“How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” Then 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.” Daniel 10:17-19 (NLT)
It is easy to get discouraged when you are praying for something and not seeing the results of your prayers. We can get to a point where we feel like things will never change. We look around us and see how others seem to be moving forward in the way that we want to. They just got a promotion and raise at work. Their children are well-behaved and moving forward to the next level in their education. Their marriages are doing great. They heard the good news from the doctor. And while we are happy for them, we wonder why those things aren’t happening to us. We may even feel like giving up.
Daniel was not strengthened by the change in his situation. His strength came when he remembered he was precious to God. When Daniel started to focus on the problem solver instead of the problem, he gained his strength. We can magnify the things that are going wrong in our life or we can magnify the one who makes everything alright in our lives. When we focus on God and wait for His perfect timing, we can have strength in the battle knowing He is on our side.
Prayer:
God, thank you for reminding me to focus on you and not what is going on around me. I choose to focus on and magnify the problem solver instead of the problem. Help me celebrate with those around me and I wait for your promises in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.