Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Are you one of those people who hunger and yearn to do some good in the world? You want to build some edifice with "gold, silver, and precious stones" that will endure the fires of the last day. In other words, you want to live in such a way that when your life comes to an end you have accomplished something that will be of eternal value, and not be the "wood, hay, and stubble" that burns up in the fire of eternal judgment (see 1 Cor. 3:12, 13). Worthy desire! Your heavenly Father also wants your life results to be highly honored.
Well here's a suggestion: learn to "understand" the Book of Daniel. Hidden away in what many regard as the most obscure of its twelve chapters is a promise that often eludes us: "And those of the people who understand shall instruct many" (11:33). The idea of "understanding" appears frequently in the Book of Daniel: "None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand" (12:10); "I heard, [but] I did not understand" (vs. 8); "consider the matter, and understand the vision" (9:23); "make this man understand the vision" (8:16); "understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end" (vs. 17); "I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it" (vs. 27); "I [the angel] have come to make you understand" (10:14), etc.
Where's the Good News? Here it is! "Those of the people who understand shall instruct many." It's virtually automatic. It means, if you "understand" the Book of Daniel, you will "instruct many." The God of heaven who sent Gabriel to instruct Daniel will open doors for you to communicate to others, maybe to children and teenagers, the truths of Daniel. And what happens when you do that? "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness [shall shine] like the stars forever and ever" (12:3). That's talking about you "instructing" others, and you sharing in the joy.
Remember, Jesus said to study Daniel (Matt. 24:15). The once-sealed Book is now wide open!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 1, 1999.
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