Have you ever considered, I mean really considered Romans 8:28-29? Are these verses that you repeat to comfort yourself during times of trouble and forget during times of joy? Romans 8:28-29 read, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” It does not say ‘all the trials and tribulations.’ It does not say, ‘some’ it says, “all things” and it says it is because God knew you and chose you and He will transform you to the image of Christ. So keep it in mind regardless what is happening, good or bad, accident, evil act, natural disaster, gifts, blessings, ALL things work together for your good when you are called according to His purpose. And get this, He knows before you are born, that you are called and He is working all that stuff toward your transformation as well, not just after you choose Christ but everything before Him as well. Having faith in God’s sovereignty can help you steer through all those things whether you perceive them as good or bad. Daniel understood God’s sovereignty and it helped him tremendously. In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel was reading God’s prophecy to Jeremiah and God revealed to Daniel that the time until Jerusalem’s restoration would be 70 years. That hit him hard. So he prayed. Daniel, this man of faith and wisdom, a man who had been called blameless before God prayed to The LORD in confession and begged for forgiveness for himself and for Israel. He knew no matter how “good” he was it was never as good as The Lord God. That he and Israel had fallen short repeatedly. But he also knew God was merciful and loving and he trusted God to always do what was best. Daniel’s prayer is beautiful and can be read in verses 4-19 of this chapter. Verse 4 reads, “I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,” Do you remember that? God is great! Great doesn’t just mean like Frosted Flakes, no great is boundless, vast, celebrated, wonderful, absolute, and momentous. He is awesome, not like a wave to be surfed but when considered fills you with awe, terror, reverence, and wonder. Our beautiful loving and merciful LORD keeps His promises and loves unfailingly. Remember that and trusting Him is easy. Daniel continues to confess that Israel hasn’t listened to the prophets God has sent to her repeatedly, that Israel has rebelled constantly, and has ignored the Law from the beginning. Daniel acknowledges that this calamity had been warned against and that God is using it to bring Israel back to Him, to teach her and transform her into the God’s people. Yet Daniel appeals to God’s mercy and asks for this calamity to end sooner rather than lasting seventy years. Verses 18-19 read, “O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” We don’t ask God for anything because of our own goodness or merit, we have none. We ask God based on His mercy. We ask not for His benefit but for ours. Stew on that for a minute. How wonderful is our God? So God sends Gabriel to Daniel to give him a word. God had answered Daniel the moment he began praying, before Daniel had gotten more than the first word out of his mouth God had answered. Maybe the answer was not was Daniel was hoping for but God loved him so much he sent Gabriel to give him the message. He told him specifically what those seventy years were for, and he gave him more information about the end times. And as I read that I realized that even all these thousands of years ago when Israel was in captivity God was working it for my good. Their experiences teach me, mirror the future, and help me become the child of God I was created to be. When you and I speak to God, He answers us too. He doesn’t have to send Gabriel to give us the message. He speaks directly to us. Sometimes we don’t listen, sometimes we let distractions keep us from hearing but He always answers and even if it is not the answer we hoped for, it is the answer we can praise Him for because He always does what is best for us.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:03:08 +0000
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