Category: Prayer

Is Anyone Suffering?

Posted on by scott

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. – James 5:13

Wise Guy

The Book of James is often referred to as the Proverbs of the New Testament.  In this short Book, James, the half brother of Jesus, focuses on practical Christian living.  Under the conviction that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), James encourages Christians to live like Christians.  He is not interested in mere words; he desires action.  According to James we must not deceive ourselves.  We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22-23).

For James, if our faith doesn’t result in real life change, it is a worthless faith.  Using very sobering words, James reminds us that even the demons believe in God and shudder (James 2:19), but their “faith” isn’t going to save them.  In fact, he likens such faith to a body without a spirit (James 2:26).  Dead.

James isn’t simply speaking in theoretical terms.  He once walked the path of unbelief.  Before the resurrection of Jesus, James did not believe that his half brother was the Messiah (John 7:6).  In fact, before James’ spiritual eyes were opened, he might have been among those who thought Jesus was “out of His mind” (Mark 3:21).  But James would soon come around!

Wisdom may come in small steps, but it always takes the path of prayer (James 1:5).

Oh Brother

James may not have been a believer during the life of Jesus, but you would have to suspect that living with Him under the same roof for the better part of three decades would have left an impression on him.  While the sinless nature of Christ may have been rather convicting at times, James must have certainly been moved by the humility, selflessness and sincere love of Jesus.

How much of the Angelic encounters and the unique birth of Jesus did Joseph and Mary share with their other children?  Certainly they heard rumors that Jesus was conceived out of wedlock (John 8:41).  How would James reconcile the claims of his parents and the “evidence” offered by the skeptics?

James may not have been a believer during the life of his half brother, but his cynicism was no match for the death and resurrection of Jesus.  After the resurrected Christ appeared to James (1 Cor. 15:7), there was no going back.  James was no longer a doubting half brother; he was forever to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1).

Suffering

James addresses his book to the Jews who are dispersed.  The twelve tribes were subjected to great trials, so accordingly, James encourages them to look at the positive aspects of their suffering.  In fact he tells them to count it all joy.

I have written so often about suffering that I was reluctant to do so again.  But unfortunately it is a subject we cannot get away from.  We are surrounded by so many hurting people.  Friends who have lost a baby.  Coworkers who have lost a spouse.  A classmate who was just diagnosed with stage four cancer.  The trials are never ending.  Sadly, for many, the suffering is most intense during the Christmas season.

In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens reminds us that during the Christmas season, “Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.” Those that lack are reminded of their lack and those that have will revel in their abundance.  For many, it is hard to be joyous when there is an empty chair at the feast.  The lights lose their glimmer and the music isn’t as uplifting without our loved ones to share them with.  For many that have so long rejoiced in abundance, want is difficult to embrace.

Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.

Prayer

Doesn’t James’ advice seem like an oversimplification? He doesn’t tell the suffering to get counseling.  He doesn’t tell them to take a drug, or in his day grab the wine bottle.  Nor does he tell them to record their feelings in a journal. No mention is made of a self help group or group therapy.  James’ primary concern for the suffering is to go to Heaven’s throne in prayer.

As is evidenced by his epistle, James believed in the power of prayer.  And He modeled what he preached.  Because of his piety, James was often referred to as “James the Just.”  Because of his prayer life, he became known as “The Man with Camel’s Knees.”

As he interceded on behalf of the saints, James would pray on his knees.  Because he spent so much time kneeling in prayer, his knees became calloused like a camel’s.

Why would James spend so much time in prayer?  Why would he encourage those that are suffering to pray?  James understood the test of trials.  He understood that suffering is much greater than an empty chair at the table and it’s corresponding emotions.  Although James has a lot to say about suffering and prayer, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture.  Ultimately, James is concerned about faith.  Real faith.  Faith that perseveres.

Faith

It is easy to celebrate Christmas when all is well.  It is easy to praise God when we are being showered by His blessings.  But how do we respond when we are faced with our first Christmas without a loved one?  How real is our faith when we have to bury a child?  I am not trying to be insensitive. These are tests we have personally faced and are facing now.  This is real life.  This is exactly what James is writing about.

The sharp edges of real life are often used to expose real faith.  Or the lack thereof.

Before he tells the suffering to pray, James warns his audience not to swear.  Not to make oaths.  It appears, in the context, that James is promoting prayer as an alternative to swearing.  Ultimately, our suffering fleshes out our unbelief or our faith.  James understands the spiritual implications.

Because he has seen the resurrected Christ, James encourages us to pray.  Like wisdom, faith often comes in small steps.  But in His wisdom, God grows it by taking it through the fire of suffering, and not around it.

Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.  Not that God would remove the suffering, but that we would have the strength to endure it.  When suffering comes your way don’t shake your fist at God.  Don’t blame Him for being unfair.  Humble yourself and get on your knees and approach His throne in prayer.

Save your fists for clinging to your Faith.  In the final analysis it is the most precious possession you have.  And may you rejoice in your Abundance this Christmas.

As James can testify, that Babe in the manger rose from the dead.  That is the foundation of our Faith.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12

A Mother’s Prayer

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5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. – 2 Timothy 1:5

Sincere Faith

The Apostle Paul once referred to Satan as the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4).  Satan, the father of lies, has spawned a worldview that is leading many people to Hell.  According to Paul, Satan has blinded the unbelieving so that they can not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.  Having successfully veiled the Gospel from those who are perishing, he has been embraced by the them as their god.

As Paul writes to Timothy, his spiritual son (1 Timothy 1:2), he commends him for his faith.  A faith that Paul says is sincere.  In Paul’s estimation Timothy’s faith was unfeigned and untainted with hypocrisy.  It was a faith that could withstand testing.  It was a faith that flowed from the wellspring of a regenerated heart.

Although Paul referred to Timothy as his spiritual son, his sincere faith actually came from two Godly women.  Women who did not embrace the god of this world but faithfully embraced the Gospel of the glory of Christ.

