"Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he alone has all wisdom and power." Daniel 2:20
Are you bracing for the winter storm that's all over the news? I usually enjoy a good snow storm, but this week it doesn't hold the excitement it normally does. Not because of the severity, but because I had other plans for this weekend. Big plans! There's lots going on: SAT for my son, softball practices for the girls, a fundraising dinner on Friday night, 6 overnight guests on Saturday who will attend a hockey game that night and then we're all going into NYC for a birthday celebration for my youngest on Sunday! Some of the preparations have been going on for months, I made reservations weeks ago and I've prepared for company all week! And that's besides 'back-to-school' shopping for my oldest who returns to college on Monday. Yep, it's been another busy week and now the carefully planned weekend could be a bust!
Are you nodding your head in the "been in your shoes" kind of way? I don't think anyone hasn't had their best laid plans mucked up by unforeseen circumstances. I'm sure you can relate. As I read chapter 2 of Daniel, I couldn't help but think his best laid plans have gone terribly, horribly wrong!
In chapter 1, Daniel and his friends are confident, strong, and have earned great favor with King Nebuchadnezzar. But then... the king has a dream and demands a most impossible thing from his wise men. When they can't deliver his reaction is extreme!
What was your response when you read the king's demand of his wise men (Daniel 2:2-3)? I tried to imagine mine if I had been in Daniel's shoes. It went something like this: "Seriously!? After all this, Lord, we're going to be swept up in a mass killing because this crazy king is making an impossible request?!" But that's not what Daniel did! He was, once again, diplomatic and filled with faith. You can find Daniel's response in verses 14-18. Daniel gives us a real-life, tangible example to follow when things in our lives seem impossible. Here's what my study Bible says about this situation, "When you find yourself in a tight spot, share your needs with trusted friends who also believe in God's power. Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God." (Life Application Study Bible, pg 2166 footnote).
I love that wording: Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic = hopelessness; Prayer = hope in God.
From my personal experience I find that panic usually doesn't help the situation and can even make it worse. Prayer has the opposite effect. What's your experience with "panic vs. prayer"? I'd love to know!
Through Daniel's hope in God he saves himself, his friends, and all the wise men of Babylon (verse 18)! But he doesn't stop there. After God revealed the King's dream & it's meaning, Daniel praised God! Read verses 20-23, often called "Daniel's psalm", for a beautiful example of how we should thank God for all he does in our lives! Furthermore, before Daniel revealed the dream & it's meaning to the king, he makes sure to give God all the credit for what occurred (verses27-28).
This chapter is filled with the mysterious and the practical. I love the mysterious side of our faith: all the amazing, unexplainable things that God does. I didn't even touch on that in this post, yet I think it's an important and awesome part of this story. However, I crave the practical instruction to get through tough times; and just plain ordinary everyday difficulties, like whether or not my plans for the weekend will be ruined by the weather. Daniel sets the example and Paul reminds us, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." (Philippians 4:6). And as we see Daniel living this, Paul tells us, "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." (Philippines 4:13).
What has been revealed to you through chapter 2 of Daniel? How will Daniel's actions influence your life? I urge you to spend time with the study questions, the easy ones and the tough ones. What best laid plans have gone astray, what personal crisis have you faced and how did you handle it? Panic or prayer? If you are usually a 'panic' kind of person (ME!) I hope Daniel, chapter 2 helps you move towards being a 'prayer' response kind of person.
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
1 comment:
Today we talked a little about dreams - how they often reflect our lives and our fears (not scary dreams, just dreams that we miss something or aren't prepared for something). We also noted that Daniel used his wisdom and intelligence, his diplomatic skill to talk to people, then enlisted his friends and prayed to God for help in difficult situations. He praised God for answering his prayers & made sure the king knew it was God, not Dan, who was able to tell the dream and it's meaning. This is an example of how we should handle crisis' (big or small): don't panic but take wise action, ask God for help through prayer, praise God for all He does, give God all the credit.
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