relationships (Hosea 2:1-23) Who or What Do We Cling To?

(Hosea 2:1-23)

Say to your brothers, “Ammi,” and to your sisters, “Ruhamah.”

2   “Dispute with your mother, dispute,
     Because she is not my wife, and I am not her husband;
     But she must remove her infidelity from her face 
     And her adultery from between her breasts,
3   Otherwise, I will strip her naked 
     And expose her as on the day she was born.
     I will also make her like a wilderness,
     Make her like desert land,
     And put her to death with thirst.
4   Also, I will take no pity on her children,
     Because they are children of infidelity.
5   For their mother has committed prostitution;
     She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
     For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
     Who give me my bread and my water,
     My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6   Therefore, behold, I will obstruct her way with thorns,
     And I will build a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.
7   And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them;
     And she will seek them, but will not find them.
     Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband,
     Because it was better for me then than now!’

8   “Yet she does not know that it was I myself who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
      And lavished on her silver and gold,
     Which they used for Baal.
9   Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time 
     And My new wine in its season.
     I will also take away My wool and My flax 
     That I gave to cover her nakedness.
10 So now I will uncover her lewdness 
     Before the eyes of her lovers,
     And no one will rescue her from My hand.
11 I will also put an end to all her joy,
     Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
     And all her festivals.
12 And I will destroy her vines and fig trees,
     Of which she said, ‘They are my wages for prostitution 
     Which my lovers have given me.’
     And I will turn them into a forest,
     And the animals of the field will devour them.
13 I will punish her for the days of the Baals
     When she used to offer sacrifices to them 
     And adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry,
     And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,” declares the Lord.

14 “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her,
     Bring her into the wilderness,
     And speak kindly to her.
15 Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
     And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.
     And she will respond there as in the days of her youth,
     As in the day when she went up from the land of Egypt.
16 And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
     “That you will call Me my husband 
     And no longer call Me my Baal.
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
     So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.
18 On that day I will also make a covenant for them 
     With the animals of the field,
     The birds of the sky,
     And the crawling things of the ground.
     And I will eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
     And will let them lie down in safety.
19 I will betroth you to Me forever;
     Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
     In favor and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
     Then you will know the Lord.

21 “And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord.
     “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
     And they will respond to Jezreel.
23 I will sow her for Myself in the land.
     I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion,
     And I will say to those who were not My people,
     ‘You are My people!’
     And they will say, ‘You are my God!’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Hosea's wife had a loving husband and everything she needed in her marriage, but in her fleshly desires, she left him and their home to use her body to "earn" things.  To add insult to injury, she gave glory to her many lovers for making her "rich".  Let's parallel this to how all good gifts come from God, yet how easy is it for people to take the credit for themselves, or give credit to other things, or other gods.  And, as believers, when we do this, it is like committing adultery against God.

It is so very easy to become used to evil, divisiveness and destructive lifestyles.  Just like those living in a hoarder's house, little by little, one becomes blind to the mess, and nose-blind to toxic smells.  And one becomes deaf when they grow up in or are indoctrinated with lies.  It is the hatred, fear and/or love of power, money and/or temporary pleasures that will keep them from truly hearing facts and truth.  Those who have been shaped by abuse most often repeat the pattern, either becoming abusive or clinging to those who are, believing that this is true love.

But the Lord God has a much better way!  Even despite what is happening to us, or around us, we can experience His blessings, His peace, joy, love, strength, wisdom, understanding, compassion, grace, patience, goodness, etc... The list is long!  And it all ends with eternal life, with a perfect heavenly Father!  But this is not something we deserve, earn or take;  we must recognize our need for Jesus and the forgiveness that He provides.

Some people refuse to see that this even exists.  So, how can one recognize their need to have the Lord God in their lives if one becomes or remains deaf and blind?  Well, as verse 6 says, God will obstruct "her" way with thorns.  And in verse 9, God will uncover one's nakedness to expose one's sin and the false path that one is on.

God's love is so great!  And because He desires to have a personal relationship with everyone, He came in flesh to die in our place and pay the price for all sins, so that He can offer to us the free gift of salvation.  And because God loves us so much and wants us to continue in a close relationship with Him, He gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit, who seals us, convicts and guides us.  Even Christians can become blind or numb when we stray, so God will allow difficulties to draw us back.