Believing Mothers

Today’s text is the only portion of Scripture that mentions the names of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.  Two Jewish ladies who embraced the Christian faith.  All we are told about Timothy’s biological father is that he was a Greek (Acts 16:1).  In contrast to his wife, Scriptures do not tell us that Timothy’s father believed the Gospel.

Being raised in a home with the guidance of a Jewish grandmother and mother who embraced Christianity and a Greek father who did not must have presented certain challenges. I suspect young Timothy loved each of his parents as well as his grandmother, but how did he reconcile the differences in their teachings and lifestyles?

Thankfully, Lois and Eunice used the Scriptures to pierce Satan’s veil.

 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 3:14-15

I suspect that a feigned faith cannot be passed down since it would most likely produce rebellion.  But how comforting to know that God’s profitable Word, when used for training, yields a sincere faith (2 Timothy 3:16).  And how much more powerful is the training when it is bathed in a mother’s prayers?

History Lessons

People like to remind us that “behind every great man is a great woman”.  Certainly, when we look at the history of the Christian church we will see that behind many of its great men were mothers who were faithful prayer warriors.

When we think of Augustine, we think of him as a Church “Father”, but how different things might have been if not for his mother Monica.  As a teenager, Augustine not only was unsaved, but he lived a life of open rebellion.  He not only fulfilled his lusts, but in time he also become involved with a heretical religious group (Manichaeism).  While Augustine’s father was battling his own demons, his mother was fervently praying for his salvation.

As Augustine pursued his pleasures, he ran from the influence of his mother.  Yet, regardless of how far he ran, he could not outrun Monica’s prayers.  And she was committed to wrestling with God until Augustine was saved.

Eventually, Monica had a dream that Augustine would be saved.  And years later, he was.  By the grace of God, Monica was allowed to live to see him baptized, soon after which she was taken home.  Content.

History is replete with many such accounts.  The biographies of men such as John Newton, Hudson Taylor, Charles Spurgeon, John and Charles Wesley and others give powerful testimonies of the way their lives were shaped because of the influence of their Godly mothers.  Mothers who were selflessly devoted to praying for the souls of their children.

Love Lessons

How powerful is love?  What is more powerful than the perfect love of God?  Heavenly love sent Jesus to earth and Cavalry.  Sincere love for others is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:8).  True love never ends (1 Cor. 13:8).

The Bible certainly has a lot to say about love.  Unfortunately the “god” of this world likes to distort our perception of Biblical love.  But when I compare scriptures with life’s experiences I have to wonder:  This side of heaven is there a better picture of God’s love for us than a mother’s love for her children?

When God wanted to illustrate His love for the Israelites, He posed this question.

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? – Isaiah 49:15

God understands that humanity recognizes the tender love of a mother for her children.  A love we must never take for granted.

No Quit

Too often we see children dismiss the teachings of their mothers.  We often see disrespect manifested in facial expressions such as rolled eyes or condescending verbal responses.   Like Augustine, children may disregard the admonishments of their mothers, but escaping the reach of their prayers is another matter.

Once, when Jesus tried to get away from the crowds to relax with His disciples, He was barraged by the requests of a mother.  A mother whose child was a victim of one of Satan’s demons.  Her mother’s heart could not bear to see her child suffering.

This woman was Greek, and not Jewish, but a mother’s love for her children is part of her nature irrespective of nationality.  Because of her faith, Jesus eventually granted the mother’s request and healed her daughter (Mark 7:24-30).

Similarly, Jesus taught the importance of persisting in prayer when He told the parable of the widow and the judge in Luke chapter 18.  Although the judge in the parable did not fear God or respect man, he could not endure the persistent requests of the widow and eventually gave her justice.  Always pray and never give up!

Rewards

I am thankful for the special God given love of a mother for her children.  I am convinced that we will never know the extent to which the world has been influenced by Godly mothers until we reach Heaven.  And I am confident of one thing, Hell has been denied a lot of citizens because of the faithful, persistent prayers of believing mothers.  Mothers like Lois, Eunice, Monica, Elizabeth Newton, Amelia Taylor, Eliza Spurgeon, and Susanna Wesley.

Keep the faith.  The world may not know your name, but God remembers your prayers.

I am not trying to diminish the sovereignty of God, but He does use humans to carry out His will.  Accordingly, I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt He uses the faithful prayers of His children in bringing lost sheep into the fold.  I am even more convinced, that the most urgent prayers for the lost fall from the lips of mothers.  Lips that pray for their children as Hannah prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:9-11).

Never give up on your children.  Never stop pleading with God.  Our loving Heavenly Father has a long history of granting the requests of loving Godly mothers.  It was His perfect plan to plant within mothers such a special love in the first place.  How many Saints in Heaven will testify that the father of lies was thwarted by a mother’s prayers?

Spurgeon Quotes

“It was the custom on Sunday evenings, while we were yet little children, for her to stay at home with us, and then we sat round the table, and read verse by verse, and she explained the Scripture to us. After that was done, then came the time of pleading; there was a little piece of Alleine’s Alarm, or of Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted, and this was read with pointed observations made to each of us as we sat round the table; and the question was asked, how long it would be before we would think about our state, how long before we would seek the Lord. Then came a mother’s prayer, and some of the words of that prayer we shall never forget, even when our hair is grey.”  Charles Spurgeon

“Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.” Eliza Spurgeon

“Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother. Certainly I have not the powers of speech with which to set forth my valuation of the choice blessing which the Lord bestowed on me in making me the son of one who prayed for me, and prayed with me. How can I ever forget her tearful eye when she warned me to escape from the wrath to come?… How can I ever forget when she bowed her knee, and with her arms about my neck, prayed, ‘Oh, that my son might live before Thee!’” – Charles Spurgeon

Taylor Quote

“My beloved, now sainted mother, had come over to Liverpool to see me off. Never shall I forget that day, nor how she went with me into the cabin that was to be my home for nearly six long months. With a mother’s loving hand she smoothed the little bed. She sat by my side and joined in the last hymn we should sing together before parting. We knelt down and she prayed—the last mother’s prayer I was to hear before leaving for China. Then notice was given that we must separate, and we had to say good-bye, never expecting to meet on earth again.

