When God Seems Absent, He's Most Present

Hey folks,

We've been diving into some vital truth about God's sovereignty, and today I want us to zero in on a reality that changes everything about how we view our current cultural moment. In Daniel 1:1-2, we see a truth that's absolutely critical for us to grasp as we navigate an increasingly hostile world. Let's dial in.

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. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand..."

Picture this: You're a 15-year-old Jewish teen, and your entire world is literally crumbling. The mighty Babylonian army has descended on Jerusalem. The temple - the very symbol of God's presence - is being ransacked. From a human perspective, it looks like total defeat. Game over. Where is God in all of this?

But Daniel gives us two camera angles of the same event. First, we get the world's perspective: Nebuchadnezzar came and conquered. Simple as that. But then, boom - verse 2 drops this theological bombshell: "the Lord GAVE Jehoiakim... into his hand."

Let this sink in: What looked like God's defeat was actually God's decree. What appeared to be His absence was actually His sovereignty on full display. The same God who measures the oceans in the hollow of His hand and calls every star by name was orchestrating every detail of this seeming catastrophe.

Here's why this matters for us right now: We're living in a time when it can feel like everything is unraveling. The culture is becoming increasingly hostile to biblical truth. You might feel like that 15-year-old Daniel, watching everything familiar get stripped away. But remember - God isn't wringing His hands in heaven. He's not calling divine audibles because His plan got derailed.

Stay anchored in truth,
Jonny Ardavanis