Daniel 7:9, 15-26 – Don’t Miss the Director
A number of years ago, the police in one of Northern Ireland’s seaside towns received a terribly disturbing phone call. The man who phoned was hungry so he went to one of the local takeaways to order a burger. But when he got there, he got the fright of his life – there was an armed robbery in progress! Thinking quickly, he darted away from the door before he was spotted and dialled 999.
The armed police arrived within minutes and when they got there, they saw a chaotic scene. A man with a mask, brandishing a gun, was holding several people hostage. These officers drew their guns and persuaded the armed robber to drop his weapon and get down on the ground. It’s only at this point that they discovered things were not what they seemed – the gun wasn’t real. This young man was a film student and the “hostages” were film students too. They were doing an assignment and they had arranged with the restaurant to film this dramatic scene.
I sometimes think of the terrified man who understandably phoned the police. His actions were understandable, but what if he had simply looked in a slightly different direction? What if he had looked beyond the “gun” and the frenzied “robber” and had fixed his eyes on the camera, boom mic, or director? He would have realised that behind the scenes, someone had things completely under control.
I’m not suggesting that the kingdoms described in Daniel 7 aren’t real. They were real and they were terrifying. Yet, we need to get the dangers in perspective. There is someone behind the scenes, a great director who has everything in control. What a help that must have been to Daniel’s first readers who faced intense persecution! What a help it should be to us as we face opposition too. Over the next few days, we’ll see more of this great director. Let’s learn the lesson now though: lift our eyes from the beasts, fix them on the one who’s in control. (v9)
Questions
- When are you most likely to forget that God is directing all things from heaven?
- What happens to you when you forget this?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would give you a Christ-centred calmness amidst the turmoil we see
on Earth. - Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.