For my sake she restrained her feelings as much as possible. We parted, and she went ashore giving me her blessing. I stood alone on deck, and she followed the ship as we moved toward the dockgates. As we passed through the gates and the separation really commenced, never shall I forget the cry of anguish wrung from that mother’s heart. It went through me like a knife. I never knew so fully, until then, what “God so loved the world” meant. And I am quite sure my precious mother learned more of the love of God for the perishing in that one hour than in all her life before.”  Hudson Taylor

Augustine Quote

“You sent down your help from above and rescued my soul from the depths of this darkness because my mother, your faithful servant, wept to you for me, shedding more tears for my spiritual death than other mothers shed for the bodily death of a son.”  Augustine

Grabbing Ankles & Grappling With God

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3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
    and in his manhood he strove with God. – Hosea 12:3

Empty Hands

Over and over we see the Prophets pleading with the Jewish people.  Hosea is no exception.  As a matter of fact, Hosea’s relationship with an unfaithful wife mirrored God’s relationship with unfaithful Israel.  Involved in such a relationship, Hosea must have intimately felt the pain of God’s heart as he penned His Words.  Words that begged for repentance and return.

As Hosea begins chapter twelve, he gives us a glimpse of the vanity of the Jewish people.  According to verse one, they were guilty of feeding on the wind and chasing the east wind and at the same time making treaties with Egypt and Assyria.  In other words, with one hand they were worshiping idols, and with the other hand they were shunning God and placing their trust for protection on mortal men.

Instead of holding onto God, both hands were empty.  How do you bless others with empty hands?

Deceiving Hands

Rather than having empty hands, the Israelites could learn a lesson from their namesake Israel, or as Hosea refers to him in this passage, Jacob.  Abraham may be the father of the Jewish nation, but it was Jacob who “built” the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 46:8-27).  Although Jacob had many faults, his offspring could still learn from his life, whether in the womb or in the mud.

Hosea reminds the Jewish people that while still in the womb Jacob took his brother by the heel.  Genesis chapter twenty-five tells us that while yet in the womb, Jacob and his twin brother jostled each other.  Obviously, Jacob could not have known or understood what he was doing in utero, but his action was indicative of his nature and God’s plans.  As he was born, Jacob was grasping his twin brother Esau’s heal, hence he was given the name Jacob which means “he grasps the heal”.  Not exactly flattering as this is simply another way of saying someone is a deceiver, trickster or cheater.  A title that fit Jacob well.

A Life of Deceipt

Jacob was good at using his cunning to get what he wanted.  As Genesis tells us, Jacob “purchased” his elder brother’s birthright for a bowl of red stew (Genesis 25:27-34).  Certainly, the bargain was foolish of Esau, but I’m not sure how ethical it was of Jacob to bargain with his brother who claimed to be starving.  But Jacob and Esau were never a model of brotherly love.

Later, Jacob would deceive his father Isaac to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27).  Again, food was involved.  With the assistance of his mother Rebekah, Jacob prepared a favorite meal for his aging father (substituting young goats for wild game).  With goatskins on his hands and his brother’s clothes on his back, Jacob deceived his visually impaired father.  When questioned by his father, Jacob actually lied to him in order to get Isaac to give him the blessing intended for his firstborn Esau.

When Esau learned of his “stolen” blessing he lamented,“Is he not rightly named Jacob?  For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing” (Genesis 27:36a).  Being twice victimized by the heal grabber, Esau vowed to kill Jacob once their father was deceased.  Fearing for the life of her favorite son, Rebekah sent Jacob away to her brother Laban.

The Bargain at Bethel

After leaving Beersheba to make his journey to Haran, Jacob stopped to rest at sunset.  As he laid on the ground with a stone for his pillow, he had a “vision” from God.  In his dream, he saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth.  The angels of God were ascending and descending this ladder.  Standing over the ladder was the LORD, who then spoke to Jacob.

As Jacob dreamed, the LORD renewed the covenant he had made with Abraham and Isaac.  The land on which Jacob was resting would belong to Jacob and his descendants.  Further, Jacob was assured that his offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth.  And not only would his offspring be great in number, they would also spread to the west and east and north and south.  But not only would Jacob’s offspring be blessed, God also promised that in Jacob and his offspring all the families of the earth would be blessed (remember the empty hands?).  But God wasn’t done.

After making the promises to Jacob, God assured him that His presence would not leave Jacob.  He would accompany him and protect him and bring him safely back to this place (Bethel).  God would be Jacob’s ever-present guide until all of His promises were fulfilled.  But Jacob isn’t like God.  The heal grabber’s commitment came with contingencies; IF.  IF God will protect me.  IF God will feed me.  IF God will clothe me.  IF God will bring me back to my father’s house in peace.  THEN the LORD shall be my God.  THEN I will turn this stone I am using as a pillow into His house and give back a tenth of everything He has given to me.  Do I smell red stew and young goats?  Regardless, God recognized it as a vow (Genesis 31:13).

Deceiving a Deceiver

After his “bargain” with God, Jacob continued his journey east.  Finally, he came to the home of his uncle Laban, a man after his own deceitful heart.  Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel.  Jacob loved Rachel and agreed to work seven years for Laban for the right to marry her.  When the time finally arrived for the marriage to be consummated, Laban deceived Jacob by exchanging Leah for Rachel.  No one likes being deceived, especially a deceiver.

Jacob would have to serve Laban another seven years for Rachel.  As he worked for his uncle, their relationship was often strenuous.  Numerous times Laban changed Jacob’s wages.  According to Jacob’s complaint recorded in Genesis chapter 31, Laban cheated him and changed his wages ten times.  But who’s counting?  Esau charged Jacob with cheating him twice, Jacob charges Laban with cheating him ten times.  When you play in the realm of deceit, what goes around definitely comes around.

Tired of being deceived by Laban, Jacob decided to play the last trick by stealing away with his family and possessions and heading back to Canaan and his family.

