Steadfast Before the Ancient of Days

The righteous man is not promised an easy path, but a faithful one. Elijah fled into the wilderness, Job sought God in darkness, Daniel saw beasts rise from the sea, and the Thessalonians were told not to be shaken by afflictions. In all these, one lesson is set before us: the servant of God must not measure truth by present terror. Kings rage, beasts devour, friends fail, and the soul is tried; yet the Lord still reigns, and He knows those who are His.

Elijah learned that the Lord’s work was not exhausted by what he could see. There were thousands not bowed to Baal, hidden from his sight but not from God’s. Job also could not trace God’s steps, yet he held to the fear of the Lord and would not let go of obedience. As Origen says, we are tested, "by which, as gold is tried in the fire, so the spirit of man is tried, and is found to be worthy either of condemnation or of praise." Trial, then, is not an excuse for murmuring or compromise, but a furnace in which steadfastness is made plain.

Daniel’s vision strips away the glory of earthly powers: empires that boast like men are shown to be beasts before heaven. Yet above them stands the Ancient of Days, and to the Son of Man is given dominion. Therefore the church must endure soberly. "For verily, he says, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction 1 Thessalonians 3:4; they nevertheless forgot it, and he confirms them again by letters;" We too must be reminded. Let no threat, delay, or confusion move us from prayer, chastity, mercy, and patient endurance.