingdoms in the vision of Daniel from chapter 2. If you were curious then, here is what we begin to see. It is clear that the head of gold is Babylon, and the fact that the beast was a lion with wings and had the mind (found in the head) of a man connects these two. If we skip down to the fourth kingdom, notice the ten toes vs. the 10 horns; also, the legs are of iron and the feet of iron and clay, and the fourth terrible beast has ten horns where one uproots three. If it is clear that the first beast and the fourth beast are the same as the head and the legs of Daniel 2 respectively, then we can allow Daniel 2 to help shape our understanding of this passage. Still, we are not yet given the identity of the other kingdoms, so all we are working with, so far, is Babylon. We will fill in the blanks as we go forward.
Second, we are treated to a picture of the throne rooms of God. God in the passage is called the “Ancient of Days,” basically saying God is the one who has existed from the beginning. He is not a tame, fatherly, or grandfatherly God, with a jolly face and an upturned nose handing out candy canes to good boys and girls. God isn’t Santa. He sits upon fire, and the wheels of the throne are fire, and he is served by legions of angels, and there is judgment held before this one who brings terror. And the fourth beast and the horn are destroyed, and their authority is taken away.
Third, one “like a son of man” comes into the presence of the ancient of Days, and is given dominion and glory and a kingdom and all will serve him. To be clear, this is explained in Daniel by an angel in the vision. The beasts are kings, but “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Again, later in verse 27 we read “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.”
What does it mean for us now?
Simply, no matter how bad the world gets, God is going to win. If you are feeling like giving into gloom and despair as the world gets darker, literally in the Northern Hemisphere and metaphorically *everywhere*, remember, God is not worried about the end of the age, and we shouldn’t be either.
The reason to not fear is that there is a kingdom coming. Back in chapter 2, this kingdom was described as a stone that crushed the feet mixed of iron and clay. Today it is the judgement of God upon the fourth kingdom of this world. We are going to have an interesting discussion about the fourth beast soon, and what kingdom it represents. But more importantly, the victory of God over the kingdoms of this world is not in doubt. The reason this is different from point one is that something better is coming. It’s not just that God is powerful over the fourth beast; its that something better is going to be put in its place, a kingdom for and of his priests, with life as the center (see Daniel 12). Look for and be ready for the kingdom.
We do that by being found in Jesus. Jesus calls himself “the son of Man” extremely often, seemingly in reference to Daniel. Daniel, however, interprets the son of Man as the saints of God. What gives? Jesus is the personification and leader of the saints of God. Every promise for God’s people is given to and fulfilled in Jesus. As Christians, when we trust in Jesus, the Bible says we are “clothed in Jesus”. Jesus moves into our hearts and we dwell in his power. The reason we receive the Kingdom of God is only because Jesus shares it with us as the perfect saint of the Most High. The reason we have life is because he has life. If you want to be able to face the darkness of this world knowing it will be destroyed, and that you will be given’s God’s blessings rather than undergoing his wrath, you must trust in Jesus for this salvation, rely on him for his spiritual power, and live the way he commanded in response to the salvation he offers.
And that is “the end of the matter “ (Dan. 7:28)
-Jake Ballard
Questions:
Does it matter to you personally to know the identity of the Kingdoms in Daniel? Why or why not? Even if we might acknowledge that our knowledge is faulty, are you comfortable saying “I don’t know” to any question? Most questions? Every question? If we say “I don’t know” more often than giving an answer, are we truly loving God with all our mind?
I don’t want to harp on yesterday’s theme, but notice the mispicturing of God: like a grandfather giving sweets, or Santa bringing presents to good kids. What is the picture of God in Daniel? How does this compare to the beginning of Ezekiel or Isaiah?
Check in with your heart: are you worried about the world being too dark? Are you giving up hope in a brighter future of the kingdom of God? Don’t give in to despair. God desires for you to hope; it is a cardinal virtue. “These three remain, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”
The next time someone asks you to “go above and beyond” at work, or to “give 110%” in a game, just be thankful your boss or coach isn’t Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in Daniel 2, had a dream and wanted to know the meaning of the dream. But instead of telling his dream to his wise men, he expected, even demanded, that *they* tell *him* the dream. Notice what the wise guys say to the King. “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand.” (2:10) My friends, that’s *exactly* the point. Only “the gods” or more accurately, only God, can make know the contents of the dreams of the King. But the wise men of Babylon don’t know the God who knows all things, they don’t worship the God who sees everything, even into the hearts of people.
