THE LORD SPOKE (December 03)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Daniel 6

First there was the whole thing with Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1-4). Then Belshazzar (Dan. 5). Now Darius (Dan. 6). Was Daniel getting tired of this wicked king business?

Then, there was the matter of the wise guys. Oops...the wise men. In this case all the “royal administrators, prefects, advisers, and governors” (vs. 7) got together in their jealous opposition to Daniel. That’s pretty impressive. All those enemies and not one could find anything wrong with Daniel. They had to create an outlandish law to get him to break it (6:5,7).

Do you think they slept well that night? “We finally got Daniel put away. Now maybe we can get on with our wickedness and deception.” If so, not the next. Twenty-four hours later, positions had changed and they were on their way to talking to Daniel’s God themselves. They were about to give account to their Creator.

Daniel seems so calm through the whole affair. In fact, the most nervous person in the crowd is King Darius. Do you suppose he was aware of the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar? He should have been. As their successor, he surely must have known what came of their royal administrations. Is that reflected in his proclamation (vs. 25-27)?

1. There’s only one real God.
2. Every other kingdom is temporary.
3. We better follow Him.

Pretty simple but we didn’t learn much. The prayer we’d really like to hear is Daniel’s, somewhere between verse 16 and verse 21. Wouldn’t you like to eavesdrop on the conversation between Daniel and the angel throughout that night. With the background sounds of purring kittens, Daniel must have been asking lots of questions. Questions like...

• How much longer will this go on?
• When will we get to go back to Jerusalem?
• This government is so messed up - what’s going to happen to us?
• Will I live to see the Messiah?
• What does the future hold?
• Tell me more about God.

Do you suppose that’s where he received some of the information that fills the second half of his book?


Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3 contains several “do nots” that will greatly assist you in your pursuit of wisdom. They will help you “win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:4).

vs. 3 - do not forget my teaching - There needs to be a conscious plan (like a daily Bible reading chart) and a disciplined approach to the study of Scripture for this to happen. We tend to forget all too easily.

vs. 7 - do not be wise in your own eyes - Keep reading. “Fearing the Lord and “shunning evil” go hand-in-hand and they’re closely related to our attitude toward wealth. Honor God in this area and He will give you health, nourishment, and abundant supply.

vs. 11 - do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke - Our heavenly Father knows best. His discipline is always intended to improve and strengthen us. His rebukes are course corrections that bring us back to straight paths.

vs. 21 - do not let [sound judgment and discernment] out of your sight - Those paths will take us safely through the many pitfalls that crowd the way. The sound judgment that comes from active training in God’s Word will strengthen our ankles and keep our feet from tripping.

vs. 27 - do not withhold good from those who deserve it - There follows a quick series of examples to illustrate how this might be applied (not the four additional “do nots” in vs. 28-31). It brings to mind the repeated instructions in Paul’s letter to Titus. We need to be...

Tit. 2:14 - eager to do what is good
Tit. 3:1 - ready to do whatever is good
Tit. 3:8 - careful to devote ourselves to doing what is good
Tit. 3:14 - learn to devote ourselves to doing what is good

Don’t let those who abuse the idea of good works, rob you of this biblical truth. Good works are not instrumental but they are evidential. Or, as James would say it, good works won’t get you into heaven but you won’t be in heaven without good works for they are the proof of genuine faith (Jas. 2:14-26).

This then is the way of wisdom and it is pleasing to both God and man.