But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Daniel 12:13
The large house on the hill was marked by a wide verandah that ran across the front and around the west side. One piece of furniture occupied the spacious and airy verandah, a huge and impressive rocking chair made of thick, rough timbers. The occupant of that chair was even more impressive. He was a giant of a man, with powerful limbs and a large head adorned with dark hair heavily streaked with silver. His eyes were bright and piercing, and his weathered face bore the marks of firm resolve and strength. He smiled as he viewed the spreading fields that lay before him, and smile he might, because those fields were laden with bountiful crops. He remembered how that scene had appeared 50 years earlier, when as little more than a mere lad, he had tackled the great stands of forest occupying the land that was now fertile fields. He had worked hard, wisely, and diligently, and his large farm was prosperous. In his advancing years, he could now take a little rest and let his work speak for itself. Daniel was like that. So are all diligent Christians.
God has a rest for His people. That is why faithful Christians don’t grow weary of their labours here, knowing the rest is coming later, a rest that will make all the labours here worthwhile. This is not a time when God has appointed us to relax and be comfortable, not when there is so much to do. God would have us to be zealous in the Gospel, hospitable to His people, faithful to His Assembly, and occupying until His coming. He would also have us appreciating that the time of rest is sure.
What will it be like for Daniel to stand in his lot at the end of the days? Such a faithful servant of His God must have a wonderful testimony to take before the Judgment Seat of Christ. It makes us ashamed, when we think of how much smaller our lot will be, how much less we will have to be reviewed by the Lord. But God did not place us in Daniel’s time, nor give us dreams to interpret nor lions’ dens to lie in. In our own time and in our own circumstances, God has granted to us a lot. And in that lot – different from anyone else’s – we have been faithful or wanting. And in that lot we will stand to receive our review and commendation.
Take comfort, knowing the time of rest is nearing. Take action, knowing that the time of review is soon. -Jim MacIntosh