MICHAEL STIRRING!

MICHAEL STIRRING!

Dan 10:10-14

10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

          The name of this mighty angel forms a question: "Who is like God?" It is composed of three parts: ‎mi‎, meaning "who"; ‎ci‎, meaning "like"; and ‎el‎, the name for God, emphasizing power. One of his assigned duties is to protect the nation Israel from her enemies.

In Daniel's time, an angel of lower rank and power than Michael was sent from heaven to Daniel to answer his prayers and to give revelation regarding Israel's future and the end times. However, he was delayed in transit three weeks by an opposing spirit ruler, a demon, called "the prince of Persia." Then came Michael, the angel said, "to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia" (Dan 10:13). After the angel delivered God's message to Daniel, he left to do battle in the spirit world with "the prince of Greece. . . . Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince" (10:20-21).

(from Names of Angels © 1997 by C. Fred Dickason. All rights reserved.)

          As the world grows increasingly evil and violence against Israel presses in on all sides, there is one who will arise to defend them. His name is “Who is like God?” He is God’s great warrior prince.

Ps 91:10-11

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Dear Lord, encamped all around me are unseen protectors and watchers. Let me move with the confidence that comes from knowing you have set a guard over me. AMEN

GOD’S PROMISES FOR TODAY!

GOD’S PROMISES FOR TODAY!

Isa 41:10-16

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

In these verses God promises…

1. His PRESENCE for the lonely!

One translation says: “Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.” (v.10) Anxiety is the companion of the lonely. When we are abandoned we long for a companion either to challenge our opinions or to confirm them. Jesus promised to be that constantly abiding friend we need.

2. His POWER for the helpless!

I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (v.10) He is our strength when we are weak – help when we are out of resources – and support when we fail and fall.

3. His PROTECTION for the vulnerable!

Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable in this world. Those who would abuse them should pay close attention to what the Bible has to say about God’s love of widows and orphans!

Ps 68:5

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

4. His PURPOSE for those who feel useless!

I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. (v.15)

Dear Lord, thank you for being all that I need today. I bring to you my long list of deficiencies and you give to me your long list of supplies. AMEN

BE TRUE TO YOU!

BE TRUE TO YOU!

Ex 23:2-6

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

The mark of adulthood is not a chronological age passed; it is the development of personhood. It means that you have become who you have been becoming and that you are consistent and comfortable with that persona. It means you have cast off the funny fads of adolescence and found a style that is functional and appropriate to the occasion. It means that you do not agree with a faceless crowd simply because it is a crowd.

It is almost painful to watch an adolescent grow up and even more painful to see those who have reached the age where they should have grown up but failed to do so.

Take a look at the important points in our Scripture portion today.

1. Don’t always follow the crowd – especially if it is a mob! Why do people feel they have to say what others say, do what others do, and even wear what others wear in order to feel significant? Especially refrain from swearing to a lie even if everyone else says it is true. Verse 2 particularly speaks of being cautious not to agree with the majority opinion if it is false and would convict the innocent man or release a guilty one.

2. Don’t allow sympathy to cause you to tolerate wrong! This is the force of verse 3 which basically means that you should never be partial to a poor man just because he is poor. Again, do not allow yourself to tolerate sin in someone if he is capable of doing right. Parents often hinder their children from reaching adulthood because they will not hold them accountable.

3. Be a blessing even to someone who is not your friend! Verses 4 and 5 give us the scenario of an “enemy” whose donkey runs away. If you find the donkey simply return it to the owner. If you find the donkey collapsed under a heavy load and the owner, who is your enemy, is struggling with it you should stop and offer to help. It’s really that simple!

William Shakespeare said: “And this above all unto thine own self be true and it shall follow as the day the night – thou can’st not then be false to any man.”

Dear Lord, help me to be fully grown, mature and faithful today. Help me to stand for truth and principles even if I must stand alone. AMEN