OCTOBER 24 READING…DANIEL 7-8 & JAMES 3
I am not sure any of us would really want to know the future, though there is something in us that does. When it comes to God’s prophetic word, it gives us a clear and sure picture of the future. God is the author of history, even before it becomes history. Daniel is given a dream of the future, in the last days of the Babylonian empire. This dream correlates to the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar about the multi-metallic image. This time the dream is expressed with different beasts…each beast represents future empires, and each description gives a clearer picture of those empires than did the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel is given the ability to see the future of the world. Some of this would happen immediately, and is history for us. But, his dream would take him to the end of time, and for us, this portion of his dream is prophetic. The final point of this dream is the certainty of the return of the Lord, who will destroy all the endeavors of mankind to build their kingdoms without God. Both chapter 7 & 8 of Daniel give us a more detailed picture of the kingdoms to come upon the earth until the time of the second coming of Jesus. James writes about one of our greatest struggles as followers of Christ. That is the control of our tongues. Once something is spoken, or written, it is virtually impossible to take it back. It is so hard for all of us to control our tongues. The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, we all know is not true. Words destroy, and words build up. Some of the greatest hurts we have all had have been what someone has carelessly said to us. We need to measure our verbiage…and speak things that edify. That doesn’t mean we must only speak what is considered “positive”, but we are to speak that which is beneficial. Faith brings wisdom, and we need to speak and relate in that wisdom that comes from God.
Please share your thoughts.
TOMORROW’S READING…DANIEL 9-10 & JAMES 4