From Therese in Cairo
I would like to share with you a big admiration that I have for a character in the bible. His name is Daniel, despite that it is a personal preference but I felt that I need to share it with you.
To me Daniel is a real Challenge. Daniel was a prince, a young, good looking man, living with pride in Israel, thinking about his future, maybe his wife to be, his kids. He was very straight & very godly & he knew the books by heart.
Suddenly all of that is gone, Israel was gone, the glory is gone, the future is gone, the dreams are gone, maybe the girl is gone , the family is gone & the friends are gone. All either killed or went to captivity. By whom? By an unclean nation: Babylon & a non circumcised unclean king called Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel had all the right as a human to feel depressed, maybe to feel that he should die. Moreover he was taken into the palace so most probably he became a eunuch, so they maybe have had taken his manhood, his feelings, his country, his kingdom, his title. They took his life. Yet and amazingly, he never doubted in The Lord.
It was never mentioned that he murmured or wondered. On the contrary he was solid like a rock.
He was very much certain & sure & assured of whom is the God of Israel. He continued to follow His commandments. He kept himself clean. He was CONSISTANT is his prayers, in his faith.
He was very righteous in a very challenging way. His enemies wished to see a flaw, but His flaw was His love to His God.
This captive, this imprisoned of Israel, changed the situation upside down. Who captured who ? Who became whose slave? Nebuchadnezzar became captive of Daniel & the God of Daniel !
Wow! Wow! Wow!
In front of this great personality I stand in awe & in repentance. How many times do I blame The Lord & doubt His love. How many times I look around & when everything is gloomy I fall in despair & doubt Gods promises.
I feel very little! I would like to spend some time with Daniel in eternity & tell him You gave me a benign complex!
He is great, to him God took pleasure in calling him beloved, to send him angels, to tell him secrets beyond his capabilities of imagining. God gave him wisdom, knowledge, power, authority.
Wow Guys! Wow! No lions, no fire, no mountains, no princes, no authorities could stand in front of this SPIRITUAL GIANT called Daniel!
These are the verses that Daniel must have studied everyday by heart, in addition of course to His studies in the book of Jeremiah& the rest of the books.
Isaiah 56 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4For thussaith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
6Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isaiah 43:2 (King James Version) 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
