Have you ever found yourself looking at a situation, and you think, “This is going to work out, now God will certainly make such-and-such happen, it would be exactly what He would want.”?
Like maybe the winning candidate in a presidential election.
Consider Daniel Chapter 6. Daniel has been faithful. Not just with one self-absorbed king, but two.
Now there is a ruler in Babylon who sees how excellent Daniel is, and this ruler wants to put Daniel over everyone.
Certainly, God would want Daniel in-charge!
Yet it does not happen. Instead, an elaborate evil plot is unleashed, leading to Daniel being thrown into what will certainly be his death—a lion’s den.
In the coming days we will take a look at the king, and also Daniel. For now however consider God’s role.
In considering God, we do so not to judge, but to learn. To learn that God is taking a longer view, a much longer view.
While we are looking at this time-bound situation facing Daniel, God is looking beyond.
The number of empires that have claimed supremacy since the Babylonians ruled has been impressive, and yet compared to eternity, they are but a speck.
Francis Chan has a cool video that sort of puts this idea in perspective.
God’s perspective is eternal—perhaps that is Daniel’s secret as well.
How about you and me? Do we live, daily, with this eternal perspective?