God is faithful!  He protects His children, and keeps us for all eternity.  And when we walk in His way, we are blessed.  Our relationship with the Lord is definitely something we can get used to, and something we should definitely value, cherish and cling to, above all else!!!

relationships (Hosea 1:1-11) A Pursuing Love

(Hosea 1:1-11)

The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for the land commits flagrant infidelity, abandoning the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. 7 But I will take pity on the house of Judah and save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not your God.”

10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel 
     Will be like the sand of the sea,
     Which cannot be measured or counted;
     And in the place 
     Where it is said to them,
     “You are not My people,”
     It will be said to them,
     “You are the sons of the living God.”
11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together,
     And they will appoint for themselves one leader,
     And they will go up from the land,
     For the day of Jezreel will be great.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 7 is a prophecy of salvation in Jesus.  When He came to earth in flesh the first time, the Israelites expected Him to physically save them from the Romans; but He was there to accomplish the work on the cross which would spiritually save people from their own sin.  As for Israel, during the Tribulation, they will see the judgments (the "signs") and know that Jesus is coming again.  Then they as a nation will believe and accept Jesus as their Savior, Messiah and King, who will lead them into the Millennial kingdom described here in verses 10-11. 

Now, it is never God's will for us to sin, even if it would accomplish something "good".  God's word is very clear to us, that we should not be unequally yoked.  Therefore, as a believer, we should marry another steadfast believer.  Marriage is difficult enough, and therefore, it is a great benefit and help when a husband and wife both put God first in their lives and in their marriage.  When both embrace and learn from God's unconditional, sacrificial love, God will help both of them to love each other with this same pursuing, persistent love, which is not based on a feeling, but on a choice!

So in this passage, it's most likely that Hosea's wife became a prostitute after they were married, as it says in verse 2, he was to take "a woman inclined to infidelity". This is a very unique and specific event.  Nowhere else is anyone told to do this.  And in this particular marriage, was a living allegory of the relationship between Israel and God.  And even though Israel has committed adultery against Him, He remains graciously faithful to His promises, and never stops loving them.

In the same way, while God never forces anyone to love Him back, and never forces anyone to remain obedient, God loves all people, pursues us and convicts our sinful hearts, having a great desire to forgive, because He has a much better way for us, which includes eternal life.  The Lord forgives all those who humbly go to Him, confess their sins, and seek a personal relationship with Him.

relationships (Daniel 12:1-13) Timely Encouragement

(Daniel 12:1-13)

“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the stream and the other on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish smashing the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. 8 But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” 9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time. 10 Many will be purged, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. 11 And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who is patient and attains to the 1,335 days! 13 But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will rest and rise for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

For the Israelites to have their promised land, seed and blessings - in full - they must, as a nation, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and accept Him as their Messiah, King and Savior!  And this will only happen at the end of the Tribulation (the remaining seven years of the Jewish Age), when they see the signs of Jesus' second coming (which are the judgments prophesied in Revelation).  

Verses 1-2 briefly describe the judgement of nations, which will occur at the end of the Tribulation.  This is when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25) - the believers from unbelievers.  The unbelievers are removed from the earth, and all those who became believers during the Tribulation will remain and go with Jesus, who will set up the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants with Israel.

For the Israelites to have all covenants fulfilled, according to the Abrahamic covenant, there has to be perfect obedience, according to the Mosaic covenant.  And according to the Davidic covenant, there needs to be a righteous and everlasting King on their throne.  In God's great plan, He chose Israel to be "the missionaries" to the nations, so that all people could see God's power and blessings, and come to believe in Him!  But over the years, and when Jesus came the first time, they as a nation rejected the Lord and crucified Him.

This exactly parallels the spiritual condition of every human being.  We are all born into sin, fall short of God's glory, and are deserving of death and punishment.  But, God desires that all come to know Him as their personal Savior, Lord and King, so that He can give us land (heaven), seed (fruitfulness) and blessings (eternal joy).  This is why He came in flesh, to take our place in death and punishment, in order to pay the price for all sin, of all time!

