Arrows 8/16/2024 Daniel in the Lions' Den

 Not by Our Courage,
but by our trust

Not By Our Courage, 

but By Our Trust in God

by Donna Diorio

On Monday, before the traditional fasting & prayer for the 9^th of Av, and the hours before analysts in Israel and the US expected the Iranian retaliation for Israel taking out the top Hamas leader as he attended the funeral of an Iranian terroristic leader, I had no idea how to proceed with the Weekly Summary. Having read through all of the prayer letters, I still sensed no strong indication what the LORD would have me bring forward as the central theme this week.
     Commenting on Facebook to a Times of Israel report, I found the graphic here of the first part of Deuteronomy 28:7 then modified
it to contain the whole verse. I did that because it was the second half of this verse that God brought to mind to search for a graphic to illustrate my short FB comment: 
     LATEST ON IRAN RETALIATION (Times of Israel) "The report said that the issue was divisive within Iran. President Masoud Pezeshkian wants to avoid a harsh response, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps wants to launch a larger attack than it did on April 13-14, when hundreds of drones and missile were launched in Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel. Almost all the projectiles and UAVs were intercepted during that attack. One of the sources cited in the report said the situation was “still fluid” due to the disagreements."
     PRAY INTO THE DIVISION IN THE ENEMY CAMP and multiply it with FEAR & CHAOS striking into their hearts over what Israel could do in response. Iran failed in the other massive attack quite miraculously! Let them now fear utter humiliation if they attempt another, even bigger all-out strike against Israel. Shake the Iranian government and let it shake to the ground for the sake of the people of Iran to come into the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob through Israel's Messiah Yeshua.

     Later in Monday, having read the Israeli ministry leaders responding to the threat that was hanging over the heads of Israelis from the threats from Iran, and combined with a threat I read that scared me for Donald Trump, I was reminded of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. And, of course, the other many great examples like the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, and also with Esther risking it all. These are bible stories that we look at as people with a great wellspring of courage, but yesterday it occurred to me that is was NOT their great courage, but it was about their great trust in God.
     I’m sure each one entered the circumstances that were before them just as concerned as anyone of us at this present moment could be about everything that is happening. It was not their great courage that saw them through, but their commitment in God – trusting nothing could separate them from His love. Do we imagine that when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den that he was cool as a cucumber about his safety? It was God who shut the lions’ mouths. Daniel probably stood there amazed that the lions didn’t jump at him ready to tear him to shreds.
     It had to be for Daniel like what Shadrach, Meschach and Adednego thought when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Instead of being burnt to a crisp they found themselves in God’s protective bubble – just fire walking with Yeshua. It is amazing – unbelievable and really gets your attention that God has protected you even though it was a very real brush with death.  My choice of the next president had a similar brush with death as all of America watched recently. He said immediately and still will tell you it was a miracle of God that he is still alive. It was a real brush with death and a miraculous protection of him too. I believe that because it happened before the eyes of the whole country, that God is speaking to Americans who will listen to trust Him…truly beyond whatever we have trusted Him before. To that “If I perish, I perish” level of trusting God’s love for us continues beyond perishing from our earthly bodies.
     I believe that is where I see the Israeli ministries too. They are praying and fasting, but there is something greater than the disasters that have taken place on the 9^th of Av and that is the promises of God to re-gather & restore Israel. God has plans that no men can overthrow.
     When I woke up this Tuesday morning and immediately checked to see it Iran had launched an attack overnight, instead what I found was that news of a Heavenly attack. It came in the form of a 5.5 magnitude earthquake centered near Homs, Syria where Iranian operatives deploy out of the Shayrat Airbase. The quake was felt in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and as far south in Israel as Beer Sheva. News reports say that especially in Lebanon great fears were that the quake was an attack from Israel. Fears heightened across Lebanon and Syria, causing panic and minor injuries, according to reports.

     Also one of the first things I saw Tuesday was this short video from Youval Yanay of Revive Israel ministries in Yad Hashmona. I thought it was perfect word for our current situations. Youval asks,      “Is it the end of the nation Israel?  Good question.  The axis of evil — big and powerful countries are coming to attack us. Everyone in Israel are anxious, stressed. ‘When is it going to come?’ The economy looks like it’s coming to crumble! But there is no fear. Here in Revive Israel we just go as usual. The Lord said to us in Philippians 4:6 and on, Be anxious for nothing. Present your needs to the Lord in prayer, supplication, thanksgiving and the powerful peace of God will preserve your hearts and thoughts in Yeshua HaMaschiah. Connect to Him. There’s no fear, there’s no anxiety. View also on Instagram where you can watch without subscribing to Instagram.