Daniel 7:1-8 God Knows And Directs The Future

Daniel's terrifying vision was given by God as proof that God knows and directs the future.  My commentary said the events in chapters 7 and 8 preceded those in chapters 5 and 6.  Daniel learned about "4 kingdoms of this world, one of them the kingdom of Satan, and the last one the kingdom of Messiah."

The four kingdoms were the same sequence that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream -- The Lion with the wings represented Babylon, my commentary said.  The bear represented the Medes and Persians.  The leopard represented Alexander the Great, with the four heads and horns explaining the four leaders who split up his kingdom after his death.  The dreadful and terrible beast represented the Roman Empire and paralleled the legs of iron in Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

"The two visions made it clear that God knows the future and controls the rise and fall of nations and rulers ... Prophecy is history written beforehand."

Father, thank You for Your knowledge of the future and Your sovereignty over it.  We have nothing to fear because You are in control and know the outcome.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 6: 12-28 A Hard Time Meant To Glorify God

"Daniel had a copy of the prophecy of Jeremiah, so he must have read, 'Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?'  He knew the answer and didn't fear the lion's den," my commentary said.

The king was boxed in by Daniel's enemies, and though he explored every possible legal maneuver, nothing he could do could save Daniel.  "Before Daniel was lowered into the pit, the king offered a prayer that Daniel's God would deliver him because Daniel was faithful to serve Him continually ... The king had a bad night ... He spent a sleepless night and even fasted! ... He arose with the first light and hastened to the lion's den ... Daniel's faith brought him peace and assurance ... God saved Daniel because He still had more work to do.  God's servants are immortal until their work is done ... God could have prevented Daniel from going into the lion's den, but by allowing him to go in and bringing him out unhurt, the Lord received greater glory ... The report of Daniel's deliverance from the lion's den must have brought great encouragement to the Jews in exile."

Father God, the trials I've been experiencing are mild by comparison, but I ask You to help me approach them as Daniel did his -- confident in You.  I too often find myself responding as the world does, in my frustration, and I want to represent You well instead.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 5:13-31 Not Ready For Retirement And Changing Employers

Daniel was likely over 80 years old when he was pressed into service again to interpret the message from God.  Anyone reading the words would have only believed they were describing units of money in Babylon, but God gave Daniel the wisdom to understand the true meaning.

The first as "numbered".  My commentary said, "God had determined and established the end of the kingdom and it would happen shortly."

The second was "weighed".  "The king had been weighed by God and found wanting, so the king's days were numbered."

The third was "divided" or "Persia".  Babylon would be divided between the Medes and the Persians, whose armies were at the gates of the city that very night."

"When Daniel confronted Belshazzar, he offered him no way of escape ... the city would fall that very night ... the head of gold was replaced by the arms and chest of silver ...  The Medo-Persian army found a way into the city.  The Euphrates River flowed through Babylon, and by diverting the stream, the army was able to go under the city gates and into the city ... the Most High God still reigns in heaven and on the earth and accomplishes His purposes.  No nation, leader, or individual citizen can long resist Almighty God and win the battle ... Belshazzar forgot the Word of God and the lessons of history and lost his kingdom and his life.  May we not make the same mistakes today!"

Father, I so need Your wisdom in dealing with this life.  Please keep me close to Your heart so that I may hear what You are saying to me.  Guide me with Your Word.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 5:1-12 The Finger of God and the Hand of God

Nebuchadnezzar eventually passed off the scene and his grandson Belshazzar came to rule.  Babylon had become supposedly impregnable, with fortified bronze gates and a series of walls -- some 300' high -- protecting the city.  They had also stored 20 years worth of food for the inhabitants, and the city was supplied with an adequate water source.

One night Belshazzar was particularly full of himself and ordered cups from the Temple in Jerusalem brought out to be used for a drinking party.  God sent a floating human hand that wrote a cryptic message on a plaster wall, causing the king to be very frightened.  Daniel was called to interpret it after the queen mother recommended him.  It appears that the Medes and Persians were known by the king to be camped outside the city readying an attack, yet he felt secure enough in his defenses to hold this banquet!  

"The finger of God was writing a warning to the Babylonian leaders that the hand of God would very soon execute judgment," my commentary said.