The Lord Jesus did all of this, so that anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him, will be forgiven of all their sins, and be saved.  In His salvation, we are covered in the righteousness of Jesus... spiritually reborn, and adopted into the family of God!  God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin.  Therefore, to be a legitimate child, we must share His DNA!!!  It should be very obvious why we cannot earn our own way to heaven.  And it should be very obvious why Jesus is the only way!

Like Daniel, as believers, God has given us purpose and spiritual gifts, in order to serve the Lord, and others... to share God's word and His the message of salvation, to teach, edify and encourage... all in the Lord's love, strength and guidance.  Wherever we find ourselves, we are all called to be "missionaries".  And just like with Daniel, we are told not to worry about anyone or anything!  God is sovereign, and He has a plan which He will carry out, all in His timing.  As well, God is love and cares about us, even if and when God's plan seems overwhelming.

Notice in verse 13, when Daniel is basically told not to worry!  Because he was an Israelite, he truly desired to be there when God fulfilled all of their covenants.  But with all of this information he was hearing, because he was a believer, he realized that he would not be part of the desolations of the Tribulation, no matter when this would happen.  So, how would he ever be able to experience the wonderful promises of land, seed and blessings here on earth?  Well...

God is so amazing.  And He wants us to be encouraged, and He wants to bless us.  Therefore, the Lord gave this message to Daniel (and for everyone to read)!  For Daniel, and all Israelites who believed in the Lord and have died already, they will - in their glorified bodies - see and enjoy what God has promised (along with all other believers before the "rapture").  And then those becoming believers in the Tribulation and dying before the seven years are finished, they too - in their glorified bodies - will see and enjoy what God has promised, here on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity!

This certain hope, in itself, is an amazing blessing, and a great encouragement!

relationships (Daniel 11:1-45) Choosing and Embracing Help

(Daniel 11:1-45)

“In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be of assistance and a protection for him. 2 And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir up the entire empire against the realm of Greece. 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, because his sovereignty will be removed and given to others besides them.

5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and rule; his domain will be a great realm indeed. 6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to reach an agreement. But she will not keep her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail. 8 And he will also take into captivity to Egypt their gods with their cast metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

10 “And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, so that he may again wage war up to his fortress. 11 And the king of the South will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be handed over to the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also raise themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 And he will set his mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his taunting against him; moreover, he will repay him for his taunting. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found.

20 “Then in his place one will arise who will allow an oppressor to pass through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the majesty of kingship has not been conferred; but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 And the overflowing forces will be flooded away from him and smashed, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers did not, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, because schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, because the end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will withdraw in fear and will return and curse the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and pay attention to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. 32 And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 And some of those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

36 “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and boast against every god and will speak dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will be successful until the indignation is finished, because that which is determined will be done. 37 And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will boast against them all. 38 But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, precious stones, and treasures. 39 And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

40 “And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will reach out with his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and annihilate many. 45 And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There aren't any evil actions or intentions within God's will!  But as He has given everyone a free will, He allows evil to exist and work, allowing them only so much leeway in order to help bring about His will.  When a jeweler shows anyone a diamond, they place it on a black background because this is when the majestic qualities of the diamond are most obvious.  God knows what He is doing, and one day He will put an end to all sin and suffering.

Meanwhile, no one can say that God hasn't given them a chance to do things their own way!  God has given, and gives us, plenty of opportunities to do things our way, but from personal experience, this never goes well.  The Lord God's way is the way of righteousness, and His way always works out for good.  Does that mean everything here on earth will go perfectly for everyone who is a believer?  Actually, the Lord tells us that we will face persecution.  

Now, even when I did things my way - the world's way - I still faced persecution.  But that was going through the consequences of my bad decisions.  Things did not work out for good... UNTIL I decided to go back to doing things God's way, and God turned all of that around for good.  I still lost all of my friends, and was very much alone for a while, but that was really for the best!  I then had an opportunity to focus on my relationship with the Lord, and from there, start to build up a new friend-base that would help me to remain steadfast.  

Of course, God is always there to help us in everything, even in those times we face persecution for doing things God's way - but in that - we will have great peace and confidence, because we are on God's side.  As He calls us to share and to serve, He will equip us and guide us through, in His love, peace, strength and wisdom!

