Have you ever watched hermit crabs scurry back and forth alongside the ocean’s edge? The crabs race left, then right, dashing helter-skelter over the sand.
I often feel like those little creatures—skittering through life—running here to do one thing and then over there to do another or put out a fire. Frustrated and fragmented. So many things screaming for my attention—important things, necessary things. Or are they?
At the end of the day I crawl under the covers, weary, wondering what I’ve accomplished and spend the moment, between exhaustion and sleep, mumbling my pathetic state and requests to God. And I wonder why my prayers often continue unanswered? I should wonder that God’s mercy extends to answer any of them.
This morning I read the 9th Chapter of Daniel:
“Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God . . . while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel. . . gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed . . .” (Daniel 9:20-23 NAS).
Wait a minute. Daniel began to pray and God issued the command and sent Gabriel to give him insight and understanding? Wow! Have you ever had a prayer answered that fast?
I backed up and retraced the beginning of the chapter to glean information about Daniel’s reason and manner of approaching God.
In verse 2 I found that Daniel had been searching the words of Jeremiah and found God had given information there about his questions concerning the end of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Then in verse 3 the Word says, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”
Daniel wasn’t skittering about. How long has it been since I’ve given my full attention to the Lord God—for more than fifteen or twenty minutes? Do I even know how to focus completely on God and Him alone?
For the next twelve verses Daniel prayed and confessed who God is, what He does, and the deplorable state of Israel and himself. Now I know enough about Daniel’s life to ask he’s confessing? This man—a warrior for the Lord God—is admitting open shame, willful sin, and rebellion?
From verses 17-19 he asks God to listen and hear. To open His eyes and see the desolations of His people. Why? Not for any merits he or Israel possessed but on account of God’s great compassion. He asked God to hear, forgive, listen and take action.
My prayers are often laced with what I want, what I think others need, and what I need to do to accomplish the above—with few thoughts to what God wants. Verse 21 tells us Gabriel came to Daniel in his extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.
I’ve never even come close to extreme weariness on account of seeking God’s face in prayer and worship, have you? And I wonder why I’ve prayed for years about some requests receiving no answer?
Could the answer lie with one small word—skittering—like that hermit crab? If I came apart from every distraction and gave my total attention to the Lord God, diligently sought Him, put everything else aside, then perhaps God would move in the lives of my family, my friends, my life, and this nation.
MOVING THE ANCIENT BOUNDARIES 