Father, please keep me near Your heart and help me to be constantly aware of where I stand with You.  Don't allow me to ever presume that I know better than You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 4:28-37 The Thing You Complain Of In God Is The Very Thing That You Love In Yourselves

"All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar" because God's Word never fails to fulfill its purposes, my commentary said.  "God graciously gave the king an entire year in which to heed His warning and repent of his sin, but the king refused to yield ... Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."

"We never know when God's voice will speak or His hand touch our lives ... God has every right to break into our lives and speak to us ... God is longsuffering with sinners, but when the time comes for Him to act, there is no delay."

"The first thing the king did was to praise the Lord ... Seven years before, the king considered himself a great man and his kingdom a great kingdom, but now he had a different viewpoint ... The king acknowledged the sovereignty of God ... No person is more free than the believer who surrenders to the sovereign will of God ... The heart of sinful man rebels at the very idea of a sovereign God, for the human heart wants to be free of all outside control.  Sinners think they are free and don't realize how much they are in bondage to their fallen nature and to the forces of Satan and the world ... Most men quarrel with the sovereignty of God.  But mark, the thing that you complain of in God is the very thing that you love in yourselves."

"The Most High God is so wise and powerful that He can ordain that His creatures have the freedom to make decisions and even disobey His revealed will, and yet He can accomplish His divine purposes on this earth."

Father, I'm so glad You finally broke through my stubbornness and helped me to realize the freedom that comes from Your Sovereignty!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 4:1-27 Setting Ourselves Up For Failure

King Nebuchadnezzar had another set of dreams later in life, and they troubled him so that he called Daniel to return and interpret them.  Daniel was stunned by the message yet still was faithful to deliver it.  The king had been prideful and sinned and hadn't repented despite the grace God had offered, so for 7 years he would lose his mind, living like an animal.  It happened just as God had described.  "The grand lesson God wanted the king to learn -- and that we must learn today -- is that God alone is sovereign and will not permit mortals to usurp His throne or take credit for His works ... When men and women refuse to submit themselves to God, as creatures made in His image, they are in grave danger of descending to the level of animals ... Men and women are made in the image of God, but when they leave God out of their lives and resist His will, they can descend to the level of animals."

Father God, please show those I love how close they are coming to having this happen, and pull them back from the brink with Your love.  Save their lives!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 3:19-25 One Act Of Faith

The king's pride and temper caused him to be enraged when the three Jewish men refused to bow down and he ordered them cast into the furnace.  The only thing affected was the ropes that bound them.  They were burned off, and Jesus Christ stood with them in the furnace in one of His pre-incarnate appearances.  

"Nebuchadnezzar affirmed the power of the God of Israel, the effectiveness of faith in Him, and the remarkable dedication of the three Jewish men who gave their bodies to the true God and not to the king's false god.  By one act of faith, the three Jewish men became witnesses of the true and living God to the entire Babylonian Empire!" my commentary said.

"The experience of the three must have greatly encouraged the faithful Jews and brought conviction to the Jews who were compromising with the enemy," it continued.  I guess I'd never thought about all of the other Jews who were in Babylon in captivity and aware of what was going on.

Father, please make my faith stronger.  I know You often do that through testing, and perhaps I'd rather not have more testing right now.  I want peace.  Please work that out for me.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 3:1-18 The Lord Is In Control -- There Is Nothing To Fear

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had their faith in God put to the test again.  They'd been tested when they first arrived as Daniel convinced their trainer to let them eat a vegetarian diet that didn't include the Babylonian meat which had been sacrificed to idols.  They had eventually been elevated to prestigious positions in the government.

But now Nebuchadnezzar's pride was causing them to endure another test.  He had erected a statue that every one of the leaders were required to worship.  They had to decide what they would do.

My commentary said, "The devil tempts us to destroy our faith, but God tests us to develop our faith, because a faith that can't be tested can't be trusted.  False faith withers in times of trial, but true faith takes deeper root, grows, and brings glory to God."

The heart of the king was filled with both pride and suspicion, and "he wanted to make sure that his people were loyal to him and that there would be no rebellion.

The hearts of the people were vascilating and so "the command was an easy one to obey, especially in light of the consequences."