Grappling With God

Jacob had enough of haggling with his Uncle Laban.  He was wary of his deceit and couldn’t wait to get away.  But the prospect of returning home wasn’t so pleasant either.  He didn’t exactly leave his family on the best of terms as he was fleeing for his life.  So now he was fleeing from Laban who had deceived him numerous times only to face his brother Esau whom he had deceived.  Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Always the schemer, Jacob made a plan in hopes of appeasing Esau.  He hoped to soften him, with bribery, before he actually met him face to face.  Where was his faith in God?  Didn’t God promise He would be with him and protect him?  He left his home alone and now he is returning with a family and great possessions.  Hadn’t God upheld His end of the “bargain”?

It was time once again to be alone with God.

At the ford of Jabbok, Jacob was finally broken in the mud.  All night long this deceiver wrestled with his covenant keeping God.  All night long this self-reliant man exhausted his strength against the omnipotent.  All night long this blessing “stealer” begged for a blessing.  “Unable” to prevail against his strength, God put Jacob’s hip out of joint.  Still unwilling to let go without a blessing, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “strives with God” or “God strives”.  The heal grabber was now a God “striver”.  God strengthened Jacob by weakening him.

Jacob’s God

It is time to heed Hosea’s words.  It is time to stop the vanity.  It is time to repent and return.  No more feeding on the wind.  No more futile treaties.  The world’s idols and the world’s Egypts are nothing but air.  Worse, they are an affront to God.  Why do we try so desperately to hold onto them?

Before Jacob was even born, God had great plans for him.  From the womb to the grave, God accompanied Jacob.  He made a covenant with him and He kept His word.  Jacob was blessed with the land and the offspring God promised him.  To this day, all the families of the world are blessed through Jacob and his offspring.

The lessons of Jacob ultimately point to his God.  His God who chose him.  His God who decided to make him a great nation.  His God who gave him natural strength.   His God who accompanied him and protected him until all of His promises to him were fulfilled.  His God who was patient with him and his deceitful ways.  His God who wrestled with him in his hour of need and made him even stronger by weakening him.  His God who blessed him and changed him from a “deceiver of men” to a “wrestler of God”.  Jacob entered the mud of Jabbok a proud man.  Israel left the mud of Jabbok with a limp.  A limp that would forever remind him that man is strongest when holding onto God.  With both hands.

Jacob’s God is your God.  He has loved you from eternity past.  He has blessed you and wants to bless others through you.  But how can we bless others with empty hands?  It is time to let go of the world and take hold of God.  With the tenacity of Jacob, resolve not to let go until God has “blessed” you; again and again.  But beware.  Wrestling with God can be exhausting.  It can be painful.  But best of all, Israel’s limp reminds us that it will always be life changing.

It is time to get on bended knees and take hold of God.  And never let go.  You know He never will.

8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God… – Joshua 23:8

Manasseh’s Entreaty

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12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. – Second Chronicles 33:12-13

Evil Ahab

A few days ago, we looked at the Ahab and Jezebel, the original Bonnie and Clyde.  If you remember, God’s assessment of Ahab wasn’t so good.

33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. – 1 Kings 16:33

Ahab’s father was King Omri.  According to 1 Kings, Omri did more evil than all the kings before him.  And then came Ahab.  As mentioned before, Ahab married the wicked gentile Jezebel who was steeped in idolatry and was infamous for her hatred of the God of Israel.  They not only practiced and promoted idolatry but at every turn, they seemed to do something evil.  Including murder.  When it comes to leadership, King Ahab set a very low bar.  But he was outdone by Manasseh who lowered the bar even more.


Evil Manasseh

Unlike Ahab, Manasseh had a godly example in his father.  Manasseh was a son of King Hezekiah, who was a good king famous for his reforms as he tried to rid the land of idolatry.  Unfortunately, King Manasseh undid many of his father’s works.

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.” – 2 Kings 21:1-7

This account of Manasseh’s reign is appalling.  Manasseh was not content to wallow in sin alone, rather he encouraged his subjects to do the same.  He not only practiced idolatry, he promoted it and actually practiced it in the house of the Lord.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, he actually burned his own son as a sacrifice to his idols.  The text goes on to tell us that Manasseh was involved in the occult, using fortune-telling and omens and dealing with mediums and necromancers.  Satan apparently had a firm grip on King Manasseh, and his evil provoked the Lord to anger.

9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel. – 2 Kings 21:9

16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. – 2 Kings 21:16

Manasseh was evil.  He was cruel.  He sinned against his Creator and encouraged Judah to do the same.  He killed his son.  He killed others filling Jerusalem with blood.  Satan had him in his grips.  But God wasn’t done with him.

Manasseh’s Entreaty

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. – 2 Chronicles 10-13

The arrogant Manasseh was humbled.  Captured and placed in chains, he finally comes to his senses.  He doesn’t turn to Asherah.  He doesn’t turn to Baal.  He doesn’t consult the mediums or necromancers.  No.  In his distress, he humbles himself and entreats the favor of the Lord his God.  Only God can free man from Satan’s chains.

God’s Condescension

During the Civil War era, E.M. Bounds was writing about prayer.  His books are still popular today.  One of his main premises was that our prayers are so powerful because they move the hand of our all-powerful God.   I am not sure how that works with the sovereignty of God, but what amazes me about this account is that the prayer of Manasseh moved the heart of God.  Look closely at the text.  It says he prayed to God, and God was moved by his entreaty.  Moved by the prayer of the wicked Manessah?  Yes.  As a king, Manessah may have set the bar low, but not to low for God to reach him.  I am always amazed at the condescension of God.  Most of us would have given up on Manessah.  But not God.

Mannesah’s entreaty should be an encouragement to us.  Despite his evil past, he had hope for the future.  Although his sins angered God, his prayer moved God, and God acted on his behalf.  Mannesah the idolator learned that the Lord was God.  A God who is moved when we humble ourselves before Him.

Hezekiah’s Bravery

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Hezekiah
7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. – 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

Sennacherib was on a rampage.

