Week 13: Day 2
Today Josh reflects on Daniel 10, asking what it means to show God the real us.
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz round his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.’ And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
Intro: What’s up everyone, welcome to Orbit, a short reflection to help you put God at the centre of your life from the team behind Satellites – my name is Josh Green from 24-7 Prayer. Every weekday, the guys from Satellites have got some amazing people in to share a little bit of the Bible with you, give you a chance to pray and think about it, and provide you with one practical way to put it into practice today.
Bible: In Daniel 10 Daniel describes this vision he has off the back of him weeping and mourning before God. He was going through a time of deep sadness, and he looked to the Lord. Then he has an amazing vision, this is how he describes it:
“As I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.
Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.”
Thoughts: One thing I love about God is that he doesn’t love the fake version of me, He loves the real me. That means that I can be myself and God will take me as I am. At the same time, He loves me too much to leave me as I am. God will continue to mold me and change me to become more like Jesus.
Nonetheless, a real faith in Jesus begins by giving your real self to Jesus. This is what Daniel is doing here. Daniel says, in his brokenness and his mess, “here I am God.” Sometimes that is all we have – and if I’m honest, that’s all we need!
Jesus said himself that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. I know sometimes it feels like the opposite is true, like faith as big as a mountain can only move a small seed, BUT we must take Jesus at his word. If you have to start with shouting or crying to God then go for it, He’s big enough to handle it. When Daniel did that, he had an incredible vision of God. Seeing God means we see everything we need to get through the pain and disappointment. Seeing Jesus means we see hope, life, peace, love and supreme goodness. Who doesn’t need some of that right?
On the other side of your authentic self, seeking Jesus with everything, is a vision from God. The Bible says if you seek God with all your heart then you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
A lot of us go through times where it feels like God is silent…and that can be difficult. We feel left out. We feel like no vision came and nothing dramatic happened. Of course, we have the Bible which is the word of God. But there are times in our lives when it feels like God is distant or unavailable.
I don’t know about you but sometimes I think “surely God is too busy to answer my prayers or be concerned about my life.” But the reality is that God is so big that He holds this whole world together and He also holds my heart. He knows us deeply and uniquely.
But, in times when it feels like God is silent, how do we respond? I wonder how many of us can truly say that we respond to crisis with prayer like Daniel. He didn’t pretend it was ok. We should never fake it till we make it. But Daniel did pour his heart out before God and fasted. He was radical in his pursuit of God. Sometimes we need that same passion and tenacity with our faith. We need to say God I’m not leaving this place until I get a breakthrough. I’m not leaving till I see you.
Prayer: Let’s pray. Why not repeat this prayer with me and put your hands out in front of you like you’re receiving a gift?
Jesus, I need You. I need to see You. I receive your love. I receive your peace. Give me determination today to follow you. Give me strength in my weakness. In Jesus name, Amen.
Challenge: Get yourself a journal and write out your own heartfelt prayer to God. Tell Him how you really feel and what’s on your mind. Start to be honest with God about where you’re at.
Then, using the prayer exercise we spoke about yesterday, P. R. A. Y. about it. P, pause and reflect on what you wrote. R, rejoice and thank God for the good He has done. There’ll always be something - even the breath in your lungs. A, ask God to step into to situations you’re struggling with. And Y, say YES to God’s purpose for your life.
Outro: That's it for today's Orbit. Thanks so much for joining us.