The following was taken from the introduction of one of my father’s sermons on Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9. He preached this sermon twice, using the introduction each time, once during World War II and again during the Korean conflict. In the midst of those crisis this was his perspective, the perspective of a man who in my view walked closely with God.
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Today we face a crisis just as great, if not greater, than
the one faced by Daniel. This crisis is
not national defense, it is not unemployment, it is not political. It is a spiritual crisis.
What constitutes this crisis?
·
A weakening of the consciousness of sin. This is true of both the church and the
world.
·
The indifference to the claims of Christ and His
cause on the part of vast numbers of church members. It is difficult to enlist very many in real
Christian service. The terms "self-denial"
and "sacrifice" are meaningless to a vast majority of church members.
·
A lowering of moral standards.
·
A dearth of passion for souls. We don't think of people in terms of their
eternal destiny.
·
Loss of positive faith in the essential truths
of Christianity.
How is this crisis met?
The same way Daniel met his crisis: by prayer!
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I quoted this at the beginning of my sermon September
11, 2002, one year after the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City. I plan to give you that introduction in the
next post. But for now, I want to be
sure that we understand that my father’s solution to “the present crisis” was
not simplistic or mere platitudes. A
study of the Old Testament bears out the truth that the first act in a time of
crisis is to seek the LORD. In those
years of running from Saul and then in establishing the kingdom, David’s first
response to a crisis was to “inquire of the LORD.” Today’s reading gives you an example of
this. Other great Davidic Kings did the
same: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah. Each
of these kings also had their failures when they sought to meet crises by
compromising alliances. But they also
showed the importance of first seek the LORD.
Do you remember Jehoshaphat’s prayer, “we don’t know what to do but our eyes
are on You?” Or the time, after the
wicked King Ahab had heard all his idolatrous prophets tell him to go to war,
that Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD from whom we may
inquire?” How about Hezekiah, taking the
letter from the Assyrian king and laying it out in the temple as he sought the
LORD about the imminent danger?
I am writing this because many people consider
that we are in a time of crisis in the United States. Furthermore, I am around people who are facing
trials that they consider to be monumental crisis. In each situation, national or personal, we
believe God’s people need to be before the LORD. But too often the solution for
Bible-believing Christians seems to be military or political.
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