But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

Daniel 2

 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. Daniel 2:30

I pause in my study of Hebrews to study Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 2 as I lean on a commentary for its observations for v1-30. The commentary for this text highlights a few key themes, including how prayer is not just important but "essential" as it refers to Amos 3:7 and how Daniel and his companions prayed for God to intercede, not just for themselves but for all of the wise men of Babylon (v18).  The commentary also points to how it is implied in the text that Daniel must have had such peace about laying his concerns (including his life and that of his companions and all the wise men of Babylon) at God's feet that he was able to go to sleep (v19).  Daniel's response in song of praise (v20-23) is also highlighted, including key attributes of God: "eternality (v. 20); his omniscience and omnipotence (v. 20); his sovereignty over the nations (v. 21); his gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (v. 21); his revelation and knowledge (v. 22); his faithfulness to his people (v. 23); and for answering Daniel’s prayer (v. 23)." The commentary wraps by highlighting how Daniel gives all the credit to God for the gift Daniel has in interpreting dreams - building on my post yesterday.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and You hear and answer all of my prayers - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You intercede and bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

Daniel 2

 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47

I pause in my study of Hebrews to study Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 2 and my unaided observations of this chapter.  Here, this text describes how Nebuchadnezzar has dreams that trouble him and prevent him from sleeping well (v1-2).  Then Nebuchadnezzar asked the "magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans" to interpret his dreams, and he indicates that they are to do this (and be rewarded) or they will be killed (v3-6).  They ultimately tell the king that his request is not possible and the king was very angry - he then sent out a decree that all the wise man of Babylon be destroyed (v10-12). Daniel was able to persuade the captain of the guards that he could interpret the king's dreams (v14-16).  Before he went in to see the king, Daniel sought out his companions (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah), and told them to pray for mercy (v17-18).  The mystery of the king's dreams were then revealed to Daniel, and Daniel praised God (v20-23).  Daniel then appeared before the king and made it clear that God alone interpreted the dreams and it is his wisdom that reigns and Daniel is only used as a messenger (v28, 30). Daniel then interprets the dreams (v36-45), including how God will set up a kingdom that will last forever (v44) - a clear reference to Christ's reign.  Daniel is then rewarded (v46-49) for his ability to interpret the king's dreams and the king even acknowledges how God reigns (v47). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and You provide for all my needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual - and You are the source of all gifts and wisdom - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

Isaiah 28-29

This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. Isaiah 28:29

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, looking at Isaiah 28-29, I move along to Lesson 11, Day 2, which looks more closely at the divisions in Isaiah 28, including: 

• v1-6: Description of a proud and "drunk" Ephraim that failed to heed God's word
• v7-13: God's efforts to speak through the prophets met with mockery by the people, so God warns the people that foreign tongues (Assyrians) will deliver a message and will overrun the people as punishment
• v14-22: God's people turn not to God for protection but to their own efforts and to their neighbor Egypt; instead we are to turn to the Cornerstone of Zion
• v23-29: God tells a parable how He teaches a farmer how to ply his trade and how all science, wisdom and knowledge come from Him so we will be blessed by listening and submitting to Him 
  

My commentary describes several takeaways/applications: 

• Guard against over-indulgence (drunkenness of any kind)
• It is crucial that we hear and obey God's word
• Trust in Him vs ourselves or idols that post as gods in our lives
• See how all knowledge is the hand of God
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who protects me from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  You also are the source of all knowledge and the source of how this knowledge blesses me and others - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You do all of this and so much more!  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?...But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Chapter 15: Pages 197-207, 1 Corinthians 4:7, and 15:10

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?...But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 4:7, 15:10

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 1 "Setting the Stage" - moving to chapter fifteen "Knowing the Providence of the God Who Is". 

Piper defines the extent of God's providence as "how extensive, or far-reaching, is God's governance or control of created reality?" He then defines the nature of God's providence as how "he influences whatever it is that he governs.  Is his control always exerted in the same way?"  Up front, as he starts this new section, Piper writes that "[w]e depend on [God] for our being and for our knowing-especially our knowing of him.  We are because he is.  We know because he reveals."

In the subsequent chapters of this section Piper digs deeper into the "how" of providence - but for now I rest on how providence unfolds and settle on how according to Piper, scripture alone provides the answers.

I am reminded of Paul's words to Timothy and those of David from Psalms 16:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalm 16:2

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I KNOW that I am utterly dependent on You for all things, including understanding of Your providence and how it works.  Thank You for the gift of faith and for helping me understand You better - with each passing day I am renewed and know more about You - I also know that You are making me more like You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such rich blessings.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.....Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours....Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things....Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

1 Chronicles 26:12-29:22

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.....Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours....Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things....Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:9,11,12, and 14 

Day 106 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on additional division of responsibilities (gatekeepers, guards, treasurers, officials/tribe officers, judges, military commanders, overseers of possessions/herds/flocks, and the naming of David's closest advisors), David's address to Israel proclaiming Solomon as king and admonition to Solomon to be faithful in obeying/serving the Lord and building the temple, David's delivery of the temple plans, and finally a call to contribute funding to the effort to build the temple.

The people's response (1 Chronicles 29:6-9) was both willing and generous, and praised by David.

We must remember where wealth comes from and that it belongs to the Lord - whatever we may possess is first and foremost to be used to further the work of the Kingdom.  We must hold what we have loosely and give generously.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and provides for all my needs - physical, spiritual, etc. - thank You Jesus!  You have never failed to provide - even in the darkest hours.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You provide.  I love You Jesus!  Please forgive me for my sin - gossip, etc. Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You wiht all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

Luke 9

“Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” v3-5

Two key takeaways for me with the account of Jesus sending our the twelve (see also Matthew 10, Mark 3): 

1. When Jesus sends out the twelve He wants them to depend solely on Him - otherwise, the Twelve risk seeking fortune and gain for themselves, dependence on self, or dependence on wealthy benefactors.  God wants us to be 100% clear from where our livelihood comes.
2. We are to deliver the message - boldly - and not focus on any outcomes as this will be Jesus' role. 

Our primary job is to love Him and as a result of this to love others - see also Matthew 22:34-40.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has provided me with everything - life, family, health, etc. - You have also helped me through dark times and never left or forsaken me - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.