Read Daniel 7:13-14 and Luke 1:31-33
“[One like a son of man] was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)
When God reveals His intentions through a vision, we ought to position ourselves accordingly so that we may live it out. Daniel and Mary essentially received the same vision: that the people of all nations will one day worship the Son of Man. If we remain in a place where everyone is like us, we won’t see that vision fulfilled. Rather, our own vision will become stunted. We will make God small. We will come to imagine God favors us and our moment in time. We are prone, then, to a host of lies: that others do not love as we love, don’t need as we need, don’t suffer as we suffer. And if we manage to rouse ourselves to obedience and testify, it may be that the God we have to offer others—the God of our moment— is too small to matter.
I recently sat with a group of 22 people from 10 different countries. Everyone took time to formulate one question they would ask God if they could. Christians and non-Christians alike posed weighty questions about suffering, judgment, and evil. Even those who had no previous experience with God acknowledged that God, if He exists, is in control of everything and could answer their most pressing questions and fulfill their deepest needs. Who else among the nations is inquiring? What will it take to see them all one day worshiping the One who has all authority, glory and power?
I pray that you and I can keep in step with His spirit. He will forgive us when we falter, but woe to us if we ignore or try to revise what He long ago foretold. With or without us, His vision is coming to pass. Listen. Hear His praises rising in languages you do not understand.
DIG DEEPER:
- Break down the elements of the key verse. How might meditating on God’s authority, glory, sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and indestructible Kingdom affect the way you see God and other people?
- Consider that though Daniel and Mary received visions from God, we see those visions being fulfilled in ways they didn’t. Given that privilege, what do you think God requires of you?
written by Mari Reitsma Chevako
Recommended Posts
The Victory of Love
April 12, 2020
What Might Have Been
April 11, 2020
The Wonderful Reversal
April 10, 2020