God is presented on page after page of the Scripture as a promise-making and also a promise-keeping God. In Isaiah, the Lord states concerning His word, “it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11). This is exactly what we see in Daniel 9. The Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet that the Babylonian captivity would be 70 years (see Jer. 29:10) and it’s in light of this that Daniel makes his prayer to God (Dan. 9:2-3). Daniel praises God as the One who, “keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (Dan. 9:4). He points out that the Lord is righteous (9:14) and that it isn’t on the basis of the righteousness of the people that he makes his plea but based upon God’s mercy (9:18). He knew God’s promise, now he was waiting for God’s action.
I’m sure all of us have had countless experiences where someone said they were going to do something, but they didn’t follow through on their word. I’m sure we’ve all done it to others at times too. As human beings, our word can fail. Oftentimes, circumstances outside of our control come into play. We aren’t all-powerful. Likewise, we don’t know the future, or we simply forget. We aren’t all-knowing. But this is not the case with God. When He makes promises He can factor in everything that might try and derail their fulfillment. He knows the future just as if it was the past. He orders all things together so that His plans will perfectly come about, even to the level of raising up or casting aside kings and kingdoms.
Daniel knew these things, and so he took God at His word. God gave His word that the captivity was going to be 70 years. Daniel prays on this basis, in faith, knowing that God perfectly keeps His promises. God was going to raise up the Persians to take control and let Judah go home. God knew this before the Babylonian captivity even began!
Daniel’s prayer encourages us to take God at His word. When we open God’s Word and read, we see God making promises. Promises concerning eternal life. Promises concerning Christ’s coming. Promises even for this life and for His work in it on our behalf. These are promises we can take in faith to God in prayer. Surely, we aren’t guaranteed things that He hasn’t promised, but that which He has spoken? We can take it to the bank. Why? He is a faithful, promise-keeping God who will perfectly fulfill all that He has promised.
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