20When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20)
Good morning family! I pray this message reaches you in good health, good spirits, and in good faith. We have been extremely busy over here in Poland, and we are about to get really busy for the next week. We had a forced day off today, so I finally have time to sit done and put a post together.
My reading through the entire Holy Bible has continued to inch along. I have reached the Book of Daniel, considered the last of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel). Daniel is a much shorter book but it contains some of the most exciting stories from these prophets. There is the amazing account of Shadarch, Meshach, and Abednego being saved in the fire, and the story of a ghostly apparition of the writing on the wall. The verse above comes from when Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den by a somewhat reluctant King Darius of the Medo-Persian Empire. After a night in the lion’s den, King Darius runs to see if the Living God of the Jewish Exiles had saved Daniel’s life. King Darius discovers that God did indeed spare Daniel, protecting him from harm. Afterward, King Darius throws in the conspirators who tricked the King into making the law that forced Darius to have to punish Daniel. The lions quickly devour the officials and their families. Then King Darius makes a very wise decree throughout his kingdom that all should fear and tremble before “the God of Daniel” (Daniel 6:26).
The same God that shut the mouths of the lions protects and keeps His people safe every single day. While it may not be in such dramatic fashion as this story, we may never see the way the Lord of Heaven’s Armies deploys His angels to keep those who love and serve Him safe through every day. Whether by making a family miss their exit where a drunk driver is traveling the wrong way up an off-ramp on a dark interstate, or those gentle whispers that cause you to rethink a deadly path while hiking through unknown terrain, God’s hand is everywhere. Give your heart to Him and fall under the protection in the shade of His shadow. I pray that supernatural protection keeps you safe throughout the coming year.
If you have not been keeping up with all the amazing music in the Christian Contemporary/Worship genre, you are missing out on some remarkable releases. Every year, I feel like there will be no way for CCM to match the quality of the songs and albums they have released through the previous twelve-months. But, without fail, the heavy hitters continue to produce powerful ballads and melodies, and new artist emerge to give a joyful sound of praise for our Living God. I have missed sharing numerous singles with y’all over the last four weeks, but the song below is one of my favorites thus far. And this week, Benjamin William Hastings released a new version with one of my favorite male artists, Mr. Brandon Lake jumping in to make this beautiful work even better. Click the link below and enjoy.
Common Sense Reborn 