"'Don't be afraid,' he said, 'for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!'" Daniel 10:19
AMEN! This is my favorite verse from our reading this week. Could there be any better message for us to hear? Especially when our current world so closely resembles Daniel's, a world out of control; a world of turmoil, conflict, warring nations, invading armies, and clashing religions. That can make any mortal fearful, apparently even Daniel. If it can send Daniel into mourning, what hope do we have?
Chapter 10 through chapter 11, verse 35 is quite the history lesson, at least for us. For Daniel it was a glimpse into the future, and not a very nice future at that. It's all about invading kings & conquering armies. But in the midst of this powerful vision of a scary future, the messenger tells Daniel, "Don't be afraid for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong."
As we read the prediction of the future (Daniel's time) and we know that those things happened, what does that mean for us? Can we really process it? Can we understand it fully? Even if we can't, how can we live our lives to reflect that we believe that God has a plan for the nations of the Earth?
Even though the vision is a little difficult to follow, with all the 'king of the North and king of the South' back and forth, I actually liked it. But, I like history and when it lines up with Bible stories that's twice as nice. I pictured this as a story told with shadow puppets. Perhaps it was the wording in my NLT translation or the mystery of telling the future, but I pictured the story in silhouette as I read. How did it appear to you?
For all the angel sightings, future telling, and kingdom invading that happens in this chapter, I still go back to Daniel 10:19. That is my take away, from this chapter and perhaps from this book. So many amazing & wondrous things occur in this book about a servant & prophet of God, but I think this is what I'll hold on to: "Don't be afraid for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!"
Pop over to the blog (www.reonlineblog.blogspot.com) and share your "take away" from this chapter.
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
warrior
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
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