June 16, 2023
Passage Read: Daniel 8-11
Meditation Verse: 11:35
Thought
God allows hard things to come upon even the faithful servants of God, even on the wise. He allows them to be pressed and tempted and even fall, so that they can be refined, purified and made spotless. The great thing about the truly wise is that they know humility and are willing to repent when they discover their sin, when they recognize they gave way to temptation and chose sin. That is why the Lord loves them, and why there is no need to fear temptation and trial. They are for the purification of those who truly know and love their God.
Application
I have no reason to believe or expect things to be any different for me, if I truly love the Lord. If I set my heart on knowing and serving Him, I too will be tested so as to be proven. I will not be protected from trial or temptation, because the Lord's goal is to purify and make spotless those who delight in Him. He wants every reason to exalt them in His kingdom; He wants them to shine like stars in the universe. Indeed, the more favor and honor He desires to bestow on someone, the more trial and temptation He will arrange for that person. While it would be a wonderful thing to be highly honored and highly favored by the Lord, the truth is, the Lord is worthy of all loyalty and faithfulness and honor and respect and obedience just because He is such a holy and righteous God. Even if He promised no reward, He would be worthy of enduring all kinds of suffering in obedience to Him and to bring Him the glory He deserves, to prove that He is right in every command and instruction He has given by living in obedience to them all, no matter what opposition presents itself.