Lion yawning. Taken on safari in Tanzania. by John Storr

Good morning, beloved,

Well, yesterday was a day close to the roaring lion’s mouth. I knew that I was in the midst of kingdom work by 7:30pm last night as I sat in the doctor’s office for my silly toe. I think through my little children in my group in my VBS, asking for Bible’s…not having a home church, wanting to know more, coming in for hugs, asking questions. Annabelle, Audrey, Ella, Emma, Gracie, Jonah, Kenner, Olivia, Sean, Sam…oh, beloved, the kingdom of heaven belongs to these! So precious! Watching them worship, listen to the Word taught, I imagine the Lord seated on High with His hands clasped in joy…the Spirit was falling fresh.

My niece and nephew took off on their bikes yesterday. So exciting. My son, only the last weekend had done the same. I was waiting for a phone call to come in to go get an xray on my foot when the kids came screaming in for me. Luke had been injured. It turns out Luke took off his helmet, ran into the car, scraped his knee, fell to the ground, then his poor cousin didn’t realize (in his fervor of learning to ride a bike just that day), ran over Luke’s head with the bike and then the whole bike fell on top of him. As I walked over, okay, ran (yes, ran with my foot..) the blood was pouring out of his mouth, I just took him to the ER. It scared me. He’s had concussions before with trying to learn to ride. Thankfully, a mild head injury, but to lumps to the head, cut inside the mouth, multiple cuts on the legs…and yet what did he want to do when he came home? Get back on. My mother’s heart was a bit raw.  Pour cousin Max was cut up too with emotion and with bruises..and yet he got back on as well.

I think for me, along with waiting for my xray order for 2 hours, and then for my doctor to come in for my appointment, I hit a wall. And yet the Lord brought me back to some of His verses that He gave me a very long time ago…and all of the tension, anxiety (I had my blood pressure up to 140/84) Ahem. diffused. Entirely. I felt like a balloon deflating. It was a gift. The setting sun was setting into my doctor’s room and He gave me verses and reminded me.

Psalm 46: ¹⁰ Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. (Except in the NASB, in the footnotes it says Cease striving and know that I am God). And I realized, I was so riled and so worked up and had to just stop and get my priorities back. Luke was fine. Praise Him! My foot was fine. Then, I didn’t even remember this verse but it makes me tear up this morning, look at this, if you read yesterday’s: verse 11: ¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (I taught my kids what Selah meant in my group yesterday..lol)

Then the other verses He gave me:

Isaiah 43:  Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

³ For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

⁴ Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.

⁵ Fear not, for I am with you;

The doctor called me late last night. The toe is not broken! It is bruised badly. WOOHOO! So glad.

So today, in the camp the kids are learning about Daniel (not my son, he loves when I do that…) and the lions den. Now, before you all say, oh, I know that story, I’m skipping the rest. WAIT! WAIT! Sheesh.

I’m not going to tell you that story. I’m not even going to give you those verses. SO aren’t you glad you stayed with me?

Daniel 2

¹⁹ Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁰ Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His!

²¹ He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding!

²² He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him!

²³ I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, Who has given me wisdom and might and has made known to me now what we desired of You, for You have made known to us the solution to the king’s problem.

What do we learn here?

Earlier in Daniel 1, we learned Daniel was given the gift of visions and dream interpretation. As soon as Daniel got up the next morning, he knew what to do first:

Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Now, I don’t know about you, but if your neck was on the line, and the answer was in your head, how easy would it be rush off to the king and THEN, praise?) Oh, but Daniel understood the right order! He knew. Take note.

To bless:

1) to bless, kneel

1) kneeling (participle)

2) to be blessed

b) (Pael) to bless, praise

Alright, to understand the more about the nature of God through the praise and worship of Daniel:

1. Wisdom and might-He’s the source
2. Author of times and seasons
3. King of kings: removes and sets kings
4. Revealer of the deep and secret things

Here’s some more truth, I need it today:

2 Chronicles 20:²¹ When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

Psalm 72: ¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things!

1 Chronicles 29:¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all.

¹² Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hands are power and might; in Your hands it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Oh, beloved. Hold tight to Him today. Don’t let go. No matter what your circumstances appear. God gives strength. He does wondrous things. Pray on. Pray on!

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• The Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God (leadmeintheeverlastingway.com)
• Psalms 66-68 (mybiblereadingplan.wordpress.com)
• Lets Praise the Lord (sugarlandcocyoungadults.wordpress.com)
• Words to Praise Him (mywingsaremadeoffaith.typepad.com)
• 5 Ways to Praise the Lord (faithfulprovisions.com)
• Selah (scottsholar.com)
• Struggling with Fear (ptl2010.com)
• Context, context, context. (steakandabible.com)
• Do You Memorize Scripture? (livingboldlyforhim.com)