FAITH CAPSULE: God remains consistent overseeing and overriding the affairs of man.
Daniel 1
It is written, “…Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” (Revelation 19:1) Thank God for God. He alone answers to His entire gracious and powerful name. He was God yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is not an author of evil but the evil one himself is the author of evil. The evil one has what it takes to operate as the author of evil but he does not have what it takes to execute any of his evil acts outside of the Almighty God. Job’s situation testifies to the truth that every of the evil one’s act is not without God’s knowing about it. The evil one could only strike at Job after asking and getting permission from God. It was not a permission to kill him but a permission to afflict Job. God testified, “…There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8) Despite God’s testimony about Job, affliction could not avoid Job but visited him. Affliction visited because the evil one was permitted by God. Thank God for God. His word states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) The word of God is true to perform.
It is written, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.” (Daniel 1:1-2) The point here states that, “…The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” Imagine the king of Judah becoming a captive in the hand of evil king. Evidently, God remains consistent overseeing and overriding the affairs of man. The fall of Jerusalem led to the captivity of Daniel and his three friends. The request of the evil one led to Job’s affliction. Whatever is not going the way of your choice is not an evidence of wrong doing on your part and it is not to take your attention away from God. Keep hope and stay focus on God. God is sovereign in all affairs around you and outside of you. Daniel in the midst of all did not digress neither did he defile his God. Above all, Daniel remained purposeful to the glory of God. Also Job refused to curse his God as suggested by his wife (Job 2:9) God of Daniel and Job will glorify His name in your entire endeavor if you will not digress or defile Him. Thank God for God.
Prayer for today: Ask this day for the grace that enables one to remain focus and purposeful.