As King of Assyria, he was on a military mission. His war campaign included attacks against Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah. (2 Kings 18:33-34) His victories over these cities emboldened him to attack Jerusalem. If the gods of these defeated cities could not save them, what hope did Jerusalem have? Certainly, the gods of these cities were more powerful than the God of Jerusalem.  Like a cat playing with a mouse, Sennacherib toyed with Jerusalem.

While Hezekiah was trying to encourage his people and give them confidence, Sennacherib was practicing psychological warfare.  He sent men to Jerusalem with a message undermining the leadership of Hezekiah.  Sennacherib wanted to arouse discontent with Hezekiah.  He accused him of being an abusive leader looking out for his own interests. Specifically, Hezekiah was charged with heresy, forced labor, deception, and endangering the lives of his subjects.

Sennacherib didn’t only attack King Hezekiah’s reputation, he also attacked Judah’s God.

Sennacherib not only wanted to instill discontent with the king, he wanted to instill fear by causing doubt about the power of God. No god has stopped me yet, why do you think your God will be any different?

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’” – 2 Chronicles 32:13-15

Can you hear Satan’s roar behind Sennacherib’s taunts?

Our metal is tested when the enemy comes roaring.  In this case, the army is surrounding with the intent to lay siege.  Outside is a powerful enemy who knows how to fight, and how to use dissension and fear to weaken an enemy.  The cat playing with the mouth is a lion who shows off his teeth when he roars.  These tactics may have been effective against his other opponents, but Hezekiah wasn’t conceding.  Sennacherib may be powerful, but his is an arm of flesh.  His horde may be large, but we have God on our side.  Despite the blasphemy of Sennacherib, our all-powerful God is more than able to defeat any enemy.  Including Sennacherib.

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or dismayed.  With these simple words from King Hezekiah, the people took confidence.  But Hezekiah didn’t just give them comforting words.  He took action.

20 Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. – 2 Chronicles 32:20

While Sennacherib was employing psychological warfare, Hezekiah was going before the throne of God.  And he did not approach God alone, he prayed with the prophet Isaiah.  I know we are not supposed to worship our fellow man, but I sure would have felt some comfort just hearing Isaiah pray for deliverance.  Just as the people found confidence in the words of their king, Hezekiah found confidence in the prayers of the Prophet Isaiah.  And Isaiah’s confidence was in God, the ultimate source of Hezekiah’s bravery.

Hezekiah knew Sennacherib’s army was powerful, but not as powerful as prayer.

While the mighty enemy is without, we have the privilege of addressing the Almighty God of Heaven.  Sennacherib was right about one thing. The battle really isn’t fair.  An arm of flesh is nothing before Yahweh.  Sennacherib’s horde was no match for God’s angels.

21 And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. 22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. – 2 Chronicles 32:21-22

35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. – 2 Kings 19:35

One angel comes down from Heaven and 185,000 men are struck down.

Sennacherib goes home without shooting an arrow, just as the Lord promised (2 Kings 19:32). Sennacherib goes home and is later killed by his sons as he is worshipping Nisroch, his false god.  A god who was helpless when Sennacherib most needed him.

How sad it is that when Satan roars it is so much easier to see the arm of flesh than remember the God who helps us and fights our battles.  Hezekiah was far from being a perfect man, but we can learn from his bravery in this incident.  Despite the overwhelming size of the enemy and the fear they were trying to instill in his people, Hezekiah kept his focus on God, and encouraged his people to do the same.  But he did more than talk, he believed in the power of prayer.  Imagine what the people must have thought when they rose early in the morning and instead of seeing the enemy marching at them, they saw the enemy lying dead all around them.

Do you hear Satan roaring? Be strong and courageous. And pray. There are more with us than with him.

32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” – 2 Kings 19:32-33

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Daniel’s God

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“O Lord, the great and awesome God”.. – Daniel 9:4a

The Great Chasm

Before uttering these words in prayer, Daniel humbled himself with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  He was coming before the throne of God as a contrite sinner.  With a shamed face and a broken heart, he was seeking the mercy of His creator.  Recognizing the grossness of his sins and the purity of God, Daniel was well aware of the great chasm between them.  Daniel, an exile as a result of Israel’s disobedience to God’s commands, was reaching out to God who “keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

O Lord

Daniel had no disillusionment about what side of the covenant he was on.  He recognized God as King and he and the Israelites as the servants.  God’s right was to command, Daniel and the Israelites were expected to obey.  When he addresses God he does so with respect and reverence.   With veneration, Daniel pours out his heart to God.   Although they have “failed” God, Daniel knows God will never “fail” His children.  With this assurance, Daniel comes before the throne of God with confidence despite the great chasm between himself and his Holy God.

The Great

Daniel possessed more than an intellectual knowledge of God.  For decades Daniel experienced and witnessed the greatness of God.  Daniel not only witnessed the wrath of God in His judgment of Jerusalem but time and again He saw the hand of God work in miraculous ways.  Despite the powerful kings and nations that rose and fell during his lifetime, Daniel recognized the sovereignty of God orchestrating every event.  He could not only rest in the fact that God was in control, more importantly, he could approach and communicate with God.  While many had turned to idols, Daniel never wavered.  His faith was always anchored in God.  The True God whose wrath is balanced with perfect love and mercy.  The attributes that Daniel is now appealing to as he intercedes on behalf of his people.

And Awesome

To Daniel, God is awe-inspiring.  How could he be otherwise?  God’s majesty is unrivaled.  Who else is self-existent?  Who else is omniscient?  How about immutable?  Or omnipresent?    Who else is omnipotent?  Perfectly holy?  Is it any wonder Daniel approaches God with the humility and veneration that he does.  I imagine that as Daniel grew older, God grew larger and more majestic in Daniel’s sight.  Daniel was without question a wise man.  He always maintained a healthy fear of God.  A fear which kept him from an unhealthy fear of man and in an intimate relationship with his Creator.

“I prayed to the Lord, my God.” 

