Topic: Are You Wise? [DCLM Daily Manna 28 September 2019 Daily Devotional By Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Daniel 12:5-13 (KJV)
5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
Key Verse: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).
MESSAGE:
The passage for our consideration marks the climax of eschatological events as divinely revealed to Daniel. Precisely, it is a compact and prophetic announcement of the resurrection of the dead, the rapture and the great tribulation with a comforting assurance to Daniel that he shall be among the redeemed at the end. However, our key verse echoes explicitly the attitudes and lot of the wise (the righteous) and the wicked (the sinner and backslider). The wise shall hear, understand, believe and be saved (purified and made white). But the wicked shall remain adamant in his wickedness. Therefore, the great and eternally relevant question is: are you wise?
The wise is everyone who hears, believes and accepts the gospel by repenting of his sins and accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and Lord. He is the one that builds his house upon the rock to withstand all climatic conditions. The wicked is the sinner or backslider who turns deaf ears at the gospel. The wise shall resurrect into everlasting life and shine forever in heaven while the wicked shall resurrect into everlasting shame and contempt in hell.
Many, today, in their inordinate quest for temporal fortune, fame and fantasies of the contemporary world, despise the Bible and treat it with disdain at the expense of their eternal purity, peace, prosperity and pleasure in heaven. Even some people who had received the good news and were saved, are now reveling in their backsliding or outright apostasy.
Friend, what shall it profit you, if you gain the whole world and lose your soul at the end? Be wise like Daniel whose eternal saintliness and security are pronounced in the concluding verse of our text. Repent now, live a righteous life daily and secure your eternal joy in Christ.
Thought For The Day: The coming of the Lord for judgment is close; therefore be close to His Word to escape His wrath.
The Bible In One Year: Ecclesiastes 4–7
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
