Alongside Bible study friends this fall, I’ve worked hard over the past 12 weeks to learn the memory verse from Beth Moore’s study, “Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophesy.”  These words from Daniel’s prayer in chapter 2 helped me collect a few truths that stood out to me along our journey:

Praise the Name of GOD forever and ever. For He has all wisdom and power.

… our GOD alone is worthy of the unflinching allegiance displayed by Daniel and his friends.

He controls the course of world events. He removes kings and sets up other kings.

… Even the mightiest of human conquerors and rulers will come to acknowledge that heaven rules!  The Father’s plans are exact and eternally purposeful – each detail will be fulfilled exactly as He said it would be, completely, and right on time.

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things. He knows what lies hidden in darkness, though He is wrapped in light.

… To those who hunger to know GOD, those like Daniel who study His word to know what time it is (in the Kingdom calendar), He gives precious glimpses of the bigger story unfolding in seen and unseen places.  He prepares our hearts for what is to come and emboldens us to face challenges right here, right now.

I thank and praise You, GOD of my ancestors, for You have given me wisdom and strength. You told me what we asked of You and revealed to us what the king demanded.

… Almighty GOD is always on His throne. I will never forget the description of Him in chapter 7, seated on a chariot with wheels.  Wherever He needs to go, He never needs to leave His throne!  The Ancient of Days is seated as Judge, but how equally comforting to simply picture Him sitting and to graspthe truth that He has a lap!  

Because of Christ, we are welcomed to come near, to climb into His lap, to unburden our hearts, to lay our needs before Him, fully trusting He will be faithful to answer them.  Whatever we ask of Him, like Daniel crying out to Him to solve a humanly impossible mystery, He will answer.  As Amy Carmichael has said, “He delights to meet the faith of one who looks to Him and says, LORD, You know that I cannot, but I believe You can!”

.   .   .

As my mind sifts through what feels like just scraping the surface of this deep, rich study, I’ve found myself thinking about Jackie Hill Perry’s message at Revive Our Hearts’ women’s conference a few months ago.  She poignantly asked how it might change us to truly Behold Him … as Daniel’s visions may have changed his perspective of GOD’s eternal plans?

The Son is the radiance of GOD’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)

The One who touches us on a shoulder, the One who lifts our chin, the One who gives us strength to stand, vision to see, every reason to hope – He is the One who takes us by the hand to lead us to the Father, to bask in the glory of a story already declared FINISHED.  We catch sight of the One who raises both hands, proclaiming it is done.

In the heart and will of GOD, the victory is already won.  But He tells us enough ahead of time, to prepare us so we are not blindsided when hard days come.  In the final video session, Beth Moore shared an important truth: “GOD’s kindest intentions for us can unfold in the worst circumstances. In GOD’s drama, unparalleled distress can set the perfect stage for unparalleled deliverance.”

John Piper calls this “providential peril”, when GOD not only allows but orchestrates circumstances that “bring His people to the very brink of disaster, all the while bringing about a GOD-exalting victory!”  Our GOD doesn’t want us to place confidence in anything or anyone other than Him.  He longs for us to trust in the only One who will never fail us.  He is willing to go to great lengths to cause us to reach for Him alone, to truly behold Him!  He knows in that place we will come to know Him more fully and offer Him due worship.

In chapter 12, we read that when Israel will reach the end of her own strength, when her power is broken, the LORD Himself will fulfill His promise to deliver her into the eternal kingdom.  

Daniel knew the prophesies available to him in his day – revelations about the Branch who would be called The LORD our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6), the Suffering Servant (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53), the Son to be given who would be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).  But how much did the LORD reveal to Daniel, personally, about the Savior who would come to make the fulfillment of GOD’s promises to Israel possible, or the ultimate of distressful circumstances that would unfold to accomplish her redemption? 

In chapter 7, Daniel saw One described as the Son of Man, approaching the Ancient of Days on the clouds of heaven, given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, an eternal rule that will never be destroyed (v 13-14).  

In chapter 9, Gabriel told Daniel that the Anointed One wouldcome, but would be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing (v 25-26).

Daniel mourned for weeks, in total anguish about what would happen in the future.  Then he was given a vision of a Man in Linen, touched and strengthened, and told he is precious to GOD, that his prayers were heard and answered.  He asked how this would all come to an end (12:8), but much like Job, he was never given a clear answer.  Daniel was simply told to seal up the visions, to go his way in confidence, assured of his promised rest and eternal inheritance.

Today, we can look back and behold Him!  We see JESUS, clearly, as IMMANUEL, GOD with us, who took on human flesh, born to die.  Countless dots of prophesy connected in His dark hours on Calvary’s cross.  We acknowledge the end of our own strength, our own power.  We cannot save ourselves.  So, the Savior stretched out both hands, suffered in our place to fulfill the Father’s plan to deliver us.  Armed stretched wide for all who will turn to Him, He bowed His head and declared it FINISHED (John 19:30).

How does it change us to simply lift our eyes and behold Him – triune GOD as revealed through the complete Word of GOD we are privileged to hold in our hands and hide in our hearts?

All wisdom, strength, and power.

All sovereign control.

All sufficient Redeemer.

All gracious Provider, Protector, and Sustainer.

All righteous Judge.

All kindness and tenderness as our Father.  

We are already citizens of the everlasting kingdom – His dominion that will never end!  Does it not fuel our resolve to keep our noses in the Book (committed to learning), our knees on the floor (petitioning the only One who can answer us in wisdom and mercy), and our arms lifted high in worship and adoration (to the only One who is worthy of our unflinching allegiance, even when we aren’t granted a vision of the whole story just yet)?

Praise the LORD, like Daniel, we are precious to GOD. We can look forward, unafraid, to His sovereign plans unfolding.  We can rest in confidence and declare with eager anticipation, “our GOD reigns!”