We spend so much of our time in life, dreaming, saving, planning for tomorrow and often before we know it we hear ourselves say, “Where did the time go?” or “They’ll be grown up before you know it!”
When we’re young we think we have all the time in the world, so carefree. Pick whatever you wanna do, don’t worry about the cost. Oh the freedom of choices from: whomever you wanna marry, or to pursue whatever you’d like to do as a career, eat whatever you want, go wherever, try whatever having in the back of your mind there’s lots of time, freedom, parents to fall back on…etc..etc…
And yet isn’t it often with age and experience comes the wisdom of life that evaluates things at a deeper level?
I’ve been recently studying Daniel and also history periods in general, evaluating all these great palaces and kingdoms once dominated by the “KING, QUEEN, or some Powerful One” of that time only to be passed on to someone else when their short life is over. HUGE places and power of influences are suddenly worth nothing to them when their lives pass from here to eternity.
Reflecting on these eras in time both from the bible and historical references, simply reminds me more of God’s overall view. No wonder He says our life is but a mist; here today and gone tomorrow. And if that’s not a good enough picture he adds a few other pictures. One is the dew that is here in the morning for a brief moment, or a flower that lasts until it’s petals have served their time displaying such glory.
On top of this, I recently saw a huge stadium (yes it is football season J) LOL! I’m embracing football as my husband so enjoys it . You’d all be proud of me. And yes he’s stood by Detroit always and wouldn’t you know it they’re having a good start! That’s my shout out for you Baby. ;)
As I looked at this massive stadium I imagined it filled with all sorts of people and just myself as one little person. How small we really are in the great scheme of things!! So what then is our purpose in this short life??
There is no greater joy that to KNOW God and His Jesus Christ. Do we really get that?? When we give our lives to Him and He fills us with a part of Him (His Holy Spirit) it is His Spirit that helps us to KNOW Him. The more we desire to KNOW Him the more He will reveal Himself to us. What a privilege this is! The more we draw closer to Him the more we desire to be made like Him. To mirror His image which is nothing of the kingdom of this world. So what does this look like you ask?
Consider Daniel…. a handsome young man. Yes GQ, popular, one of the wisest men in North America let’s say. And you know what… he’s YOUNG. He was brought in as a captive, a prisoner and left a ruler. He had all the wealth and possessions you can imagine given to him and yet none of it had a hold on him. He wouldn’t accept bribes, or steer away from anything God desired as the best for him, EVEN though NO ONE else in all the country was pursuing this God Relationship as He was. He continued in this relationship talking/praying to God 3 times a day as always, even when it was against the law and he knew he would die if he kept it up.
No visions, strange dreams, death threats, slavery, imprisonment, no bribe, fiery furnaces, or den of lions, no fear of hands without bodies writing literally on walls would keep Him from a relentless pursuit and devotion to His best friend, His King, His Father, His Lord……. Yes God himself.
You see Daniel reached a point in their quiet times together, their continuous relationship, their walking and talking, with guidance through the scriptures and God’s deliverance every time Daniel faced death on His behalf, in a way that was incomparable at that time.
You know even the way his enemies LONGED to get him in trouble, they couldn’t. This description blew me away. Daniel 6:4 “They could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
Wow… there he is; displaying our God. See, even as a young man; not corrupt or negligent but rather trustworthy.
As young people growing up in today’s society it is not easy to live a pure life, to keep oneself from the corruption of the world that seems to lie all around us. It seems the bar is so lowered, watered down. We can all see it. Even in the little ways from what an “R” rated movie was even 15 years ago to what it is now. Or the definition of “dating” to the access of weapons, drugs, alcohol, lack of family foundations, or respect for any authority from parents to teachers to government. BUT…. Will God provide help? YES… and you know what the more you spend time getting to know Him and in His word, He will begin to reveal himself to you. Just you. And you will know Him and have less of a desire for these things because you will see the truth behind how they are distractions and deceptions to pull you off a life that God desires to have with you.
Daniel was a young prisoner turned governor. He had nothing and yet God gave Him everything. He didn’t have 400 facebook friends but he had 3 of the most amazing friendships one could ever imagine. Friends that stand in a furnace because you all serve and love the same God. Daniel trusted God, not because He was told to by his parents, but He got to know Him and the more He knew the more He loved. His devotion came from love.
Won’t you join me in a pursuit that begins to step beyond the way of the world to swim against the current. Not by leading a rally tomorrow afternoon in city square, but by committing ourselves to spending time with God. Allowing Him to teach us, reveal Himself to us, befriend us and love us? When that begins to happen and truly happen, we realize our life is eternal therefore if we stand in the face of death with no fear but rather a relentless pursuit of being set apart, known by the Father, His Son and those even in the world know “She/He is one of HIS”. Wow.
Humbled yet, so thankful for His presence that He would share it with us,
c
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