In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision…
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. Daniel 10:1, 7-9 (NIV)
God has this unique, God-ability to see and speak to me and yet keep the whole or the all in His vision. I want to see the ‘all’ and then get so focused on this big picture that I miss God’s personal message to me! OR I focus so narrowly on what is happening to me that I miss the extraordinary Kingdom events!
God wants a personal conversation with me. He has ‘stuff’ He wants to give to me. Many of the words that God gives to me are just for me! If I try to explain them or give them to others (even my husband!), I will receive puzzlement, disbelief, and general disinterest back! Too often I want to share more of my personal relationship with others than I should because I want … to brag, prove what an awesome relationship I have with God, or just call attention to myself.
Verses 7-14 of Daniel 10 continue to show me that being in the very presence of God is a scary and overwhelmingly humbling experience. God tells Daniel to stand and receive an important message. Stand because Daniel is His child. Stand, not because he, Daniel, is strong, but because He, God is about to reveal Himself to the one He has chosen as a messenger. God assures Daniel that He has heard his cry and is there in response to the cry.
If you are struggling today, hear this message from God: He hears and He will answer. STAND and receive His message!
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have over come him,†and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13 (NIV)
Have you ever cried out to God like this? “HOW LONG, GOD?!!†I have. Before you dismiss the words of the psalm writer – look again at verse six: “I trust in your unfailing loveâ€. There it is – the key. I choose – again today – to trust God. As Peter said to Jesus “Who else is there?†(paraphrase John 6:68) Has anything or anyone else worked for me? NO! I trust God’s love for me! Why? Because 1) He has proved faithful over and over even when I am not! And 2) because I spend time with Him every day and keep learning new things about my Lord and its all good!
Pick yourself up or if you feel too weak to even do that – stretch out your hand and God will grab it and lift you up and hear His words for you today!
