TITLE:  WHEN FACE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE, SEEK GOD FIRST

TITLE:  WHEN FACE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE, SEEK GOD FIRST

SCRIPTURE:

“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: “Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.  23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.” (Daniel 2:17—23 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

            King Nebuchadnezzar allowed his magicians and astrologers to interpret his dream without telling them what it was.  It is quite impossible to read someone’s dream and tell them what it means without telling them what they saw in a dream.  Nebuchadnezzar was furious because his top magicians and astrologers could not tell him his dream.  To ask to do something humanly impossible is insane.  So the Nebuchadnezzar ordered all his top magicians and astrologers to execute for their inability to do a humanly impossible task.

            Daniel and his friends, who were top officials and considered among the wise, did not know about the king’s decree to annihilate the wise men. They found out about the decree when the king’s assistant, Arioch, told them about the harsh decree. I ask myself what I am to do under such a difficult task of trying to interpret a dream without knowing what the dream was. 

            This morning, I learned from Daniel how to deal with the unknown. There are many things in life that we do not know, and we wish someone would help us make sense of the enigmas. We investigate the uncertainties of life and do not know how to prepare ourselves to face what is coming. Even King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful and proud king, could not solve the issues ahead of his dreams.  Daniel, too, did not know how to interpret the king’s dream.  But he reminded me today of what to do when we need to know the unknown:

• Daniel’s response to the king’s decree was to initiate a prayer meeting. He shared the situation with his friends and urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery. This act of collective prayer, as Daniel understood, was the first and most powerful step in their problem-solving process. It serves as a reminder that we should always involve God at the beginning of any solution-seeking journey. 
• God will always reveal the unseen. God answered prayers and, that same night, answered Daniel in a dream. 
• Always acknowledge God as we petition him to lead us in any effort.  Acknowledge the Lord in all our ways.   Daniel was humble enough to give God all the glory for revealing the mystery dream to him.
  • “Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.  I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power; you have made known to me what we asked of you; you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Humility means always acknowledging and giving praise where credit is due. Many times, people take credit for things only God can resolve. In humility, we recognize that only God has the wisdom and power to resolve the enigmas of life. Only God can give us the wisdom, knowledge, and discernment we need.  Humility also helps us to acknowledge that only God can reveal what is unseen to us.  I am so grateful for this reminder today.

APPLICATION:

            I am reminded today as I face enigmas in my life, I must always turn to God first who has all the wisdom and power to lead and guide me.  I learn that it is He who is able to give wisdom and reveal things that I could not see nor understand.  I will keep trusting God and in humility always seek him first when difficult things arise that I have no power to deal with. 

PRAYER:

            Heavenly Father, you are giver of wisdom and the revealer of all that is hidden from me.  I thank you for the many times that you have helped me undertand things that were way too difficult for me to comprehend.  Thank you for your wisdom and power.  Thank you for revealing things that I need to know so I may face life confidently as I journey with you.  Lead and guide me when I face things too difficult for me to cope with.  In Jesus name, Amen!