The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’  John 1:29-30

At first glance at this scripture one might be a little confused.  Think about it.  John is saying that Jesus came before him.  We know from reading Luke chapter 1 that Jesus and John are cousins.  John’s mother Elisabeth was already in the later part of her pregnancy when Mary came to visit her.   John is born before Jesus by several months so how could it be that Jesus could come before John?  John must really have confused his followers with this statement.  When we look at it with human eyes it doesn’t make sense.  This is where you have to put on your other set of glasses, the ones that God uses to let us see the spiritual things.

Jesus has been in existence from the beginning of time.  We see traces of him throughout the Old Testament and he comes in the flesh in the New Testament.

In the beginning….

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  John 1:1-2

The Greek word used for “Word” is Logos.  The Logos is a Divine Expression that is Christ. It implies the underlying nature of the word.  That is why Christ is referred to as “The Word”.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,…  Genesis 1:26 (italics mine)

We see here that God is talking to someone who was in his presence.  That someone is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:5

The likeness of Jesus is seen in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.  Hebrew 7:1-3

We have only to look at the meaning of the name Melchizedek to know that he was a representation of Christ.

John was declaring to the people that Jesus is eternal, sent from God as the Son of God.  John was sent to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Messiah.

Read John 1 with your spiritual glasses then reflect on its words. (Click the link to read the text online.)

Ask yourself “Is my heart ready for Christ?”  If not, what is holding you back?

Right after Indie shoots “Machete Man” (I am sure that is not this character’s name…but for lack of knowledge of that name…he is “Machete Man”.),  we see him continue in his pursuit to find Marion, who has been kidnapped.  He turns a corner and all he sees is a sea of identical baskets.  This is NOT what he is expecting.  He proceeds to enrage the crowd as he dumps every one of them over in his search for Marion.  As he is doing this he sees a basket being carried off and hears Marion crying out of him.  He follows them through a series of alley ways. He finally sees the basket being loaded into the back of a truck, he presumes that Marion is in that basket.  He changes his course and goes after the truck.  As he the truck takes off Indie fires upon the driver, the truck rolls over and explodes.  All are presumed dead.

So by now you are wondering, “What is the point here?”  The point is this…   Things rarely are what they seem.  There is almost always more to the story.

If you continue watching the movie you will discover that Marion is not dead.  She is alive and a captive of the French Archaeologist Beloch.  Up until this point we all believe her to be dead.  Somewhere in the chase the baskets must have been switched.

Do you ever feel like the baskets in your life are too numerous to count and you have to dump them all out to really see what is going on in your life?  Maybe those baskets are full of work, children, school, extracurricular activities, a spouse, household responsibilities the list goes on and on.  In an effort to find the end of it all we have to turn them all over to discover the real path we are supposed to take.  I don’t necessarily mean dumping them out when we turn them over, what I really mean is that we need to turn them over to God.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

When we surrender our burdens (baskets) to God he takes them and performs that basket switch.  There are many things that I love about God but one thing in particular is that when He does that basket switch what really happens is rarely what we think will happen.  If someone had told me 5 years ago that God would call me to become a pastor, I would have laughed at them and told them they were crazy.  God did a basket switch in my life and I am on an incredible journey.

God has a plan for all of us.  It is our job to follow His lead.  Ask God to take your baskets and do with them what He will.  Ask Him to make you the person He wants you to be.  You will not be disappointed.

One thing to remember is that His time is not our time.  I have never had the lightning bolt hit and everything is fine and dandy.  God works on His own time table, we just have to be obedient and wait.

Scripture for further reflection:

Isaiah 58:11

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Isaiah 30:21

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

There are some pretty amazing things about Mary that inspire me.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph at the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her. Betrothal was a legal, binding contract exactly like a marriage but without “bedroom privileges”. The only way out of a betrothal was death or divorce. Betrothal usually happened around the age of puberty. This would indicate that Mary was around the age of 13; her body probably had not even developed yet. That is something our current culture could not even comprehend. It would be like a middle school age child being told she was going to give birth to the Savior. Mind boggling.

Did you see how she responded to the angel? “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t know if I would have had to courage to say that. She was completely sold out to her God. So much so that she was willing to face public humiliation, being called an adulteress or worse, and ostracized from society. As an adulteress she could have been stoned to death. For a teenager that had to be agonizing.

