We are close to wrapping up this series titled Success in Babylon: How to Thrive in a Spiritually Hostile Land. For the last few months, we have examined the life of Daniel to learn how he was able to succeed in a foreign land as one of God's first missionaries. Daniel's life was extraordinary, filled with suffering, surprises, and setbacks. Yet through it all, Daniel sought the Lord and served his God. Tradition has it that when the first of those in Babylonian exile returned to their land, Daniel refused to accompany them, preferring to spend the last of his days in the land far away from home where God had chosen to send him.
Not only did the Lord show Daniel the spiritual reality of his own day, but also revealed to him things that were in the future and yet to come. In a sense, Daniel was the first of the end time prophets, which is remarkable considering where he was (Babylon) and what he was doing (a government official). Yet Daniel was the precursor to a worldwide movement that transitioned God's people from the comforts of their homeland in Israel to a strategy that reached the whole world with God's message of love and forgiveness. Daniel was a pioneer of sorts and proved that God's purpose and revelation are not dependent upon geography (where one is) but rather on purpose (what God has assigned one to do).
IT'S A MYSTERY
Daniel was overwhelmed with what he saw about God's purposes for the Earth:
Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself" (Daniel 7:27-28).
On another occasion, Daniel tried to make sense of what he was seeing, but concluded,
“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding (Daniel 8:26-27).
When I was involved in prison ministry, I urged the inmates to use the time they had to seek the Lord and learn more about HIs ways. They were in their own Babylon, but God wanted to reveal Himself to them in more ways than helping them understand their own personal situation. God wanted to show them His purpose beyond prison, for them and for others. I worked with one discipleship group that wrote a book titled The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Inmates, which was distributed to other prisons beyond the one where it was written. That was exactly what I was trying to teach them--that God had something more in mind for them than serving their time and making them comfortable. The same is true for you.
BEYOND UNDERSTANDING
Perhaps you are in a tough place and you are seeking God for the meaning of it all. God is not obligated to explain it all to you and you would be wise to conclude as Daniel did that "it is beyond understanding." That is how suffering is. It doesn't make sense except that you live in a fallen world and that somehow God uses it for your good. Suffering plays a role in your personal development and those who succeed in breaking out of their world of pain to minister to others in pain (like Daniel did) are the most successful--as God defines success. Peter wrote about suffering and you would do well to heed his words:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry (1 Peter 4:1-3).
and
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name (1 Peter 4:12-16).
Are you suffering? Are you trying to make sense of it when there is no sense to be made? Then it's time to change your tactics. Try using your situation to learn more about Him and then share what you learn with others. Daniel did the one thing he could do with what he saw: He recorded it. Today, we read it and are blessed because he did not give in to self-pity and refused to be consumed by the pain. That would be a good strategy for you as well. Don't let your Babylon be your prison, but let it be the launching pad for missiles of prayer and testimonies that speak of God's goodness even when you don't understand what the heck He is doing. Have a blessed week!
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