Sunday, March 5, 2023

Daniel 11:35 -- On Being Tried and Shaped

"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."
Daniel 11:35


The prophecy of Daniel of the Last Days in these chapters is interesting, but this one verse struck me because it explains what we don't always want or expect... that even the people who understand what God is doing, and are the good guys, even some of them will fall.

God explains here that it is to try them and purify them in preparation for something in the future... and I think that is the reason for a lot of our regular everyday trials as well. God is working on perfecting us, strengthening us for things that are coming in our lives, helping us to let go of bad habits, purifying us and preparing us for new and better lives.

It is the sinner to saint process, right? We can't walk into heaven the way we are right now. Our resentments and anger issues and imperfection won't work there. We have to learn new ways of dealing with people and change who we are... learning to react to everything with patience and kindness, and all of that other Godlike behavior we haven't quite perfected. :)

Today, let's try to be patient and humble in our trials, remembering that God gives them to us to help us learn what we need to face the future. Let's embrace those lessons and strive to understand what we're being taught rather than resisting and trying to resist the potter's hand. :) It's understandable to be scared and to want to hold on to our current shape, not knowing what shape we will be later... but this is God. We can trust him to improve everything and to retain the things that make us who we are. He's not making us into robots or slaves... just into our best selves.

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