Shine

Daniel 12:3, ESV

There is a Christian Charity near Leeds which started in 1987. I recently had the great joy of going to visit this place. Their vision is quite simple. It is to reach out to vulnerable people and share the love of Jesus with them in practical, as well as spiritual, ways. They make it their aim to ‘be there’ for more than 250 people who are needy.

The ‘recipients’ come to a farm with opportunities for therapeutic activities, meaningful work and optional Bible studies. At the thanksgiving service, some of these people sang a beautiful song together about how Jesus loves us, is our friend, forgives us our sins, and helps us when we are sad, lonely, or afraid, bringing us hope. A pastor spoke the message of how Jesus is a friend to the lost, the depressed, the rejected, and those without hope.

This week, I accompanied my little four-year-old grandson to a `teddy bears’ picnic` at the toddler group of a local church. It was such fun to see the little ones playing the ‘parachute game’ and laughingly uproariously. After the picnic, the minister’s wife led us all in singing songs and gave children’s Bibles to those who are leaving the group to go to school in September. She prayed for each of them by name, laying her hand on their heads.

It encourages me to see these examples of how the Body of Christ is reaching out into society here in the UK, especially as there seems to be so much hostility against Christians in the public workplace, as they try to be witnesses of God’s righteousness and the good news of our Lord Jesus to the world.

Daniel Chapter 12 prophesies about the time of the end, when there will be great trouble. Daniel is told that his people, whose names are found written in the book, will be delivered (Daniel 12:1). However, it is not for Daniel to live through these times. ‘But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase’ (Daniel 12:4).

It certainly sounds like our time, when knowledge has never been so vast, and so freely available. But knowledge does not necessarily bring wisdom. There will be a separation between those who are wise and those who are wicked. ‘Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand’ (Daniel 12:10).

We learn from the book of Daniel that believers will go through suffering, refining, trials, persecution and even martyrdom. What are we to do? As believers, we can choose to live as faithfully as possible in this corrupt world, confident of the inheritance stored up for us at the end of days.