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the burden of knowing

Daniel 8:18-27 (JDV)

Daniel 8:18 While he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up,
Daniel 8:19 said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the outcome of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.
Daniel 8:20 The two-horned ram that you saw is the kings of Media and Persia.
Daniel 8:21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.
Daniel 8:22 The four horns that took the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.
Daniel 8:23 Near the end of their kingdoms, when the rebels have reached the full measure of their sin, a ruthless king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.
Daniel 8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause outrageous destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the powerful along with the holy people.
Daniel 8:25 He will cause deceit to prosper through his cunning and by his influence, and in his own mind, he will exalt himself. He will destroy many in a time of peace; he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken – not by human hands.
Daniel 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. Now you are to seal up the vision because it refers to many days in the future.”
Daniel 8:27 I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.

the burden of knowing

If there’s anything worse than not knowing your future, it’s knowing the future and feeling helpless to change it. Daniel’s dilemma made him physically sick for days and left him greatly disturbed. Are you facing a problem that is overwhelming you? Do you find yourself saying “How can I go on?” You are not alone. Some of the greatest people in the world have faced the challenge of living with — not the unknown, but the known.

Daniel eventually found the strength to go on doing the king’s business despite the terrible burden of his knowledge. I pray that you will find that strength as well.