Daniel’s prayers were never addressed to some uncaring ogre.  His pleas were not made to some vending machine in the sky.  Daniel’s relationship with God is what God wanted all along.  Personal.  To Daniel, God was his God.  Daniel had a special, intimate relationship with his heavenly Father.  Sure he was aware of the wrath of God.  He knew how severe God could be when it came to punishing sin.  Few people in history would be better acquainted with this side of God than Daniel.  But Daniel recognized that the righteousness of God demanded these things.  God would not be God if He were not faithful to His Word.  It is this faithfulness that gives Daniel hope.

Open Arms

For the majority of his life, Daniel had witnessed the punishment that was meted out for disobedience.  Now, as he prays, he is anticipating the blessing that will come from confession and repentance.  God’s arms are always open waiting for the prodigal to return.  Daniel is more than yearning for Israel’s return.  As he prays to his God, Daniel is testing His steadfast love.  A test that cannot fail.

Daniel’s prayer is powerful.  His testimony is exemplary.  His witness is convicting.  I can look at saints like Daniel, Jeremiah, and Job and they seem like such spiritual giants, but at the end of the day, they were mortal men. I can respect their faithfulness and certainly try to learn from their lives, but I will never be them.  Nobody will.  But I take great hope that their God is my God.  Despite the chasm caused by sin, I can approach the throne of God with confidence and call Him “Abba, Father.”  That is what God longs for.  That is why Christ hung on a cross.

Clearer View

The time difference between us and Daniel has not diminished the attributes of God.  That will never happen.  But the life and death of Christ and the New Covenant have given us an advantage.  Through Christ, we can see God more clearly than the Old Testament saints could.  Indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we have a helper Israel did not.  On this side of Calvary, we are offered a view that Daniel did not have.  The question is, what are we doing with it?

Do you recognize the Sovereignty of God not just over his creation, but over every detail of your life in particular?  Do the attributes of God cause you to stand in awe?  Are you aware of the majesty of God?  Does His holiness cause a reverence for Him?  How do His attributes influence your daily living?  I challenge you to read Daniel’s prayer as recorded in Daniel chapter nine.  I realize it doesn’t have the “thrill” of the lion’s den, the intrigue of his interview with Gabriel, or the suspense of his end-time vision, but its lessons may be more practical.  Perhaps even life-changing.

Our God

You and I will never be Daniel, but his God is our God.  We need to ask ourselves:  Do we have the same reverence for God as Daniel did?  Are we as intimate with God as Daniel was?  If not, there is a lot we can learn from Daniel’s prayer life.  I believe it was the secret to his intimacy.  An intimacy your God longs for.

He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. – Daniel 6:10b

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God…” – Daniel 9:3-4a

Daniel’s Children

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How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave. – Lamentations 1:1

2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. – Daniel 9:2-3

3 Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. – Zechariah 8:3-5

Deuteronomic Theology

On this side of heaven, we will never know the blessings we have experienced as a result of the prayers of others.  I recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from God, but I also recognize that He uses the prayers of His faithful children in carrying out His sovereign will.  Jeremiah’s description of Jerusalem as a lonely desolate city would not give way to Zechariah’s description of Jerusalem as a faithful city filled with old and young alike without the bridge of Daniel’s prayer.  If I may word it this way, the reality of the children playing in the streets of Jerusalem would be birthed by Daniel’s Deuteronomic theology.

After God entered into a relationship with the nation of Israel, He entered into a covenant with them.  After mercifully delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage, God gives them the law.  Through the law, God spelled out for Israel His expectations from them in their relationship.  God has showered them with His grace, He requires of them obedience.  In Deuteronomy 27 & 28 we see the promised blessings and curses for obedience or disobedience to the laws.  One of which was too familiar to Daniel and his contemporaries, “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known” (Deuteronomy 28:64).  In Deuteronomy chapter 30, heaven and earth were called to witness the covenant relationship.  In keeping with the importance of the covenant relationship, the tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant.  Every seven years the law was to be taken out of the ark and read to the people so that their allegiance to God their King would be reaffirmed.  Unfortunately, disobedience ensued.  Israel displayed more rebellion than reaffirmation.

Return to the Lord

Daniel understood the connection between Israel’s sin and exile.  He also understood the relationship between deliverance and repentance.  His familiarity with Deuteronomy was evident.

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. – Deuteronomy 30:1-5

Going Home

Daniel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, whose writings prompted Daniel’s prayer, had this to say:

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14

Daniel’s Children

The book of Daniel mentions nothing about Daniel’s family life.  No mention is made of a wife or children.  It appears from his firm faith that he most likely had godly parents who were faithful in training him when he was young in spiritual matters.  Regardless, I like to think of the young children playing in the streets of Jerusalem under the watchful eye of the elderly as Daniel’s children.  The carefree joy of their games in the streets of God’s city is a direct result of Daniel’s fervent prayer before the face of God.  I am not implying that Daniel was the only one seeking God with all his heart, but rather using him as the representative of those who called upon the Lord, but whose names history does not record.

Is it possible that one of the elderly people with a staff sitting in the streets of Jerusalem would be Daniel?  I don’t know.  If so, try to imagine the joy in his heart to witness such a seen after all that he was denied.  Yet I get the impression Daniel would never complain.  The grace and mercy of God can be experienced at any age and in any place.  Makes one thankful for the bridge of prayer.  As the exiles return to Jerusalem and once again fill her streets, we have a visual reminder of the blessings that are experienced as a result of the prayers of others.  Prayers God promises to answer when we seek Him with all our heart.  Daniel’s children are a reminder that God is always faithful to His covenant.

We have Sinned

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We Have…

we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled 

We have not listened to your servants the prophets

we have rebelled against him

we have sinned against him.

we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God

we have not obeyed his voice

we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

because for our sins

Preach It

In the mid-1980’s my wife and I, young newlyweds, had the privilege of spending a Sunday with a special couple, Peter and Alice.  Our dear friends were well in their eighties at the time and we considered them spiritual mentors.  Peter and Alice had long since retired from the ministry, but despite their declining health they never lost their passion for Christ.  Not even close.  After an afternoon of fellowship, they took us to an evening service at a local church.  I would like to say I remember the sermon the pastor preached, but I don’t.  What I do remember is the little sermon I heard from my dear friend.  After the service, Peter made his way to the pastor and thanked him for his message. What was the sermon about?  Sin.  According to my dear old friend sin was a topic out of vogue at that time.  He said the church needed more pastors with the boldness to preach about sin.  If God takes it seriously, so should the church.  Sin might be an unpleasant topic, but I know on that Sunday at least, one retired pastor went home with a smile on his face.  Sin is a plague that must be addressed.  The consequences for ignoring it are not only serious, they are eternal.  The wisdom of our dear mentor was shared by the prophet Daniel.

