We’ve spent the last couple days talking about the removing of God’s royal authority from the United States and what this will mean for the Body of Christ. These are spiritual things, if you’d like a more concrete economic understanding of what’s going on and what’s about to happen – you can read the Coming Storm or sign up for our newsletter to get even more information on this. Today, we’re going to look at how you, as a follower of Christ, should respond in these times and at the incredible blessings that will come with following Him through these times.
The people of God mentioned in the book of Daniel were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego. It seems to be most common to use the Hebrew name of Daniel and the Babylonian names of the other three, perhaps because those names sound pretty cool? 🙂
These men were brought out of the land they had always known and were thrust into a dangerous landscape. There were probably many ways for them to get caught up in all the exotic distractions of this land. They were given every advantage and probably lacked for nothing. And they were under intense expectations to live according to the king’s will, whether that was in line with God’s will or not!
Let’s look at one example of the things they were told:
“15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (Daniel 3:15)
That’s the sort of thing that might make one stray from God, is it not? So they make an excellent case study for how to live your life in the coming storm.
How did they respond to these difficult times? They set themselves apart. This is the definition of Holy. Holy does not mean that you don’t sin. Holy means “set apart for God.” When they were first brought to the palace, they were ordered to eat food from the King’s table. This again would have been an incredible temptation, it was the most delicious food to be found in the greatest empire on earth at the time. But Daniel knew this food to be defiled and so they determined to eat only vegetables. This wasn’t easy. They had to convince the chief official to let them eat only this and then have faith in God to keep them healthier than those which ate anything they wanted. This sounds very odd today since most of us don’t get enough veggies, but this was a great step of faith based upon their understanding as well as an incredible fast of at least three years.
What was the result of setting themselves apart for God?
“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” (Daniel 1:17 & 20)
God raised them up in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He was able to train them up to be prepared for the mighty things ahead of them. It doesn’t say it, but I’m sure their faith grew immensely in this time. They saw that they sacrificed personally to set themselves apart for God and that then God grew them beyond any other men. They were thus prepared when greater tests of faith came!
What does this have to do with you?
Have you set yourself apart? Or are you so busy watching TV that you have no idea of what God’s speaking today? Or are you so busy serving others tirelessly that you are too tired to stop and rest and be taught by the Lord?
A time is coming when everything around will be chaotic. I believe there will be waves of badness followed by a calm that most will take for improvement, followed by more waves of badness. Those who are transfixed by the story the media is selling will totally miss what God is doing. Those who are looking for the US Government to secure their happiness will totally miss the way that God is moving.
On the other hand, those who are maturing as sons of God will be taken care of by their Heavenly Father. These will be used to bless others. There will still be much suffering. But the Lord will use it to refine His beloved children. He will be raising sons who know Him and represent Him to the world in ways that haven’t happened since the early days of the Kingdom. Christ promised that we will do greater things than He did. But that hasn’t been the reality that we have lived in the past. But a new age is dawning and those who are devoted to Him will mature as sons of the Most High during this time. Let’s look at one of the ways Daniel stated:
“32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:32-35)
This is some pretty heavy stuff, so I’m going to put a disclaimer here. (I’ve never written about a subject this serious on this blog and it’s making me a bit uncomfortable, but I do believe serious times are coming and this word should be given.) The PS is that I do not believe Christ is coming back in these next few years. I think some more things need to come to be before that happens, but there is definitely a shaking that is just now beginning that will bring these things to pass. Also, this will be a beautiful time for those who focus on the Lord and not the shaking. Many will be blessed beyond belief in the Spirit.
By the way, if you’ld like more information about this coming storm, sign up for the newsletter here and it will be sent to you. You can come to one of the two events by signing up here. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the praise that Daniel gave to God when He gave Daniel the first dream.
Photo credit: Nothing Lasts For Ever
This post is Part 4 in the series The Coming Storm Daniel Revelation. You can continue with this series by clicking on Pt 5. To gain more insight about this coming storm, you can read more about it here and in Pt 1, Pt 2 and Pt 3.