Christians have been martyred over the course of history, and they are still.  And from verse 34, we see that God gives faithful believers, those who are truly believers, extra strength and help in those extreme moments of distress.  This can be a testimony to many in order to help them see their need to be saved, as well as to be an encouragement to other believers that God will see us through anything. How can we say, "God is always there for us" if we never go through anything? So, when we go through tests and trials, these are amazing, awesome opportunities to see how God will work in our lives and in the lives around us!

relationships (Daniel 10:1-21) Choosing To Be Confident In Christ

(Daniel 10:1-21)

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and it concerned great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.

2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man dressed in linen, whose waist had a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like topaz, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great fear fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my complexion turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

10 Then behold, a hand touched me and shook me on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “Daniel, you who are treasured, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, because the vision pertains to the days still future.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And behold, one who resembled a human was touching my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “My lord, due to the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”

18 Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “You who are treasured, do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 However, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

If anyone ever wondered why they should only pray to the Lord God, and not to people or angels, this passage should give some understanding.  Obviously, we should not pray to or put our faith into people (dead or alive).  Those who have died do not become angels or ghosts.  Even those who are believers, when they die, they are "asleep in the Lord" until the rapture (1Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1Corinthians 15:12-28).  Those who are alive clearly do not have much strength or wisdom compared to even just the angels, never mind compared to God, Himself, whose power is more than all powers put together!!!  

The Lord God desires us to know Him, and have a close relationship with Him!  It is He who loves us and came in flesh to die for us!  And God, who fights our battles, and is Commander and Chief, asks us to speak directly to Him!  Because He alone is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, and He cares, He knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and how we need it!  Therefore, when we are in trouble, who are we to ask God to send us His angels???!!!  If we need any angels, God will send them!

There are unseen forces at work and at war which we are not meant to see.  ONCE in a while, God might open our eyes to allow us a peek.  When it is His ministering angels sent to help us, we are not to become enamored with angels, but we are to continue looking to, praying to, talking to, trusting in, and worshiping Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of hosts - the Lord of armies, Himself!  

Now, if and when God allows us to see, hear, feel or sense the realm of Satan, it is a test!  This is definitely something we SHOULD NOT desire!  While we do not have to fear, we are not to be curious, or complicit, or think that we can control, manipulate, or "fight" those demons.  We are to continue looking to the Lord, resist the devil, and stand firm in faith, which requires the full armor of God.  And we should remember Jesus' victory over Satan, use scripture to combat attacks, and stay alert and watching against his schemes.

Notice how Daniel reacted by knowing and seeing just a very tiny portion of the angelic spiritual realm!  God knows what we need to see and know!  And as we pray to the Lord for strength and guidance, He will send out His angels as He sees fit.  

From this passage, we can also see that when we ask for guidance from the Lord, we should also ask Him for His strength.  What God asks of us, whether it seems daunting or not, requires His strength.  If we truly understood the spiritual warfare that happens all around us and around the world, we would truly understand the need for God's strength and guidance to be in every detail of our lives.

Like if we bought a home, and we could get insurance to cover 100% of any wear, tear or damages for life, we'd be putting our confidence in that, and enjoying the house without any worries.  If we worked in a dangerous area, and we could hire the best body guards to protect us 100%, we'd be putting our confidence in that, so we could focus on what needed to be done.  If we played the roughest form of sports, and we could buy the best equipment to prevent 100% of all injuries, we'd be putting our confidence in that, and we'd be playing the game aggressively without fear.  And if we were entering a marriage, and we could find a person who was 100% perfect, and guaranteed to remain 100% faithful, loving and kind, we would certainly appreciate this relationship!  

Of course, none of these guarantees exist!  But God does, and He is 100% perfect and His promises are 100% guaranteed!  Therefore, we can be confident in knowing that God is always there, that He is more powerful than all powers put together, and He knows everything!  Not only that, but we do not have to fear anyone or anything.  As we trust in and depend on the Lord, we can definitely BE confident, strong and courageous.  This is not a feeling, but a choice.  And this can be accomplished only through the Lord, and only by having a personal relationship with Him!