Confess It

It seems as if the only time people are sorry for their sins is when they are caught.  Their sorrow then isn’t usually so much in what they have done, but the fact that they have been exposed.  Too often, the finger pointing then starts.  Instead of confessing our sins, we usually want to put a spin on the situation and make ourselves out to be victims.  Not so with Daniel.  During his humble prayer before the face of God, Daniel makes the confessions above.  As I read through this list I wonder how many of these sins Daniel was actually guilty of.  But ultimately it doesn’t matter.  Daniel knew that his actions did not make him a sinner, but rather he was a sinner by nature.  Daniel’s sins may not have been as blatant as those of others, but they had to be repented of nonetheless.  Rather than stand in judgment of his fellow Israelites, Daniel associates with their sins and turns to God for forgiveness.  Daniel did not take the path of the self-righteous Pharisee, but rather the humble path of the tax collector, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” – Luke 18:13.

When Daniel made his prayer of confession, Judah, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.  Hundreds of thousands of his fellow Israelites had been killed, emasculated or raped.  Many, like Daniel, had been taken into exile and many made slaves.  As already mentioned, Daniel did not play the victim card or the blame game.  He did not blame the religious or political leaders of Judah.  He did not blame the wicked or morally corrupt who angered God.  Instead, Daniel identified himself with his people.  We have sinned.

The Body

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Daniel’s prayer seems to me to be an illustration of a Truth that Paul would write to the Corinthian church years later (1 Cor. 12).  Although he may have had a very intimate relationship with God, Daniel never lost his love for his people, his home or the Temple.  He knew that sin in one member of the body affected the entire body.  When convicted by the inspired Words of Jeremiah he wisely turned to God in repentance.  No excuses.  No blaming.  Just a healthy dose of conviction and shame.

When it comes to discussing sin we need to strike a healthy balance.  First of all, we need to be careful not to “glorify” sin.  There is no need to draw extra attention to it, give too many details, etc.  Sin is appalling and we don’t want to make it sound like anything different.  Confess it, repent and move on.  Secondly, like my wise old friend once said, sin must not be ignored.  Church leaders need to be faithful to the Truth.  All of it.  The body is diseased.  The body is suffering.  The only cure for sin begins with conviction.  Look what reading Jeremiah did to Daniel!

May our leaders have the boldness to preach about sin and it’s consequences.  May we as individuals have the discipline to be consistently in God’s Word as Daniel was.  May we pray for our leaders as they minister to the Body.  May we pray for the other members of the Body as we strive to bring glory to God.  When God’s Word convicts us may we drop to our knees and confess, “I have sinned”.  When our brothers or sisters have fallen into sin may we drop to our knees and confess, “We have sinned”.

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – 1 Corinthians 12:13

Daniel’s Humble Prayer

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3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. – Daniel 9:3

Jerusalem & Daniel

In the last devotion we looked at the personification of Jerusalem during the exile.  Sitting in loneliness like a widow as a consequence of her unfaithfulness.  Her desperate plight was an illustration of Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  Today I want to look at the prayer of Daniel as it relates to Jerusalem’s restoration.  Daniel’s prayer is a good illustration of James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Good Bye Jerusalem

Daniel was no stranger to the plight of Jerusalem.  As a young man of probably thirteen or fourteen years of age, he was carried away from Jerusalem as one of the captives taken to Babylon.  He was a well educated member of the royal family of Judah.  While Jerusalem was being plundered, Daniel’s world was being shattered.  At an age when most boy’s are concerned with a changing voice, acne and girls, Daniel is marched off to a foreign land with a power hungry king.  But Daniel constantly portrays a conviction that he totally agrees with the meaning of his name, “God is my judge.”

Faithful In Babylon

Throughout the book of Daniel, we see his faithfulness to his God.  Daniel would not compromise his diet and eat the kings food which had most likely been sacrificed to pagan gods.  Just as he would not defile himself with king Nebuchadnezzar’s food, he would not defile himself with king Belshazzar’s wealth.  He declined the gifts the king tried to give him for interpreting the writing on the wall.

When king Darius issued a decree that no prayers could be offered to any other god or man besides himself for thirty days, Daniel defied Darius and stayed true to Yahweh.  Despite the fact that the Temple sacrifices were no longer being made, Daniel continued to pray three times a day, in correlation with the Temple sacrifice schedule, just as he always had.  Although roughly eighty years old at the time, Daniel would rather face the lions than sin against his God.

Consistently Faithful

From a young man carried away from his home, to an old man faithfully serving in a prominent position in the most powerful country in the world, Daniel was a consistently faithful model.  His God was so great that he was not intimidated by the likes of kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar or Darius.  His reputation was so impeccable that his peers could not find a fault in his service to the king or his character.  As an incredible testimony to Daniel, the only way they could “get him” was to attack his commitment to God.  Unless you think I am exaggerating the integrity of Daniel, look what God inspired the prophet Ezekiel to write.

12 And the word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, 14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God. – Ezekiel 14:12-14

Daniel Convicted

The righteousness of Daniel may not have stayed the hand of God, preventing it from punishing faithless Jerusalem, but Daniel remained faithful to the will of God.  While reading the writings of his contemporary Jeremiah, Daniel was convicted.  Stimulated by Jeremiah’s declaration that the Exile will last seventy years, Daniel turns to God with a prayer of confession.  As we see in today’s verse, Daniel turned his face to God, seeking Him by prayer and pleas of mercy with sackcloth and ashes.  Pause to take that all in for a second.

