Benefits Of Waiting On The Lord
THEME: BENEFITS OF WAITING ON THE LORD
MEMORISE:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
READ: Daniel 2:10-23
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
MESSAGE
Many blessings are attracted to the lives of those who wait on the Lord. The story in today's Bible reading shows what it means to wait on the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he could not remember, and this created a problem that was impossible for man to solve. Naturally, the king took his problem to his "wise men" and astrologers, expecting a swift solution from them. He was however shocked by their response to his problem. In Daniel 2:10-11, the astrologers and "wise men" said to the king:
“...There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
The king was furious at this response, and in his rage, he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his colleagues. Faced with this dilemma, Daniel and his friends waited upon the Lord, who alone could solve the great problem they were confronted with. Not only did the Lord reveal the hidden dream to them, He also gave them its interpretation. Some of the secret benefits of waiting upon the Lord and seeking His face in prayer, praise and adoration with total submission to His Lordship are revealed in Daniel's prayer in today's Bible text.
From Daniel and his friends, we learn that sometimes waiting upon the Lord at night is more effective than during the day time (Daniel 2:19). This is so because there are fewer things to distract us at night. Job 33:14-16 says:
“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,”
Furthermore, we also learn that waiting upon the Lord gives us access to divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding. When we wait on the Lord, secret information from the throne room of heaven is released to us, and hidden things are laid bare before us. Finally, note that Daniel was only described as one of the "captives of Judah" (Daniel 2:25). What a lowly description for a man who was to later deliver all the "wise men" of Babylon from death. The lesson here is that your current situation does not diminish the grace of God upon your life; neither can your present location determine the extent you can get to, provided you learn to wait upon the Lord. As you wait upon the Lord from today, you will never know limitations again in Jesus' Name.
ACTION POINT:
Cultivate the habit of waiting upon the Lord in praise, worship and prayer regularly and you will be loaded with the abundant blessings it attracts.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
• So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12
• It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse.
• Empower me, to always obey Your heavenly calling, in Jesus' name.
• If you have been a divine champion and you fell, the devil will not want you to rise again.
• Armor is pointless unless you actually intend to engage in a battle.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
MEMORISE:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
READ: Daniel 2:10-23
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
MESSAGE
Many blessings are attracted to the lives of those who wait on the Lord. The story in today's Bible reading shows what it means to wait on the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he could not remember, and this created a problem that was impossible for man to solve. Naturally, the king took his problem to his "wise men" and astrologers, expecting a swift solution from them. He was however shocked by their response to his problem. In Daniel 2:10-11, the astrologers and "wise men" said to the king:
“...There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
The king was furious at this response, and in his rage, he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his colleagues. Faced with this dilemma, Daniel and his friends waited upon the Lord, who alone could solve the great problem they were confronted with. Not only did the Lord reveal the hidden dream to them, He also gave them its interpretation. Some of the secret benefits of waiting upon the Lord and seeking His face in prayer, praise and adoration with total submission to His Lordship are revealed in Daniel's prayer in today's Bible text.
From Daniel and his friends, we learn that sometimes waiting upon the Lord at night is more effective than during the day time (Daniel 2:19). This is so because there are fewer things to distract us at night. Job 33:14-16 says:
“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,”
Furthermore, we also learn that waiting upon the Lord gives us access to divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding. When we wait on the Lord, secret information from the throne room of heaven is released to us, and hidden things are laid bare before us. Finally, note that Daniel was only described as one of the "captives of Judah" (Daniel 2:25). What a lowly description for a man who was to later deliver all the "wise men" of Babylon from death. The lesson here is that your current situation does not diminish the grace of God upon your life; neither can your present location determine the extent you can get to, provided you learn to wait upon the Lord. As you wait upon the Lord from today, you will never know limitations again in Jesus' Name.
ACTION POINT:
Cultivate the habit of waiting upon the Lord in praise, worship and prayer regularly and you will be loaded with the abundant blessings it attracts.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
• So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12
• It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse.
• Empower me, to always obey Your heavenly calling, in Jesus' name.
• If you have been a divine champion and you fell, the devil will not want you to rise again.
• Armor is pointless unless you actually intend to engage in a battle.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What is the Great Tribulation?
The Tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two aspects of His plan: 1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel 9:24), and 2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 6 - 18). The length of the Tribulation is seven years. This is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27; also see the article on the Tribulation). The Great Tribulation is the last half of the Tribulation period, three and one-half years in length. It is distinguished from the Tribulation period because the Beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed, and the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to emphasize that the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous terms. Within eschatology (the study of future things), the Tribulation refers to the full seven-year period while the “Great Tribulation” refers to the second half of the Tribulation.
It is Christ Himself who used the phrase "Great Tribulation" with reference to the last half of the Tribulation. In Matthew 24:21, Jesus says, "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall." In this verse Jesus is referring to the event of Matthew 24:15, which describes the revealing of the abomination of desolation, the man also known as the Antichrist. Also, Jesus in Matthew 24:29-30 states, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory." In this passage, Jesus defines the Great Tribulation (v.21) as beginning with the revealing of the abomination of desolation (v.15) and ending with Christ's second coming (v.30).
Other passages that refer to the Great Tribulation are Daniel 12:1b, which says, "And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time." It seems that Jesus was quoting this verse when He spoke the words recorded in Matthew 24:21. Also referring to the Great Tribulation is Jeremiah 30:7, "Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it." The phrase “Jacob’s distress” refers to the nation of Israel, which will experience persecution and natural disasters such as have never before been seen.
Considering the information Christ gave us in Matthew 24:15-30, it is easy to conclude that the beginning of the Great Tribulation has much to do with the abomination of desolation, an action of the Antichrist. In Daniel 9:26-27, we find that this man will make a "covenant" (a peace pact) with the world for seven years (one “week”; again, see the article on the Tribulation). Halfway through the seven-year period—"in the middle of the week"—we are told this man will break the covenant he made, stopping sacrifice and grain offering, which specifically refers to his actions in the rebuilt temple of the future. Revelation 13:1-10 gives even more detail concerning the Beast's actions, and just as important, it also verifies the length of time he will be in power. Revelation 13:5 says he will be in power for 42 months, which is three and one-half years, the length of the Great Tribulation.
Revelation offers us the most information about the Great Tribulation. From Revelation 13 when the Beast is revealed until Christ returns in Revelation 19, we are given a picture of God's wrath on the earth because of unbelief and rebellion (Revelation 16-18). It is also a picture of how God disciplines and at the same time protects His people Israel (Revelation 14:1-5) until He keeps His promise to Israel by establishing an earthly kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).
It is Christ Himself who used the phrase "Great Tribulation" with reference to the last half of the Tribulation. In Matthew 24:21, Jesus says, "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall." In this verse Jesus is referring to the event of Matthew 24:15, which describes the revealing of the abomination of desolation, the man also known as the Antichrist. Also, Jesus in Matthew 24:29-30 states, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory." In this passage, Jesus defines the Great Tribulation (v.21) as beginning with the revealing of the abomination of desolation (v.15) and ending with Christ's second coming (v.30).
Other passages that refer to the Great Tribulation are Daniel 12:1b, which says, "And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time." It seems that Jesus was quoting this verse when He spoke the words recorded in Matthew 24:21. Also referring to the Great Tribulation is Jeremiah 30:7, "Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it." The phrase “Jacob’s distress” refers to the nation of Israel, which will experience persecution and natural disasters such as have never before been seen.
Considering the information Christ gave us in Matthew 24:15-30, it is easy to conclude that the beginning of the Great Tribulation has much to do with the abomination of desolation, an action of the Antichrist. In Daniel 9:26-27, we find that this man will make a "covenant" (a peace pact) with the world for seven years (one “week”; again, see the article on the Tribulation). Halfway through the seven-year period—"in the middle of the week"—we are told this man will break the covenant he made, stopping sacrifice and grain offering, which specifically refers to his actions in the rebuilt temple of the future. Revelation 13:1-10 gives even more detail concerning the Beast's actions, and just as important, it also verifies the length of time he will be in power. Revelation 13:5 says he will be in power for 42 months, which is three and one-half years, the length of the Great Tribulation.
Revelation offers us the most information about the Great Tribulation. From Revelation 13 when the Beast is revealed until Christ returns in Revelation 19, we are given a picture of God's wrath on the earth because of unbelief and rebellion (Revelation 16-18). It is also a picture of how God disciplines and at the same time protects His people Israel (Revelation 14:1-5) until He keeps His promise to Israel by establishing an earthly kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).
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