The hearts of the three Jewish men were "confident that the Lord was in control and they had nothing to fear.  "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were men of faith but not men of presumption.  Had they affirmed that God would deliver them, that would have been presumption, because they didn't know what God had willed for the situation.  Instead, they stated that their God was able to deliver them, but even if He didn't, they still wouldn't fall down before the king's golden statue ... The three Hebrew men believed that God could deliver them, but they would trust Him even if He didn't.  That is how faith is supposed to operate in our lives."

Father, keep my faith like that.  You taught me with my first adoption to trust You.  Don't let me ever slip away from that sure belief.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 2:24-49 Our Hope Is In The Lord

God enabled Daniel to disclose to Nebuchadnezzar the contents of his recurring dream and also the meaning of the dream.  He learned that Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the first, strongest kingdom, and that three other weaker kingdoms would appear in the future before Christ would rule forever in His kingdom.  "It depicted what Jesus called 'the time of the Gentiles'," my commentary said.  The destruction of the statue in the dream by a rock which was pushed by an unseen hand indicated that God was the one who would set up the final kingdom by smashing all of the others.

The import messages were:

 -- God is in control of history

 -- Human enterprises decline as time goes on

 -- It will be difficult for things to hold together at the end of the age

 -- Jesus Christ will return, destroy His enemies, and establish His kingdom

"Our hope is not in laws, political alliances, or moral crusades. Our hope is in the Lord."

God distinguished His servants by enabling them to answer the king's questions and He lifted them up for their obedience.  And God received the glory!

Father, please enable me to spread Your glory as well.  Give me opportunities to tell about Your wonders and use those opportunities to help others come to You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 2:1-23 Taking Matters To The Lord In Prayer

King Nebuchadnezzar began having a recurring dream, sent by God, that distressed him.  "That the Lord God Almighty would communicate truth to a pagan Gentile king is evidence of the grace of God," my commentary said.  "The Lord in His wisdom planned to use His faithful servant Daniel to describe and interpret the dream, and in this way God's name would be glorified and Daniel and his friends would be honored and rewarded."

The king required that his counselors not only interpret the dream, but also disclose the dream to him.  That way he'd know that they weren't just trying to pacify him with kind words.  When none of his most trusted counselors could do that, he ordered all of his counselors killed.  The executioner came to Daniel and his friends and told them why he was there.  "By doing this and delaying his obedience, the executioner was risking his own life, but the officers in the palace had learned that the four Jewish men were trustworthy ... Arioch allowed Daniel time to speak to Nebuchadnezzar ... By faith, Daniel promised to show the king his dream AND the interpretation, for he knew that the Lord would answer prayer."

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)"

"Daniel's first response was to bless the Lord for hearing and answering their petitions ... When God's people today face a crisis, they need to follow the example of Daniel and his friends and take the matter to the Lord in prayer ... Psalm 50:15 says, 'Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.'"

Father God, please continue to lead me and remind me to seek You in prayer for guidance in every area of my life.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 1:17-21 Being A Part, But Apart

Daniel and his three friends had to study and apply themselves, but God gave them skill to learn the material, discernment to understand it, and wisdom to know how to apply it and relate it to God's truth, my commentary said.

Some question whether they should have been trained in the astrology and pagan religion of the Babylonians.  My commentary said, "By understanding the mind-set of the Babylonian people, especially the king's magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, Daniel and his three friends were better able to show them the superiority of God's wisdom ... Going into all the world includes going to our pagan campuses and letting our lights shine."

"The events recorded in this chapter should be a great encouragement to us when we experience trials and testings and become discouraged, for when God is not allowed to rule, He overrules.  God is still on the throne and will never leave us nor forsake us."

"Are you in a place of responsibility and wondering how long you can hold out?  Fear not, for the same God who enabled you and equipped you is able to make you continue until you complete the tasks that He has assigned you ... It gives you great delight to know that God is using you to influence others."

Father, I am still amazed that You chose me for this ministry to the youth I so love.  You placed that desire in my heart and I trust You to enable me to fulfill Your purposes and make a difference in their lives.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 1:1-16 Solving The Problems Of Life With God

"God would rather have His people living in shameful captivity in a pagan land than living like pagans in the Holy Land and disgracing His name ... It looked like a victory for the idols, but it was actually a victory for the Lord!  He kept His covenant with Israel and He fulfilled His promises ... How strange that God's own people didn't obey Him, but Nebuchadnezzar and the pagan Babylonian army did!  So wise and powerful is our God that He can permit men and women to make personal choices and still accomplish His purposes in this world.  When He isn't permitted to rule, He will overrule, but His will shall ultimately be done and His name glorified.  We worship and serve a sovereign God who is never caught by surprise," my commentary began.

