September 16 – Daniel 10-12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Daniel 10-12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

It is a joke amongst preachers that whenever they ask their congregations what they would like to learn about they almost always get people wanting to study the book of Revelation. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue with this book because it talks about the end of days. There is something in that type of discussion that we all want to know more about. Maybe it is the imagery of the language that we cannot get our minds around. Maybe it is the fascination of the battle scenes it paints. Our reading today was not from the book of Revelation, but the language is very similar.

It all begins with Daniel in a period of mourning. This mourning concludes with a vision given to Daniel of things to come. What strikes me the most when I read this is Daniel’s response to the messenger … “How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” (Daniel 10:17 NLT) Daniel did not feel he measured up to having a conversation with God.

Do you every feel like Daniel? Maybe you do not feel good enough to accept His grace. Maybe you do not feel holy enough to have a real, deep, meaningful discussion through pray with God. Maybe you question whether or not you should be a child of God or not. I do not know where you stand on talking with God, but the response Daniel heard is one we all need to hear … “Do not be afraid, for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” (Daniel 10:19 NLT).

Maybe your situation is not the context of Daniel’s, but I know this, you are special to God. He loves you. He cares for you. Be encouraged by His love; be strong because of His love, and find peace in knowing all of this!

September 13 – Daniel 1-3

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Daniel 1-3. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan. 

Photo Credit: Leslie Maxey

Our reading today takes us to two of the most well known stories in the entire Bible. It begins with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah entering King Nebuchadnezzar’s service in the Babylonian government. It concluded with the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego … Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s Babylonian names, or maybe you know them as Veggie’s Tales Rack, Shack, and Benny … being thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the statue. Today’s reading was very timely for me.

For whatever reason I woke up in a foul mood. I was not happy. I did not want to do anything. I did not want to be nice. Little things were making me made. I simply did not want to do the things that I knew were right. And then here comes Daniel, being presented the best food that Babylon had to offer. He pleaded to not partake of the food and was granted that request. God even provided for him and his three friends through all of this.

While reading it made me wander about the battle that Daniel may have had in his own mind. Daniel and his friends were from Jerusalem. They were rising stars in the Jewish government. But when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem he took Israel’s finest. Now they are in Babylon, being treated like royalty, being introduced to new customs and culture, and I am sure temptation was there. How did Daniel fight it off? How did he put God first? How hard of a decision was it for him? Those are questions I do not have answers for. However, I do know that no matter the battle that raged in his own mind, Daniel ultimately did what honored God.

Honoring God is something we all must do no matter our moods, our attitudes, or the days we have just had. Thank you God for the timely lesson you gave me. 

August 13 – Jeremiah 23-25

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Jeremiah 23-25. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan. 

Photo Credit: Dexell1827

While extremely grateful, I realized today I have always somewhere felt bad for the pilgrims. I am grateful that they came and settled here in the new world. But when we hear the stories of how hard life was for them especially during the first few winters, my heart breaks for them. And the genesis of it all was to escape religious persecution; all so they could worship God the way they believed they should. After today’s readings, I am beginning to wonder if I should feel so bad for them. Let me explain.

In our reading today we find a discussion between God and Jeremiah. God is telling Jeremiah what He is going to do to the faithful in Judah and Jerusalem. He does so through a picture of good and rotten figs. Here is what God said of the good figs … “The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians. I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” (Jeremiah 24:5-7 NLT) God basically said he was taking His people, the good people, those who loved Him and was moving them out to protect them.

The amazing thing to me was he was moving them to a pagan land where they could truly worship God as they choose. We know some of these as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from Daniel 1. These men glorified God in amazing ways as we see with the fiery furnace and Daniel in the den of lions. The words God spoke to and through Jeremiah He fulfilled in those stories, plus many more.

Should we feel bad for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? No! They were under the care of God in the land of Babylon. The good figs were protected and cared for. The bad figs, those that remained in Jerusalem, they are the ones our hearts should break for. They were the ones to feel the wrath of God. What about in your own life? Do you have people whom God would consider a bad fruit, simply because they have not accepted a life changing relationship with Jesus? Does your heart break for them?

Maybe I am simply finding perspective. No longer will my heart break for the pilgrims. Maybe their trails here were God using them to do something new and bigger in His grand scheme. God sending the faithful off to Babylon was His protection. Where my heart should break is for people who do not love and know God.