Daniel 12:13
“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance. ”
Daniel had proved faithful to God under all circumstances. Daniel resisted the temptation to eat the delicious and desirable but forbidden food. Daniel remained faithful in giving glory to God and not himself when he solved a national crisis of a forgotten dream and its interpretation. Daniel remained faithful to God even when he was one of the top leaders of Babylon. Very few people can survive the drunkening effects of power, but Daniel did. It has been said that remaining faithful under adversity is nothing compared to under power and pleasure. Daniel was faithful under both. Even at the threat of Lion’s Den, he remained faithful.
Daniel was also a recipient of great revelations from God. Apostle Paul gives us a hint that this privilege can make one proud and even lose their faith, 2 Corinthians 12:7. Daniel remained humble snd faithful even after receiving such great revelations. Sometimes we feel spiritually superior because we have understood the prophecies of Daniel, yet Daniel himself remained humble.
Towards the end of the book of Daniel, while Daniel is busy recording the visions and other revelations he had received, God gives different instructions. The instructions are in our text today snd other texts of that chapter. God tells Daniel to stop the work he is doing. God tells him to go and rest. God tells him that after the rest he will rise up and receive a reward for faithfulness. You will rest you will rise!
Several lessons here. The rest is important. The work will never get finished. Daniel’s sacred work is stopped by God so that he can rest. There is no work so important that we shouldn’t rest from it. However critical the work, plan to rest, it is healthy. Daniel did not feel like resting, he did not express fatigue, but God told him to rest. God ordered rest because it is necessary. If rest depends on how we feel, the lazy will rest more often than necessary and the overzealous will postpone rest until they suffer the effects of overworking. The rest must be scheduled regardless of how we feel.
Have you ever felt that things will go wrong if you rest? You are misled. The work you value so much was here before you and will be hereafter you. Daniel in the middle of critical sacred work was told to rest. Your work is not as important as you overrate it, therefore take some rest, scheduled mandatory rest,
Who was to continue Daniel’s work? It didn’t matter and God doesn’t tell us or Daniel. God stops the work and orders rest. Sometimes we worry too much about who will carry on after us until we don’t take scheduled rest. Your need for scheduled rest is more important than your work.
Rest from work. Go on leave. Retire. Rest from studies. Schedule rest between programs. Even church programs need scheduled rest. Avoid prolonged teaching and preaching that overtaxes the congregation. If Daniel’s end-time prophecies were interrupted by God for rest, what important thing are you studying, preaching, and teaching that you cant rest? What social media discussion is this that is too prolonged and endless? It is not as critical as you emotionally think. Therefore schedule some rest!
Plan some rest amidst your search for money. Plan some rest in your entertainment. Plan some rest in your socializing. Plan some rest in your attempt to please your boss. Plan some rest for your own good which is a priority over your work. The regular stress, insomnia, irritability, fits of rage, and goofs you make may be directly related to your lack of rest. Go rest!
Daniel was to also rest from the stress in his life. God grants rest from suffering. We thank God who relieves us from anxieties. In the middle of it, God declares the rest. I pray that in the middle of a storm or a crisis, God will grant us rest. God knows we have suffered too long and He gives rest. May He grant us rest from our suffering!
After rest, you will rise up. After rest, you will be stronger. After rest things will get better. Rest may seem a low point but a higher better point awaits after rest. Your transfer may be a low point but it is rest, you will rise up after. Your serious lack of money is a low point. Your losses are a low point. Failure is a low point. A strained relationship is a low point. Poor health is a low point. A low point is a place of rest. You will rise higher and better after rest. You will rest you will rise!
This was also a time for Daniel to die. At some point, if Jesus hasn’t returned we must die. We should be confident in the face of death for we will rise up at the end. Daniel’s rest was also a time to die. God doesn’t tell him that he is going to heaven direct. Death is not a path to heaven or hell. At death, we all rest whether evil or good. The reward is after death at the end of time. We have explored almost exhaustively this topic of what happens at death. Just visit and search our site reikesis.com and enjoy the articles. In our text, today is a promise of resurrection. The dead are not permanently dead, they will resurrect after which they will proceed to eternal life or eternal death. If we must die and deal with the death of loved ones, let us look at it as rest that we will rise up from. You will rest you will rise!
May God grant us wisdom to regularly rest from our busy schedules. May He save us from too much rest borne from laziness. May God give us rest from the difficulties of life. May God raise us up from the low moments we experience. May God help us to be faithful so that if we must die, we will still rise up, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
AMEN.
Amen
Amen 🙏🏼
Amen
Amen .. thanks for reminding us that we need rest and we will rise again.God bless you.
Amen!
Powerful
Amen!
Amen🙏🙏
Amen
Great.
Amen!
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen!
Amen