Heaven Rules Sampl

Never Stop Keeping Watch

The battles taking place around us on earth reflect a greater spiritual conflict taking place in the heavens. The battles we observe in our world between good and evil, between truth and lies, or between the people of God and those who oppose God reflect something of this otherworldly warfare. So do the battles that rage within our families, within our churches, within the cells of our bodies, or anywhere else in our lives or our world.

We are prone to limit our sights to earthly realities. We draw conclusions and determine how to react on the basis of what we can see down here. But Daniel watched for what God was doing in the midst of, over and above, all the political intrigue and chaos going on around him on earth. That is what kept his heart and mind calm and gave him an excellent spirit and the wisdom to know what to do.

Watching for the right things, and looking in the right direction, will give us courage and comfort in the swirl of whatever may be happening around us. It is key to remaining steady over the long haul, to not being stirred up by earthly strife, earthly threats, earthly pressures, and earthly people. It is key to our continuing to serve the Lord when times are stormy, confusing, depraved, and godless.

But it’s not just a matter of watching. Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41 ESV). And that’s exactly what Daniel did.

And we’re not just talking about occasional, quick, distracted glances in God’s direction. Watching was an ongoing, established way of life for Daniel: “as I kept watching” (Dan. 7:9), “I continued watching” (7:13).

When it doesn’t look like God is doing anything in our situation or our world, we’re tempted to give up watching for Him and His activity. I believe this is one reason why so many Christians are chronically anxious and discouraged—because they’ve stopped watching. Or because their attention is fixed on what’s happening down here on earth, but they’ve forgotten to lift up their eyes to heaven.

So don’t stop watching. Don’t stop looking for what God is doing. Keep your eyes in God’s Word. Observe what plans He is unfolding here on earth. And always, always keep your eyes on Christ, the risen Lord of all creation.

—Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Questions:

• What circumstances distract you from keeping your mind on Christ?
• What are some practical steps you can take to continually watch for God and the ways He is working?