Close Encounter of the Best Kind

“Then he said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.’” (Daniel 10:12)

Steven Spielberg may have directed the 1977 sci-fi hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind about face to face contact with aliens, but the prophet Daniel in the Bible experienced a close encounter of the best kind, that is, an encounter with God.

Daniel received a cryptic vision that troubled him intensely, and he set out to decipher the vision by fasting from pleasant food, meat and wine for three whole weeks. Three days after his limited fast, a messenger of God appeared to Daniel by the river Tigris. The messenger explained that God had heard his prayer from day one, but the angel was held up by the powerful prince of the kingdom of Persia, a demonic boss who ruled over the Persian empire and who still does over most of the Middle East today. Fortunately, archangel Michael came and helped so the messenger could finally reach Daniel. We may be Far From Heaven like Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore, but there are definitely times in our lives when we must dedicate ourselves to seeking God with all our hearts.

It is only in these times that we hear from God in ways that we have never experienced before. Unlike Vin Diesel, Daniel was The Fast and the Furious, and his perseverance in prayer and fasting was rewarded with a close encounter of the God kind. However, in order to receive from God, Daniel had to be left alone with no strength, and he was placed in a helpless condition. When we have no ability to alter the events around us, then we are in position to hear from heaven.

It is the acknowledgment of our limitations and weaknesses that places us in a humble position to have a close encounter with God Almighty. If we need a personal encounter with God or we need for God to intervene on our behalf, then we must seek Him with all our heart by searching His Word. We must demonstrate to God like Daniel that we are as serious as a heart attack. We must be Home Alone, humble ourselves, and confess our sins and helpless condition before Him. Then, and only then, will God reward us with His presence, with a close encounter of the best kind.
Copyright © 2002 Eddy Ministries.
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