Take Action

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Scripture: Daniel 11:32 (ESV)

32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.

Devotion:

            The scripture for today’s meditation is from a longer prophesy in the book of Daniel. This prophecy has already been fulfilled. In the period between the Old and New Testament the Greeks conquered Israel. The he referred to in this verse is a Greek ruler named Antiochus. He ruled with a rod of iron and subjected the people of Israel to humiliating displays of his power. Those who stand firm in this verse were the Maccabees. Their successful campaign to rid Israel of this conqueror is written about in the books by the same name in the Old Testament Apocrypha.

            So, we know that this is true prophecy. The question for us is whether this word from Daniel can be appropriated for today’s situation somehow. I believe it can serve as a guide to how we navigate the tricky waters of today’s culture. It must be done carefully, and I hope you will find the words of this blog post useful in your walk with the Lord.

            Who might, in today’s world, be a stand in for Antiochus, and who might be the people who know the Lord. My interpretation (not the Lord’s) is that the rulers of the nations together are the “he” in today’s world. The faithful remnant are those who stand firm. The rulers of the world together have tried to woo the church into following them. And in many cases the church does follow the world for better or worse. Usually, worse. However, God always preserves a remnant that follows the Lord by measuring all these suggestions from the world against the true word of God found in the Holy Bible.

            The culture has in large part reduced the authority of the Bible to nothing. Refusing God’s word. Our culture is following in the footsteps of Israel during the whole of the Old Testament. We must recall to our minds and hearts these precious words of wisdom and instruction from the word of God and follow them. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we will naturally follow where he leads. We need the Holy Spirit’s power to stand firm in this time of mass exodus from the church. We need to spend time on our knees praying to God for our culture. We must seek good things for our culture by walking by the Book. Let us pray that we will stand firm and bring glory to God.

Prayer:

            Lord, we ask you to help us to stand strong in the face of opposition to your ways. Help us to remain humble and repent if we have followed the way of this passing age. Father, you know that we desire nothing beside you in life. Lead, guide, and direct us to follow your path always. Forgive us when we stumble, cleanse us for service in your kingdom. Thank you, Father, for the gift of your Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit you have sent to us that we might be saved. Let us stand firm regardless of what our culture tells us to do. Amen.

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