Taken away from his home as a gifted young man with so much potential.  Tested again and again by powerful foreign kings.  Faithful in his service to those in authority for decades without compromising his faith or his witness.  Thrown to the lions in his advanced age.  Despite his positions of leadership he was never too busy to bend his knees in prayer.  Approaching the end of his life his fire is still burning and his passion for Jerusalem is very much alive.  Although God has promised to restore Jerusalem, He has chosen a difficult medium; repentance.  Despite his outwardly untarnished appearance, Daniel knows his heart.  Like all men, he too is a sinner.  To his knees he goes one more time.

Daniel’s Humble Prayer

Think about the humility of Daniel.  If I had endured what he did and witnessed the things that he did, Jeremiah’s prophesy of a return to Jerusalem probably would have caused me to jump and shout for joy, even as an eighty year old man.  Not Daniel.  Instead of celebrating, Daniel is sacrificing.  When this righteous servant of God seeks God’s face he does so with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.  Content with feasting on God’s Word as revealed to Jeremiah, he denies himself earthly food.  Not only does Daniel deny himself physical nourishment, he also denies himself comfort as he exchanges his clothes for sackcloth.  As a final act of self abasement, Daniel proceeds to cover himself with ashes.

While Jerusalem is sitting lonely because of her sins, Daniel is standing tall on his knees before the face of God.

Daniel.  A giant of the Faith.  A Prophet of God.  A recipient of heavenly visions.  An interpreter of dreams.  A man of great political power.

Daniel.  A sinner in great remorse with no delusions of who he is before a perfect God.

Daniel.  A willing vessel passionate about being used by God to carry out His will for Jerusalem and the nations.

Wrestling with God in humility may not be as “glamorous” as surviving a lion’s den, but Daniel’s humble prayer of repentance may be his greatest “legacy”.

How different things might be if we would seek the face of God with the humility of Daniel!!

Crying for Mercy

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51 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin! – Psalm 51:1-2

Campfires and Fights

It is difficult to always be right!  Especially when you are young.  And small for your age.  And don’t know when to keep your opinion to yourself (i.e. keep your mouth shut!).  I learned this lesson the hard way as a teenager.  I had gone on a weekend camp out with a Boy Scout group.  The weekend was packed with memorable events such as ghost stories, dipping water straight from the creek for hot chocolate over the campfire (the solid particles can’t be dangerous if they’ve been boiled right?) and a midnight walk through a cemetery.  These were the highlights, along with one of the guys falling into the creek in the middle of the night during a storm after leaving the cemetery.  I can still hear him crying for help in the creek bottom as the lightning flashed around us.  Good times!

The low-light was the tussle I got into.  One of the scouts who was a couple of years older than I did something I took offense to.  I knew he was antagonizing me because of the size difference between us, but I also knew that might doesn’t make right.  Rather than turning the other cheek and letting him embarrass me, I decided to embarrass myself and take the bait.  I foolishly accepted his challenge.  Gotta love teenage boys!

Say “Uncle”

I remember vividly, lying on my back with this bully on my chest.  As he tapped his finger into my sternum he kept telling me to say “uncle.”  My pride would not let me.  With a ring of boys around us I could feel my face turning flush and the tears coming into my eyes.  But I wasn’t going to budge.  Literally.  I was willing to lay there with him on my chest tapping on my sternum until his bony finger came out of my back.  I knew I was right and there was no way I was going to cry for mercy.  This was a matter of principle, not comfort.  Some things are worth fighting for regardless of the cost.  The other boys thought I was crazy.  The leader thought I was spunky.  When he knew I had no fight left, he separated us.  For what it was worth, the other boy proved he was tougher.  I walked away strengthened in my conviction to never quit.  Definitely gotta love teenage boys!!

A Time to Cry for Mercy

I am no longer a teenager.  That ship sailed out long ago.  I’ve come to accept that I am not always right.  However, that ship was a little slower in sailing out.  More importantly, I learned that there is a time to cry for mercy.  There is a time to quit.  A time of desperation when we need to realize we are fighting a losing battle.  A time we let our pride give way to humility.  Of course, I am talking about the spiritual realm.  I’m talking about being in the wrong.  I’m talking about living in SIN.

Sin is an enemy we cannot defeat.  The greater our pride, the more dangerous it becomes.  If we try to fight it in our human strength it will knock us down every time.  If we try to hide it, it will expose us as a fraud.  The longer we wrestle with it in our own strength the greater will be our shame and embarrassment.  We need to get out from under sin as soon as possible.  King David wasn’t strong enough to conquer it alone and neither are we.  We need to learn from David and cry out to God for mercy.  It is our only hope.  This is no teenage tussle.  Crying for mercy isn’t a sign of weakness.  It is evidence of wisdom.

The Weight of Sin

The weight of sin can be unbearable.  Like a bully sitting on our chest, it makes it hard for us to catch our breath.  With its bony finger, it brings pain to our hearts.  It plays games with our minds and torments our souls.  Sin turns our camp outs into tussles and our joy into mourning.  It destroys relationships and breaks up families.  How long are we willing to embarrass ourselves and entertain it?  Quit taking the bait.  Give it up.  Look into the mirror of God’s Word.  See the filth?  Seek forgiveness and repeat after David.

51 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

God’s Mercy

When it comes to sin we are out of our league.  We cannot conquer it with good works.  We cannot overcome it with church membership.  Our friends and families can’t save us nor can our wealth.  When it comes to being saved from our sins we have only one option:  God’s mercy.  Thankfully, He offers it to us.  According to his steadfast love.  The love that sent His Son to fight on our behalf.  There is a bloodstained cross on Calvary that proves some things are worth fighting for regardless of the cost.

God in His abundant mercy wants to blot out your transgressions and wash you thoroughly from your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin.  Let Him.

The Bible teaches us that sin is always wrong and God is always right.  It is much wiser to cry to God for mercy than to let sin hold us down.  Humbling ourselves is not always easy, nor is it always comfortable.  But at least one teenage conviction I have to remain true to.  Principles take priority over comfort.

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ – Luke 18:13