Thoughts for another day

Thoughts for another day

May 2, 2006

Today's verse: Dan. 9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. (KJV).

The Word of God often gives prayers of people who have prayed to God and have sought His answers. In the verse above, we have the prayer of Daniel. This prayer is purportedly at the time of the Jewish exile into Babylon and at the time, Darius had taken over the reins of Babylon and was ruling over it.

Our God is a patient and loving God and He gives us a long rope. Then for the sake of bringing us into His fold, He chastises and disciplines us. The disciplining is not a punishment as such but a form of bringing us closer to Him. For you see, that it is only when we have troubles that we turn to the Lord. At fine times, who wants God!

God often warns us about the punishment we will incur if we continue leading sinful lives. In His Word, as well as in visions, and in talking to us He lets us know of our sins. We ignore this to our own peril. The people of Israel sinned gravely against our God. They taunted Him often. They infuriated Him to the extreme. But in His mercy, He sent them prophets who decried their acts and told about the reprimanding that God would send them. But they did not heed their voice. Yet, God in His abundant patience, waited. But they still did not change and then gave them up to suffer under Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. They were plundered, derided, and laid low. And only in this situation did they feel remorse at what they did to God. The situation was a terrible awakening for them. They, who prided themselves as being people of a living and active God, now suffered doom.
Daniel in this situation understands that according to the prophets, salvation was near. He realizes this and prays. The fundamental aspect that we can draw from this verse is that no matter how far we are from God, He is close to us. What is even more important is that, even when we have hammered and hammered at the heart of God without getting any answer, we should not give up. For, He will deliver. He is a beautiful and loving Father. He will listen to our cries. He is the same eternally and if He heard the cries of the people then, He will hear your cries too. Hold fast to His Word and give it not up nor allow doubt to eat at His Words. And surely He will come with His power to rescue you. If not for any other reason, then because of His Name by which we are known!