This morning and particularly with the events planned for this coming week, there seems an almost overwhelming awareness to the growing confluence of the many unrelated sectors of my life. Unrelated in that each could stand singularly on its own; maybe even deserving full focus. Yet, these disparate arenas like ropes in a large net, seem spiritually intertwined with the lifelong goal of my calling: reaching cities.
My community service, leadership within the church, my political role, and the various income streams that enable such freedom, all seem to be piloting me toward a dream to live out my faith beyond the walls of any one sanctuary, truly impacting the marketplace.
Some of this may be driven by my annual scripture readings; this week, the Book of Daniel. This ancient prophet was described by one of the secular leaders of his day as having “the spirit of the holy gods in him…found to have insight, intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods.” (Dan.5:11 NIV). All my life, I have aspired to be such a man of God; at least for the last 40 years, given that like many, my teen and early twenty’s tested grace.
Daniel, extracted from his native land at an early age, was a part of a select group chosen on such criteria as: young, without physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of training, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. (Dan.1:4 NIV). He was certainly the Tim Tebow of his day!
Of course, he became renowned when his writings were selected for the canon of scripture, a combination of sixty six books from multiple authors, living on various continents and spanning centuries of time. Yet, as I read Daniel’s composition now over a millennia passed, my subconscious is drawn to parallels and possibilities for my own life.
Why would I search these ancient scriptures each morning for relevant insight? The reliability seems sufficient when compared with the thoughts of his companion authors, whom he never met.
As he describes his dream in Chapter 7 and various beasts which undoubtedly portray a series of empires forthcoming on the earth (much of that now confirmed by history), a subsequent event is occurring in the Heavens, with a throne established similar to that described earlier in the canon by Isaiah. “The Ancient of Days took his seat.” (Dan.7:9); “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted and the train of his robe filed the temple.” (Is. 6:1). Daniel then offers a description hauntingly similar to that of John, in the Book of the Revelation. He even mentions “wheels” just as did Ezekiel and yes, all three writers purifying fire!
Rivers are coming out of that throne and again, like Ezekiel and John, he attests to the life giving power wherever that river flows. Daniel affirms John’s vision even more as “one like a son of man” approaches the Ancient of Days and is given authority, remarkably similar to Revelation chapter 5.
With that, other scriptures flood the mind, such as Luke’s writings in the Book of Acts that “God is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34 KJV). Though some might attribute my thoughts to arrogance, I too can expect similar support from the heavens, and my possibilities as a leader are thus elevated, along with the probability of a life sovereignly orchestrated and divinely protected, just as it was with Daniel, the great tamer of lion’s.
And by the way, that same possibility is your own!