Abundantly Pardoned

“Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven.” (Daniel 10:12 NLT)

Heaven heard Daniel’s request from the first day he prayed. Why? He humbled himself. No doubt he prayed on his knees or facedown on the floor. Imagine how quickly many prayers would be heard in heaven if we only humbled ourselves before God. Perhaps if we took the time to humble ourselves before the Lord instead of praying in our cars to and from work or while doing our work. That’s all it takes—taking time.

In preparing for a Beth Moore Bible study on “Daniel” for church in which we learn how to influence this Babylon world without it influencing us, I was thinking: my mom subscribes to one of those Country Living magazines. She likes to look at the pictures and then give them to me. Now, when I look at the pictures in the magazine, I lust for the old furniture shown in the pages. Last year I even went to some flea markets searching for a little, old table I saw in one issue. The same goes for “New Yankee Workshop” on KET. I want Norm to make furniture for me. I want to marry him so he can make me all the furniture I want (dear Norm, the craftsman, is married, too!!!). The point is, we need to avoid the things of this Babylon world that cause us to want things or do things. Smutty t.v. shows, advertisements for men in boxers strutting in front of a camera. You know what I mean. It surrounds us. Let’s not let it consume us.

Some of you may feel resentment at the fact that there are people you have encountered who have gotten away with things they shouldn’t have gotten away with. You may have found yourself in situations of believing someone who was actually being dishonest with you; you have found yourselves in situations of different types of abuse; right now you may feel violated in many different ways because of the things that certain people have gotten away with. “When,” you ask yourselves, “will justice prevail? How many more people will be violated in the ways that I have been violated?” More than likely, you won’t see justice prevail in an earthly fashion, but justice will prevail, because our God is God, and He loves you and He loves me. Revelation 19:11 tells us, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war.” That rider called Faithful and True is our Lord Jesus. “With justice He judges.” When we hurt, He hurts. Daniel 7:14 tells us of our Lord Jesus: “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Yes, some people have been dishonest with us. Some people have taken advantage of us. Some people have abused us. Some people have violated our hearts, our minds, our bodies. Will they be judged? Yes! Don’t let resentment or anger eat at your soul! Don’t let bitterness shatter your heart! Give it all up to Jesus, Faithful and True Judge. You can count on Him!

Daniel 4:26 when Daniel interpreted King Neb’s dream: “Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.” Heaven rules. God rules. No matter how much we worry about bills or illnesses or relationships or work troubles, it’s all in God’s hands. He rules. Worry is useless. Worry is a waste of time. Your peace will be restored when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Peace of mind  means more than owning a kingdom.

^{La 5:12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect.}

^{1 Ti 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men i as brothers, 1Ti 5:2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.}

^{I hate to see the elderly mistreated or shown disrespect, and there is so much of that in our world. We should look up to them. They are wise. They have lived through many things, much more than have we. When we are born we go from baby to child to teenager to adult and back all the way to baby again. Many elderly people are helpless, and they need us just as the wee babies do. God loves the elderly and so should we.}

This morning in Sunday School we were discussing how we allow the things of this world to take our focus off Jesus, including the pressures that go on in our workplaces. Last week our Sunday School teacher told us that when a farmer is plowing, he fixes his eyes ahead on something that doesn’t move. When it comes to our lives, we need to be plowing everyday, and that unmoving something we fix our eyes on is our Jesus, our Rock. There’s a hymn that goes: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” We need to get our eyes off the pressures and worries of this world and fix our eyes upon Jesus. Let this world fade away, dear Jesus! Let it fade away!

“Come Home”

 

Why do you sigh for that

Which you do not know?

Why do you long for that

Which you cannot find?

You search and search

On a trail of eternal longing,

Straying onto paths that lead

Nowhere.

Your way is marred by

Felled trees and forking streams

In your path,

And still your eyes stay down

As you trudge and climb and

Hack your way to something

That haunts your heart.

Child, don’t you know?

Child, can’t you see?

You fight against the

Greatest Love.

Come home.

Come home.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish….” (Philippians 3:8)

Why do we fret over so many things, complain over so many things, worry over so many things, think upon so many things, spend time on doing various things (that are really a waste of time, when you think about it), when they all don’t mean a thing? Only Jesus matters—loving Him, receiving His love and getting to know Him. Everything else is rubbish that we need to cast aside. Like the hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.”