3 posts tagged “daniel”

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DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN

THE CRIME OF PRAYER

Read Daniel 6

"Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel 6:20 NIV

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This is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible, along with stories like Noah's Ark and David and Goliath–but it is far more than a children's bedtime story. It’s the story of a man who served God continually from the time he was a teenager–taken into Babylonian captivity–until he was a very old man serving Darius, the king of the Medes and Persians.

No matter what the circumstance, Daniel was faithful to his God. His crime in this story was that he prayed and gave thanks before his God three times a day, as was his custom since early days. (6:10b NKJV) Daniel–a man who seldom had control of his circumstances– served a God who was always in control of his circumstances. This is an amazing truth that most of us find hard to absorb.
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Lord, I am not likely to face a fiery furnace or hungry lions, but I still struggle to remember who controls my life and the lives of those I love. May it be said of us, like Daniel, “they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful;” (Daniel 6:4b NKJV)
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Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." Daniel 6:21–22 NIV
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FATHER AND SON

PRIDE AND ARROGANCE

Read Daniel 4–5

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. Daniel 4:37 NIV

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This passage in Daniel tells the story of two kings– Nebuchadnezzar and his son Belshazzar. They were both guilty of pride and arrogance, but Nebuchadnezzar repented of his pride and glorified the ‘King of heaven.’

Even though Belshazzar knew about his father's experience, he chose to blaspheme God. Daniel said to him, "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 did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways." (5:22–23)
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If there is a major theme in the book of Daniel it is that we have a sovereign God who is in charge of the events of history and the lives of men. What He says will surely come to pass. Lord, how privileged I am that the sovereign God of the Bible is also my personal Savior. I praise You for all You have done in my life already and all you have planned for the future. May I never fail to give praise and honor to you.
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Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. Daniel 5:29–31 NIV
Post a comment Tags: pride, daniel, arrogance, repentance

DANIEL

KING OF KINGS

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM

Read Daniel 2

“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. Daniel 2:19b–21 NIV

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When Daniel was still young, God gave him the ability to interpret dreams. No one could tell King Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was, or what it meant, until Daniel asked his three friends “to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.” God answered by revealing the mystery to Daniel in a night vision. (2:18-19)
 
God’s revelation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a giant statue contained a message with far reaching significance…even to our day and beyond. Before Daniel even attempted to give the interpretation, he praised the name of God who is in control of all things. He told the king, “The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory…You are that head of gold.” (2:37-38)
 
When we look at what is happening in our world today, particularly in the Middle East, it is easy to despair of ever seeing a peaceful resolution. But this prophesy to the King of Babylon, speaks of a future kingdom ruled by the King of Kings–Jesus the Messiah–where nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4b)
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I praise You Lord, that You are the God who sets up kings and presidents–We can trust You in the days and years ahead.
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"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. Daniel 2:44 NIV
1 comment Tags: daniel, babylon, middle east, prophesy, king of kings