Thurs., 10/17/19 Devotion (Dan. 2:44)

Today's encouragement comes from Daniel 2:44, where we read these words:

"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

Daniel is speaking to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar here, and is ex-plaining the king's dream. The "kingdom" that Daniel is referring to, is the es-tablishment of, and the proliferation of the New Covenant church, by our Lord Jesus Christ. His kingdom is now in the process of "break[ing] in[to] pieces" all opposing "kingdoms."

Some of these counterfeit "kingdoms” being crushed arise among religious people who cannot countenance the idea of Jesus ruling over them (and everyone else). Others of them are wholly and self-proclaimedly "anti-Chris-tian." All of them fall, at the feet of King Jesus.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Many, in a fit of terror, are willing to do or to suffer anything to keep out of hell and go to heaven; but when the fit is over, they will not deny themselves and take up the cross to follow Christ.” —Isaac Am-brose, in, "The Christian Warrior"]