Read Daniel 10:1-12
“At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks…” (v 2)
Some Thoughts…
God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble… (See 1Pet. 5:5; Prov. 3:34; Is. 57:15) The question that arises for me today is this; how often do I humble myself and make drastic changes in my daily routine when I encounter a truth of God or become convicted of sin and my desperate need for the grace of God? How often am I brought to my knees in genuine repentance? Not often…
Daniel had been given a view of life that got his attention and he turned quickly to God. He fasted and prayed for three weeks! THREE WEEKS of silence and self-deprivation. He humbled himself before God, but there seemed to be no response from God for a long time. Yet verse 12 gives a clue into the heart of God. He sees our hearts and knows our thoughts. The moment…the very moment we are willing to reorient our lives to Him, He prepares the answers we need and bestows the power we require to live life His way.
But in the mystery of God’s ways, it seems that real spiritual transformation, many times, takes place when we finally come to the end of ourselves. Daniel’s energy and strength were gone. He needed a touch from God… so he waited… prayed… mourned… searched… And finally a response form the Almighty; a message that left him trembling. Not the answer he had hoped for, but an answer nonetheless. God had acted on behalf of Daniels words and his heart of humble dependence on God… “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.” (v12)
I wonder… am I to that point? Do my sin and the sins of the world break my heart and trouble me to the point that I seek God with a consuming passion? Or am I content with a quick “oh well, hope things will work out” kind of prayer. Am I humbling myself before God? Will I ever stop the regular activity in my life long enough to allow God room to speak to me?
A Prayer…
Oh God, You have my attention…humble me; remove the things that keep me from hearing Your voice, seeing Your answers to my questions and receiving the strength to live in Your power. Forgive me for not slowing down long enough to listen. I’m listening now… Amen.