Do you like being alone? There are times I like “alone time” … when walking, working in the garden and doing house maintenance. But generally I don’t like being alone. I enjoy having someone around me, not necessary to talk or to do some activity together … rather just to have someone around. Yet there is a time when you are alone and not alone! Alone without any humans around but not alone because God is with you. This is when you have your personal, private devotions. Remember Daniel had spent three weeks fasting and with fasting comes prayer. Now, although those with him deserted and hid away, the celestial visitor was with him.
Da 10:8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision.
1) The effects of being in Divine Company. It is spectacular … “this great vision!”
Da 10:8 I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.
Verse 1 starts by informing us that Daniel is now seeing a vision. One that staggers him because it is of the Lord.
(1) Physically all power deserted him.
(2) All blood drained from his face.
(3) Literally he was as stated, helpless. His condition was not because of some misfortune or terrible ordeal. It was because He saw the Lord! It reminds one of when Isaiah, in vision saw the Lord
Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Where both Daniel and Isaiah saw the Lord in vision, the results were similar. Maybe you will recall this was the apostle John’s experience on the Island of Patmos when he in vision saw the Lord
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
You will not experience vision but you will experience “presence” when you are deeply sincere in your private times with the Lord Jesus. Far too often we can rush into God’s presence or approach the Lord in an abusive manner when we speak to Him. It might be an idea to read a Psalm that focuses on God and His character before you start praying. This will calm you down and draw you into the beautiful holiness of God in all His majestic glory. This will prevent rushing, demanding and having the wrong attitude before the throne of grace and mercy.
2) The reaction to Divine Company.
Da 10:9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
As the Lord spoke with Daniel he fell into a deep sleep. The vision started whilst he was fully Compos Mentos … but as the Lord spoke he drifted into a deep sleep. Maybe this was because if he remained awake he would not have been able to focus on the message because of the grandeur of Divinity. Whilst we do not sleep in God’s presence we do become quiet because should we not, we won’t be able to concentrate and feast on what our Master wants us to achieve as we read the Bible and Pray.
3) The reverence due to Divine Company.
Da 10:10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
The very touch from the Lord sent Daniel into shivers of fear. Gradually he returns to consciousness. He fell to his hands and knees. This is the attitude we need to have when being in God’s presence. Reverence is required. Taking these three issues into consideration it will help us be extremely cautious as we enter our Lord’s presence. Never forget that God is Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things! Beloved, we live at a time when people, not just pastors and Church officials have a tendency of arrogance, being bombastic, ruthlessly demanding and even treating God as though He is their servants to respond their beck and call. We need to insure that we have a high view of the holiness, righteousness and the almightiness of God. The God of the Bible created everything that exits through speaking everything into existence. There was nothing and through Him speaking everything came into being.
Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
This God is not to be trifled with.
Heb 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
4) The love and compassion of Divinity.
Da 10:11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
Having said what has been said above, one born by God’s Spirit must never forget his or her high standing in Jesus before the Father.
(1) Daniel is told that he is ‘highly esteemed” … he is loved by God, special and precious to God. When you consider how God redeemed your soul, you have to agree that you are special and previous to God. Only God could give His all … His Son to die for those He chose because He loves them all … and more, He is making each one chosen into the likeness of His precious Son!
(2) Daniel is told to give special heed to the message. He is not just to hear the message he is required to understand the meaning of the message because it is from God and vitally important. When we approach the Word of God we need to “consider carefully” the Words God has already spoken in the Bible. You might have heard a teaching saying … “think it through” … after making an important point. We need to not only read the Bible or listen to an exposition of the Bible, we need to think through what we have either read or heard. Remember the Bereans in Acts 17:11? They … examined the Scriptures! They heard it preached and the examined the text. We need to do the same!
(3) Daniel is told to stand to his feet. How will he ever grasp the message on his hands and knees? Whether it is reading or listening our posture is important, not just out of reverence but to enable concentration!
(4) Daniel once again trembles standing before this Divine visitor. I am certain that if you are serious about your relationship with God you will be serious about receiving His Word into your soul too.
O God our Father, mercifully forgive us for every time we have abused You being flippant. Help us to honor and revere You. Amen.