Hey folks,
Today we're looking at something that's absolutely crucial for understanding how God works in times of crisis. When everything seems to be falling apart, that's often exactly where God is doing His greatest work. Let's dial in.
"Crisis doesn't mean God has lost control; it means He's demonstrating His sovereignty in ways we might not expect."
Daniel 1:1-2
"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand."
Check this out – there are two perspectives happening in these verses. First, there's the historical perspective: Babylon has conquered Jerusalem. Game over. Nebuchadnezzar wins. But then there's this theological bomb that gets dropped: "The Lord gave."
Here's what's powerful about this: Daniel wasn't looking at his circumstances through the lens of defeat. He understood something that we desperately need to grab hold of – our God reigns. He's not calling audibles. He's not been bullied. He's not in a tug of war with the forces of darkness.
Listen, if you're going to live with conviction in a world of compromise, this is the chief doctrine you must understand: God is sovereign. He's not wrestling with a formidable foe. He's the Supreme King of the universe.
Think about Daniel's situation. He's probably a teenager, watching his whole world crumble. The temple – destroyed. His home – gone. His future – completely derailed. From a human perspective, it looked like game over for God's people. But Daniel understood that God hadn't been overthrown – He was the one orchestrating events for His glory and His people's good.
This changes everything about how we view our current cultural moment. Who's in the White House isn't nearly as important as Who's on the throne in heaven. The continuation of Christ's Church isn't dependent on who's in public office. Jesus says, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail."
Where in your life are you viewing circumstances only from a historical perspective rather than a theological one?
How might your response to current cultural challenges change if you truly believed God was sovereign over them?
When a man with God stands alone, he's always in the majority (John Knox).
Stay dialed in,
Jonny Ardavanis
