09/10 - Alone in the Dark? - a podcast by Concord UMC

Alone In The Dark

Daniel 6:1-23

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• Didn't we just do this?
  
  • Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego and "Even If"
  
  
  • Differences:
    
    • Different king
      
      • The list: King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, to Belshazzar the co-regent of Babylon, to King Darius I of Persia, and Cyrus king of Persia
      
      
      • Also manipulated by politics
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Closer to other Biblical images
      
      • More reminiscent of depression
        
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Depression?
      
      • Finding someplace to hide might sound good right now...
        
        • Two BIG hurricanes
        
        
        • 1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico (90 dead)
        
        
        • North Korea has an H-bomb!
        
        
        • Scripture does acknowledge these times
          
          • people hide in caves, BUT in that scenario, caves mean safety
          
          
          • we're looking at when the "caves" are traps
          
          
          
          
        
        
        • Biblical Examples:
          
          • Jonah in the fish, under the tree
          
          
          • Elijah in the cave
          
          
          • Jesus in the Garden
            
            • "My soul is weary, even unto death."
            
            
            
            
          
          
          • Situational Examples:
            
            • Two churches on HWY..
            
            
            • Chris calling attention to how "hip-hop artist Logic performed his suicide prevention track “1-800-273-8255” on the MTV’s VMA stage, bringing many in the audience to tears."
              
              
            
            
            • Deaths for 15 to 34 year olds, leading causes:
              
              • 1st is accidental death
              
              
              • 2nd is suicide...
              
              
              
              
            
            
            • Over-spiritualizing this scene?
              
              • Don't forget that this was written by a people in captivity to a people in captivity...
              
              
              • Also never underestimate the cleverness of Scripture:
                
                • There are two people alone in the dark in this story, reflecting the complexity of life: Daniel and Darius...
                  
                
                
                
                
              
              
              • But what is the advice, the prescription?
                
                • Trust in God... Can it really be that simple?
                  
                  • But is it simple? You have to:
                    
                    • Believe there is a God
                    
                    
                    • Believe He is aware of you and cares for you
                    
                    
                    • Believe you find your purpose in Him
                    
                    
                    • Believe He will bring light into the darkness, if not for you, then through you
                    
                    
                    
                    
                  
                  
                  • The entirety of Scripture in one sense is a constant call to TRUST IN GOD
                    
                    • And the fullness of God's revelation in the Gospel is that we can only trust in God, not in ourselves
                    
                    
                    • We were not created to live in the "existential angst" of the modern age; we were never meant to be alone in the dark
                    
                    
                    
                    
                  
                  
                  • If you are dealing with this, then a part of your self-care should be a series of reminders:
                    
                    • God is real. He is here. He is aware of me and of my hurt. He cares deeply for me, and loves me.  My life finds its meaning in Him, in offering all that I am for Him to live through.  He will bring light into my darkness.  But even if He doesn't bring it to me, He will assuredly bring it through me!  I can trust Him, and let my fear in the darkness go.
                    
                    
                    
                    
                  
                  
                  
                  
                
                
                
                
              
              
              
              
            
            
            
            
          
          
          
          
        
        
        
        
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

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