The Wise Will Stumble

Today as I studied the last of the book of Daniel with my "Tuesday girls", a scripture was brought up that merits some serious thought.

Daniel 11: 35 - Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

In this part of scripture Daniel is being told about the rein of the anti-Christ. But today, this scripture really spoke to me personally about our walk as Christians.

We learn and grow every day as Christians, but we will not be completely perfected until we go to meet Christ. Along the way though, as we grow, we should ask for wisdom. And I am sure our God will gladly give it to us.

There will be some times in our walk that we are allowed to stumble and fall. To be thrown into dark places of despair by tragedy or trials. It is not always a mistake that we have made or sin that causes these things to happen. Sometimes it is just shear circumstance that gets us there.

I began to think on the phrase "some of the wise will stumble". When we stumble, it usually causes us to fall. When we fall, it is usually on our face. On our face before God in submission. It is in those times on our face that we cry out to God for help. We cry out because we are at the end of ourselves. In those times, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Because of our willingness to give up trying and just let Him take over we are again made strong. So maybe since we are human and made with a will that is bent toward sin, we really need those times much more than we realize. Maybe we need to stop trying to avoid them and begin to just "live in Christ" through them. Even more, maybe to begin to do as James instructs and consider it pure joy when we face them.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

It is not during the peaceful times where we are coasting through life that we are radically changed or moved to a higher place spiritually. It is not during those times that we see the supernatural power of God at work. Instead it is in those dark times, the times in the valley, that mold and shape us. In times of tragedy, loss and trials we seek God for miracles with our whole heart. We look to Him, not complacently but expectantly. Asking for the miraculous to happen and really expecting it. We believe, we have faith, we have hope in Him because He is God.

In these times our hearts are laid bare before God, open; to be purified, refined, and transformed. To eventually be made spotless so we can be acceptable in His sight for eternity. What a thought, to be spotless before the creator, before our Father, before the one we love.

Yes, the wise will stumble and fall. This includes us. But we can rest assured that God is in control and the end will happen at its appointed time.

We will see many trials before then, so we must learn not to fight them. And eventually, even count it all joy.