"Daniel and his three friends were transformers:  instead of being changed, they did the changing.  God used them to transform the minds of powerful rulers and to bring great glory to His name in a pagan land ... they gave themselves wholly to the Lord ... then they were gracious toward those in authority."

"When it comes to solving the problems of life, we must ask God for the courage to face the problem humbly and honestly, the wisdom to understand it, the strength to do what He tells us to do, and the faith to trust Him to do the rest.  Our motive must be the glory of God and not finding a way of escape."

Father, direct me in this new path and help me have the time to do all that You would have me do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 4 -- God Still Writes The Last Chapter

My commentary entitled this chapter "Love Finds A Way".  It said, "The Book of Ruth opens with three funerals but closes with a wedding ... Not all of life's stories have this kind of happy ending; but this little book reminds us that, for the Christian, God still writes the last chapter.  We don't have to be afraid of the future."

The marks of the redeemer:  "Not everyone could perform the duties of a kinsman-redeemer.  To begin with, he had to be a near relative ... Boaz was a type of Christ ... He had to become related to us before He could redeem us.  He became flesh and blood so He could die for us on the cross."

"The kinsman-redeemer also had to be able to pay the redemption price.  Ruth and Naomi were too poor to redeem themselves, but Boaz had all the resources necessary to set them free.  When it comes to the redemption of sinners, nobody but Jesus Christ is rich enough to pay the price."

"There was a third qualification:  "The kinsman redeemer had to be willing to redeem ... The nearer kinsman had the money, but not the motivation.  He was afraid he would jeopardize his own family's inheritance."

 

My commentary described this as "the great transaction that would ultimately involve the coming of the Son of God into the world."  We never know what God will be up to regarding us!"

Ruth's baby, Obed, would bring blessing to Israel.  "Obed was the grandfather of King David ... The greatest privilege God gave him was that of being the ancestor of the Messiah.  David wanted to build a house for God, but God told him He would build a house (family) for David."

Father, help me to wait on You.  I know You directed me to Ukraine for good reasons.  I can't wait to see what You'll someday be doing with all that.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 3:6-18 Sit Still

"One evidence of your trust will be your willingness to sit still and let Him have His way," my commentary said.

Ruth had prepared to meet Boaz to ask him to be their kinsman-redeemer.  Now she submitted to him, following a known custom of becoming a foot-warmer for the one who would hopefully redeem the family from poverty.  It was an unmistakable request for the kinsman-redeemer to take her in marriage in order to redeem the family property.

Boaz likely thought he was out of the running for the job of being Ruth's husband, for Ruth was young and beautiful and there were eligible young bachelors in Bethlehem.  But God had set Ruth's eyes on Boaz.

Ruth listened to Boaz -- "In the responses of Boaz to Ruth, we see how the Lord responds to us when we seek to have a deeper fellowship with Him.  God accepts us and assures us.  "Our assurance is not in our feelings or our circumstances, but in His Word," my commentary said.

Ruth received gifts from Boaz.  "Ruth's faith and obedience had brought about a complete transformation in their lives, and now they were living by grace."

Ruth waited for Boaz to work.  There was another kinsman-redeemer closer in line than Boaz, and this man had to be consulted first.  It would be easy for Ruth to start feeling anxious about the process.  The words she heard were, "Sit still."  "He is God, and His hands can accomplish the impossible.  Our hands may get in the way and make things worse."

Father, help me not to second guess what You may be doing in my life.  Lead me and help me to wait on You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 3:1-5 Preparation For Meeting God

"Like Ruth, we must not be satisfied merely with living on leftovers, or even receiving gifts.  We must want Him alone, for when we have Him, we also have all that He owns.  It's not the gifts that we seek, but the Giver," my commentary began.

The focus in these five verses was the preparation Ruth needed before she presented herself to Boaz.  

First, she washed herself.  "If we want to enter into a deeper relationship with our Lord, we must 'cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'  Whenever we sin, we must pray, 'Wash me.' ... We must separate ourselves from whatever defiles us and grieves the Father.

Second, she anointed herself.  "Anointing oil speaks of the presence and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives ... If the spotless Son of God needed the Spirit's power, how much more do we?"

