Greatly Beloved By God

-October 4, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you.’ While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.”

(Daniel 10:11).

Daniel was a prophet, a man of God, and a leader in Babylon and later in Media-Persia. He, along with a number of young Jewish men taken into captivity, were groomed for leadership. The prophecies he spoke pointed well into the future, to the end of times.

Daniel prayed three times a day, and as he was praying fervently for Jerusalem and the people of God, God heard and answered his prayers. But the answer was delayed 21 days due to a spiritual conflict between the Prince of Persia, meaning the Satanic power behind him, and the angel Gabriel and the angel Michael came to help him. This gives us a glimpse into the spiritual warfare going on constantly in the heavenly places. We can’t see or hear it, but it is real.

Gabriel calls Daniel, “greatly beloved,” three times in the book of Daniel: Daniel 9:23, 10:11, and 10:19. Every believer in Jesus Christ is called beloved by God. The word beloved is found 104 times in the Bible. It is defined as, “A much loved person.” The Lord is our Beloved and we are His beloved: the Bride of Christ. In the Song of Solomon, the word beloved is used over and over. The Shulamite maiden said, “My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 2:16).

In the NT, all the writers of Scripture used the word beloved to refer to the saints. Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude. This is significant, in that it shows how precious we are to the Lord, and that the early Christians called each other beloved. We don’t hear this word nearly enough as in days gone by. We might say, dear brothers and sisters, which is true, but we should use the term beloved, way more often than we do in speaking and preaching or sharing in small fellowship groups.

It is so encouraging to speak and hear the word beloved. It serves to remind us of how much God loves us. We are special to Him, beloved! Greatly loved! There is a beautiful hymn entitled, “Immanuel’s Land,” written by Anne Ross Cousin. The third verse says, “Oh, I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved’s mine! He brings a poor vile sinner into His house of wine! I stand upon His merit. I know no other stand, not e’en where glory dwelleth, in Immanuel’s land.”

Have a blessed day, beloved, in His glorious love. Stay safe and healthy.

Loved with love which no knows no measure, we are His beloved, His special treasure,

Dean