The King even asks Daniel “Are you able to make know to me the dream?” Daniel replies “No… no one can.” But “there is God in heaven who reveals mysteries… This mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king.” Over the next few days we will try to understand what is going on with the Kingdoms of the world in Daniel and try to understand this vision better, but today I want to make this very practical.
Sometimes people tell us ideas that are not entirely Biblical because they are trying to be nice. One such idea is that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” It sounds good; we will never be overwhelmed and we will always succeed. However, as soon as our lives meet the real world, we find out that God consistently “gives us” situations that are overwhelming; try balancing getting good grades, doing extracurriculars, volunteering to pad our college applications, and then getting into and maintaining relationships, not to mention work! It’s overwhelming to write; how much more to live. But beyond the normal chaos of life, there are times when people we love are sick, when we need surgeries, when we have huge doubts about what is happening next. Just like the King demanding that the wise guys explain his dream, the world very often gives us far more than we can handle… *on our own*.
What God has promised is that we are never on our own. No one can handle this world with joy, hope, peace, and love *by themselves*. But there is a God in heaven who gives the joy, hope, peace and love we are looking for. There is a God in heaven who gives his spirit to his people, not because we are wise or smart, or pretty, or popular, or good. God gives because we trust him, and all of our faults doesn’t stop him from loving us, and he does not leave us on our own. The world often gives us more than we can handle; the world can NEVER give us something God can’t handle.
-Jake Ballard
Reflection Questions
What differences do you see between Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar? Are you ever more like Nebuchadnezzar than Daniel?
What characteristics of Daniel’s do you admire? Which would you like to work on growing in your own life? How would one go about that?
When has the world given you more than you could handle? In what ways did God provide what you needed? Thank Him!
Today’s reading finishes up our time in the prophetic book of Ezekiel. A book that I’ve enjoyed studying a bit more- even if some days I’ve found myself with more questions than answers. Ultimately, it is nice to close in hope, and Ezekiel’s last chapters end with hope and a climax with God’s glory being restored to the temple. His words of prophecy were full of hope to those in exile even before the promised Messiah had surfaced. For us who have received the gift of the Messiah, and a personal relationship with God, the hope for a future restoration in the kingdom of God is something we still cling to in our days of exile.
The book of Ezekiel starts with a little less good news, and some warnings of destruction which certainly came to Jerusalem, but it ends with this detailed, beautiful prophetic description of a new temple yet to come. Historically, there has not yet been a temple meeting this description to fulfill this prophecy. And while some argue that this prophecy was solely fulfilled figuratively (in Jesus, in the church, etc.), others assert it is a future literal temple yet to come in the Millennium where believers reign with Christ. While I am certainly motivated to study it more after stumbling across the various ideas out there, because I am confident from scripture that there will be a literal return of Christ to earth, it appears to me these prophecies work well alongside that in describing a literal temple.
I appreciate the taste of restoration and return of God’s glory that Ezekiel gives us. In the United States, we have just finished another tiresome election cycle, and it seems like in these times we hear it all….. over and over again…..the self-proclaimed prophets, empty promises, whining and blaming, “pride, patriotism, and prejudice”…..the whole shebang. My hope and faith is not in America being great. Nor is it in world peace we know scripturally will not truly happen in this age- no matter who is president. My true identification or affiliation is not found in my national citizenship or any other political, demographic, or who-knows-what-now-label. My only sustaining hope is based in the promises given to Abraham and shared with me thousands of years later. I look forward to the world being great again, and pray Jesus will return soon, so that the meek will inherit it.
Ezekiel closes his prophecy telling us the name of the city he had described in such detail. It is called “The LORD is there”. In Hebrew, “YHWH sammah”. Two words that brought the most resonating image to my mind in all of the chapters in this book that I read. There will be a day when God and His son Jesus will dwell with us. Literally.
-Jennifer Hall
Questions:
What are your thoughts on how the prophecies from these chapters are/will be fulfilled?
What gives you hope in today’s reading?
How does the LORD “being there” impact a place? We know we’re invited!
Seek Grow Love 