Third, she changed clothes.  "We can't come into God's presence in our own righteousness ... we can only come in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for we are 'accepted in the beloved.'"

Fourth, Ruth prepared herself by learning how to present herself to him.  "The Old Testament priests knew how to approach God because He gave them instructions in the law.  New Testament Christians know how to approach God because in the Word He has told us what is required ... We have no right to alter the principles of approach that God laid down."

Fifth, Ruth promised to obey.  "She was not only a hearer of the Word, but she was a doer.  A willingness to obey the Lord is the secret of knowing what He wants us to do and being blessed when we do it.... The will of God is not a cafeteria where we can pick and choose what we want.  God expects us to accept all that He plans for us and to obey Him completely."

Father, thank You for again showing me that I have to make sure I am ready to hear from You and that I must rid myself of everything that stands between us.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 2:17-23 The Restoration Of Hope

Naomi had been consumed with bitterness, but now that Ruth had met Boaz, Naomi experienced blessedness.  A real heart change had taken place "because of the new hope she had ... and the one who gave her that new hope was Boaz ... because of who Boaz was -- a kinsman redeemer; because of what Boaz did -- he showed kindness to Ruth;  because of what Boaz had said -- revealing his love for Ruth," my commentary said.

"Should not we who believe in Jesus Christ rejoice in hope?  When you consider who He is, what He has done for us, and what He says to us in His Word, there is no reason for us to feel hopeless.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He has died for us, and now He intercedes for us in heaven.  In His Word, He has given us exceedingly great and precious promises that can never fail.  No matter how you may feel today, no matter how difficult your circumstances may be, you can rejoice in hope if you will focus your faith on Jesus Christ," my commentary concluded.

Father, thank You.  I needed this word today.  I needed my hope restored.  Just in time, as always!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 2:1-16 Rewards Of Living By Faith

My commentary said:  "If we want God to work in our lives and circumstances and accomplish His gracious purposes, then there are certain conditions that we must meet.  These conditions are illustrated in Ruth's experiences in this chapter:  We must live by faith in the Lord, we must live by the grace of God, and we must live in hope."

"When we commit our lives to the Lord, what happens to us happens by way of appointment and not by accident.  Ruth was still a poor widow and an alien, but God was about to create a new relationship that would completely alter her circumstances ... Like Ruth, the lost sinner is outside the covenant family of God, bankrupt, with no claim on God's mercy.  But God took the initiative and provided a way for us to enter His family through faith in Jesus Christ," it continued.

There were many evidences of God's grace in this chapter:  "Boaz took the initiative, he spoke to Ruth, he promised to protect her and provide for her needs, he encouraged Ruth, and he saw to it that she was satisfied."

"Ruth neither looked back at her tragic past nor did she look at herself and consider her sorry plight.  She fell at the feet of the master and submitted herself to him.  She looked away from her poverty and focused on his riches.  She forgot her fears and rested on his promises ... He wasn't ashamed to be identified with her."  And God does the same with us.

Father, thanks for reminding me of what You've done for me and how You have brought me near to You.  As I work with my students, help me to do the same with them.  Let them see You through me. 

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 1:19-22 New Beginnings To End Bitterness

My commentary called this section "Bitterness:  Blaming God For Our Trials".  Naomi and Ruth left the graves of their husbands as they left Moab and headed back to Bethlehem where they were greeted warmly by friends who apparently had stayed there during the ten-year drought.

"We can't control the circumstances of life, but we can control how we respond to them.  That's what faith is all about, daring to believe that God is working everything for our good even when we don't feel like it or see it happening.  'In everything give thanks' isn't always easy to obey, but obeying this command is the best antidote against a bitter and critical spirit," it said.

Naomi believed that she had nothing to her name, but my commentary said she had her life, new opportunities surrounded by friends, her daughter-in-law Ruth, and Jehovah, the God of Israel!  "Naomi was about to make a new beginning, for with God, it's never too late to start over again."

Father, I thank You this morning so much for the new beginning You've blessed me with as a teacher.  Thank You for the opportunity to build up the lives of my students all week, not just on Wednesday nights.  Thank You for renewed friendships and new friendships with my fellow teachers, but most of all, thank You for being in charge of all this and for setting it all up when I was totally unaware it might ever happen!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford