Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
(Daniel 9:5 (NIV))

When Daniel prayed for the exiled Israel, he did not sugar coat his words.

In fact, he pleaded with the Lord. He fasted. He clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes.

What would Daniel pray about us today? Would he use these same words? Would he see the same things in what our society has been doing, or would he see even worse things?

Think about these questions.

We look back at events and we do one of two things. Some people will sugar coat them and neglect them. Most people will greatly exaggerate the events. In comparison, when we look at things that are happening all around us today, most people tend to gloss over them. Some will recognize them. We, as a society, sugar coat what we are seeing. We fail to recognize the severity of what we are in the middle of. This attitude reminds me of the following passage.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
(Matthew 7:3 (NIV))

We have a tendency to point to the events of the past as something that can't happen again, yet, too many times, they do happen and we don't see it coming. In fact, we do this so much that we fail to recognize the need to do what Daniel did when he prayed for the exiled Israel.

Are you praying for what you see, or are you so engrossed in your daily life that you only care about things if they have a direct impact on you?

I want you to take a very serious look at the state of the world and answer one last question in relation to what Daniel prayed about.

Is this still us?

Copyright 1998 - 2026 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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