This morning I am thinking about the Babylonian Exile. It has been a year now since Chris died, as well as the death of many other things in between that time; the death of a vision, relationships, and people that I love dearly. I have often wondered how the Jewish Nation must have felt when being invaded, and to their surprise, defeated. I am sure many struggled with offense saying, ‘You promised, God, and now You have forsaken us!!’ Many probably resolved in their heart that the Lord was a liar, not even considering the warnings of the prophet Isaiah.
When I consider the events in my life over this last year, I feel as though I can relate to Israel. I think of hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters that have hit our globe recently, and consider the way it must have affected the people. There is a devastation that hits the heart of man when his life is invaded and exiled, whether emotionally, circumstantially, naturally, or forcefully. You lose yourself, shaken to the core, and the only thing that remains is the core of who you really are. The reality of your heart becomes exposed when the props are removed.
I like the way Mike Bickle explains growing older in the Lord. He communicated how when he was younger he often looked at people who had been saved for 30-40 years, and thought about how they must enter into the presence of the Lord so easily and their knowledge of Him must be so vast. He said ‘Now that I am getting on in years, I’m realizing it is more of a miracle that they have simply continued to say ‘yes’ to the Lord. They have experienced a hundred disappointments and a hundred failures, and they had to work through the bitterness, mistrust, and offense that naturally comes in those times to say ‘yes’ again to the Lord”
Among the defeats and invasions that are sure to come in life, I don’t want to lay myself in the dust to be trampled and held captive to the worldly grief that leads to death. Rather, I aspire to choose faithfulness as Daniel did. He was exiled and forced to serve in the king’s court in Babylon. Even through the insecurity of what was to become of Israel and the promises of God, Daniel lived a fasted lifestyle, remaining faithful to God. I love in Daniel 7 when he has the vision of God on the throne, I imagine what an encouragement it must have been to him. Like the Lord saying “It’s still on, I’m going to do all I promised!!”
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14 I believe this is something to be learned in our hearts, amidst all the trials, set our minds on the throne, just as Daniel’s vision. Our hope is in His mercies that never end (Lam 3:23-24), our hope is in His promise to return and redeem(Hab 2:3, Ps 130:5-7), our help is in the name of the Lord (Ps 124:8)!!!
‘ “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the LORD, your Redeemer. “
Isaiah 54:7-8
