Heaven Rules 預覽

The Micro Perspective

Heaven rules over everything. Think of this truth as the macro perspective—the big picture. This should give us courage and comfort in the midst of the upheaval in our world. But it’s equally comforting and encouraging to realize that Heaven also rules over the details of our individual lives. This is the micro perspective—the view through a zoom lens or even a microscope. Yes, God rules over the huge events playing out on the national and world stages. But He also rules in the minutiae of our personal lives, events that would never make the evening news.

Daniel 1 provides us a living canvas for observing this personal aspect of God’s care and control—the micro view. We’re told that in taking Judah captive, Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to “bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility—young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace” (1:3–4). His plan was to set these young men on an intensive three-year training program. While they were training, he would supply them with everything needed for their daily provision, including the best possible food and drink.

We’re seeing here a king at his crafty and swaggering best, a king who appears in absolute control, a king who believes he’s got this group of young Israelites right where he wants them.

But no. When “invited” (read, coerced) into the palace of the known world’s greatest power, Daniel still knew who was the true Ruler of the world, the One to whom he answered and to whom he owed his ultimate allegiance. As a result, despite the flak, he knew his resistance would generate, Daniel “determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank” (Dan. 1:8).

Note carefully what the Bible says next: “God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch” (1:9).

“A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand,” the Bible says (Prov. 21:1), as are the hearts of all those in authority, even if they don’t acknowledge God. Even if they hate and resist God. Even if they worship other gods, our God still “directs” their hearts “wherever he chooses.” There’s not a king or leader or president, not even your boss at work, whose heart God cannot touch and turn; not a person God cannot cause to carry out His will.

—Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Questions:

• How have you seen God at work in the middle of your life?
• How does thinking of God’s rule from a macro and micro perspective give you comfort and confidence to carry out what He calls you to do?