Daniel 6:26-27 ”For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” God does amazing things in our lives, and even those who believe in different things and different gods must acknowledge that He is mighty and powerful, faithful forever, and reigning over all the earth. Darius, a foreign king who worshiped idols of rock and stone understood that Daniel’s God was alive and eternal. What his god was powerless to do, the True and Living God, YHWH, was pleased to do. And as Daniel was delivered from the power of literal lions, I declare that I and my family are delivered from the power of metaphorical and spiritual lions, to the glory of God who rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth! He is faithful, kind, and loving, and I am just scratching the surface of knowing who He is! Amen, amen! ps. I love this picture because Daniel’s focus is not on his peril, but on his God. Turn away from the lions and look toward your Light!
Psalm 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid [before me]. Truth. That’s what I seek. What is the truth in this jumbled mess of religion? What is the truth in the light that is breaking through the darkness? I have been taught “truth” only to find out that it’s not the whole truth (or rather that it has been manipulated by politics and social pressures of ages past). Truth. The Hebrew word for truth (‘emuwnah) means faithfulness, fidelity, steadfastness. I have chosen fidelity; I have chosen the way of God’s steadfastness. His judgements are His justice, His decisions in law, His manner, custom, and plan. I’m still learning because my eyes are newly open. Yet this is a path I want to walk. Interestingly, David doesn’t say why he has chosen the way of truth or laid out God’s judgments. In fact, the next several (many) verses are all declarations of what he has done or chosen to believe. There is few statements that include “yet” or “for” and they almost all continue with “I hope in” or “I trust in”. He doesn’t believe or choose because of what God will do for him. Rather, He focuses on the nature of God’s words and judgments (which is a reflection on His character – who He is). Perhaps this is an example of what it means to love God for who He is rather than what He does. Can I say those things? Can I make the declarations that David makes about obedience, love, trust, truth, and seeking? If not, what keeps me from them? Oh YHWH, I seek Your truth in the confusion. I want to walk in the Truth You give and not that which the world creates. Teach me Your ways that I may walk in them; show me Your truth that I may truly see. Side Note: I was scrolling through the comments on a post today, and it’s really interesting (sadducees vs. pharisees, messiah ben Joseph and messiah ben David, and more). Check it out >>>