Written ~ 09-07-2023
Daniel 10:15-19
“While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me. ‘I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breath.’ The one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said, ‘for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!’ As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, ‘Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.’”
Wow, can you imagine being visited by a heavenly being? It must be overwhelming. Awesome, but overwhelming. Daniel had a vision that concerned him greatly, caused deep mourning and distress, this angelic being came to him to help bring understanding to that vision. Daniel becomes weak and unable to speak in his presence.
In verses 10:5-6 we have the description of this angelic being, this “man.”
“I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.”
In verse 10:7 it says that Daniel was the only one to see the vision of this “man,” but those around him were suddenly terrified and ran away. Can you imagine! In previous chapters in the Book of Daniel we see that Daniel has been visited by the archangel Gabriel a couple of times, but in our verses for today this angelic being is not named. When we read about Gabriel visiting Daniel there isn’t a description of him… So, this vision is different, we have a description of him, the other men with Daniel couldn’t see him, but they felt his presence.
Daniel’s vision had to do with events which, for him, were going to take place in the distant future and he was extremely distressed over the things he was seeing. The angelic being who appeared to him was there to provide understanding and comfort. When Daniel saw this “man” he became weak, his strength was gone, and he could hardly breathe.
When we go through a harrowing event, something has happened where we must pour our hearts out to the Lord, we pray, we cry out, we don’t understand what is going on. How does it leave you?
If I have a time of deep prayer and I am seeking the Lord for guidance, for understanding, I am pouring out everything I have to the Lord, when I rise from a prayer like that, I am usually exhausted, I feel weakened. Do you know why? Because the Holy Spirit is taking all my innermost groanings and praying for me, with me. I’ve left everything at the throne of God. When I am overcome by the presence of Almighty God, I feel much like Daniel when encountering this angelic being… Weakened, my strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe. But once I rise, give praise to the Lord, and I come to the full realization that I was just touched by God, my strength is regained. I feel empowered. So no matter what I am going through that caused me such distress and anguish, is eased. I may not hear the words like Daniel heard from the “man” in his vision, but I do feel it deep within my spirit… “Don’t be afraid. For you are precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
Whatever you may be going through, whatever is causing you stress or anguish and you don’t understand what is going on or why it is happening. Cry out to your Father in Heaven, give Him all the pain and suffering you are going through. And rejoice when you hear Him say,
“Don’t be afraid. For you are precious to Me. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
There are too many things in our future we can worry ourselves about because we don’t know what the outcome is going to be. By giving those worries to the Lord, He can help you live each day for today, without worrying for tomorrow. Daniel was exceedingly worried about the vision he had. Though what he saw in the vision was indeed troubling, it was not going to happen anytime soon, it was even told to him in Daniel 12:4,
“But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
So, how do we summarize these verses? Let’s concentrate on knowing God is near, His presence is known by those who seek Him for understanding. No matter what your day brings, He is saying to you, “Don’t be afraid. For you are precious to Me. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” When we feel that touch from the Lord, my prayer is that we all would be able to say,
“As You spoke these words to me, I suddenly feel stronger, and I say to You, ‘Please speak to me, my LORD, for You have strengthened me.’”
~AMEN~
For further reference I am including The Message (MSG) version of our verses for today:
Daniel 10:15-19 ~ “While he was saying all this, I looked at the ground and said nothing. Then I was surprised by something like a human hand that touched my lips. I opened my mouth and started talking to the messenger: ‘When I saw you, master, I was terror-stricken. My knees turned to water. I couldn’t move. How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I’m paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!’ “Then this humanlike figure touched me again and gave me strength. He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.’ “Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, ‘Go ahead, let my master speak. You’ve given me courage.’”