“Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.” Daniel 6:3 NLT Little is known about Daniel’s family and lineage, but we can read that Daniel came from the tribe of Judah. This young man was forcefully plucked from his life of comfort and taken to a foreign land where he was given the task of learning the culture and ways of the Babylonian people. Daniel could have easily become bitter and angry given his situation, but rather he…
“Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah.” Daniel 1:6 NLT This week we will be studying the life of Daniel. Daniel is predominantly known for escaping a den of lions unscathed, but there is much to unpack about his life. Daniel and his three friends were taken as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. The King had sought out and specifically asked for young men who were strong, healthy, and good-looking. He also ordered that they be men who were well educated, full of knowledge and good judgment, and who were suited to serve in the royal palace. These four young men, severely displaced in a foreign land, determined early on in their journey that they would not bend to the given rules regarding food and drink. This attitude of morality and commitment to the laws of their God would be the common theme moving forward through the story of their lives in Babylon. As we read through the first chapter of the book of Daniel, we can see that the favor of God was upon their lives, and they flourished despite doubt from…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Has God ever reshaped your plans? We can all relate to things in our lives that do not line up with God’s will. Humans are creatures who love to plan and dream. However, life happens, and plans get rearranged. We toss and toil for what we desire, and in doing so, we often miss the mark. We make our cute little “to-do’s” checklist but get frustrated when God does not follow our timeline. What if your two-year-old son told you that he wanted to drive? Would you give him your car keys? Of course not; you would probably pat him on the head and say, “When you are older, sweetheart.” A process of maturity must take place before more power is given. We submit our petitions to God, and in response, we will get a yes or no or wait. God will guide us as we delight in Him, and He will grant the desires of our heart…
“Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Let’s be honest: we may not measure success like the world, but we still tend to measure our success. If we are at a certain age or place in life, we subconsciously compare ourselves with others at…
“When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.” (Exodus 3:4-6, NLT). When Moses saw the burning bush, he was intrigued. How could this be happening? As he came closer, God called to him. Moses’ first instinct was to reply, “Here I am!” It makes me wonder how I would respond to the audible voice of God. I hope I would be quick to tell Him, “Here I am!” Moses continues his conversation with the Mighty God. The Great I Am needs a leader to deliver the oppressed from their suffering and He tells Moses you’re the one to do it! In Exodus 3:11, Moses protests God’s call, “Who am I to appear before Pharoah? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” His first question is, “Who am I?” But God assures him, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:13-14 reveals Moses’ second question. “Who are You?” Moses wants to know God’s name. In response, God…
“And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:21). To understand this verse, we need to look at the beginning of the previous verse. Verse 20 begins with, “Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations.” The verse includes a list of everything that will be brought, and in verse 21, God says He will bring people from all nations and make them priests and Levites. In the Old Testament, you could only be a priest and serve the Lord in the Temple if you were born into the tribe of Levi. Your birthright qualified you. You could not marry or be adopted into it. If you had a genetic disability, you were excluded from being a priest. You could work in and around the Temple, but you could not be a priest. Women were also not permitted to serve in the Temple. But in our devotional verse, the prophet Isaiah records that there will be a time when God will call people from all nations and all tribes to be priests and Levites. This means that it doesn’t matter what family you…