What inspires me is that she didn’t shrink back or hide in a closet. She sacrificed her reputation and standing in the community. She boldly declared that she would be the mother of Jesus. She declared that she was “the Lord’s servant”. What a declaration. What courage for one so young. Because of her commitment to God and her willingness to serve we have Jesus in the flesh. The reason we celebrate Christmas. What a gift she gave to all of humanity.

Today, as you sit around the dinner table with your family and friends and the remnants of gifts exchanged all around, remember the gift that a young woman gave.

Remember her courage and determination.

Remember the reason we celebrate.

Remember Jesus.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

One of the classic scenes in the movie is when Indie is in the marketplace looking for Marion who has been kidnapped.  He thinks he has spotted her and rushes into a crowd of people.  Instantly the people part and we see a warrior in black robes wielding a large sword.  He does all kinds of fancy moves with this sword with the intention of intimidating our hero, Indiana Jones.  We see Indie wearing his trusty Fedora and holding his whip.  Then next thing you know he pulls out his gun and shoots the warrior.  He drops down dead and Indie proceeds in his search for Marion.  Written like this it seems really cold and violent but there is a message here if we look for it.

The enemy of our soul, Satan, is lurking to ambush us.  He is there wielding his many weapons determined to get us off track and change our focus.  He will use any method he can to stop you from having a full and complete life in Christ.

How do we know this?  Jesus said so in John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus wants us to have life and have it abundantly.  The Greek work for the word full used in this passage actually means superabundant, beyond measure.  I don’t know about you but a life of superabundance sounds really appealing to me.  That is what God wants for his children.

When you feel the enemy taking hold, pull out the Big Guns to take him out.  Once the enemy is out of the way the life that God wants for you can be resumed.

Jesus says:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Cry out to Jesus in your times of distress and trouble.  He will answer.  He never disappoints.

We learn and grow through the events in our life that make us the people we become.  We are influenced by our parents, our peers, close friend, pastors and family.  We in turn influence the people in our lives.  We are changed by the events in our life.    We have all experienced joy and sorrow.   I prefer the times of  joy over the times of sorrow but really all of the events of our life shape us and mold us.  We can choose to let them make us better or bitter.

Daniel really had every reason to let his circumstances make him bitter.   Being taken from his home as a teenager and then being forced to live in a king’s palace essentially as a servant, he could have been an angry teenager and refused to cooperate but he didn’t and God rewarded him for it.  Daniel chose to live his life in service to God in a place that was hostile to his faith.  He chose to let his circumstances make him better not bitter.

He is a testimony of the process of life.

Chapter 1- Daniel is taken as captive to Babylon and brought to the kings palace.  He refused to eat the food sacrificed to idols and makes a deal with the guard.  God honors him for his obedience.  Daniel is a testimony of God’s faithfulness to His children.  At this point Daniel has an influence over the guards he encounters.

Chapter 2- Daniel is God’s mouthpiece to King Nebuchadnezzar one year later.  He interprets the dream the Nebuchadnezzar.  This probably occurred in front of the King’s court or the very least his magicians, interpreters and diviners.  His sphere of influence is broadening; God trusts him with more.

Chapter 4- Daniel is once again God’s mouthpiece to King Nebuchadnezzar about 30-35 years later.   He again would most likely have been in the presence of many when he gives the interpretation of the dream.

Chapter 5- Daniel is summoned by Belshazzar to interpret the hand writing on the wall.  The reason he is summoned is because of his stellar reputation.  He is known to be a man of God with a gift to interpret dreams.  By this time Daniel is old, about 80 and probably retired.  He interprets the message in front of all that were at this party.  There would have been thousands in attendance.

Chapter 6- Daniel throws open the windows and prays out in the open for all to see even though a law has been passed forbidding it.  He is thrown into a pit full of hungry lions because of it.  God is faithful and sends His angel to shut the mouth of the lion, Daniel is rescued.

Do you see the progression of Daniel’s life?  From exiled teenager to second in command to King Nebuchadnezzar.  His sphere of influence increased over time.  As he grew closer to God and more obedient to God’s leading, he was given more rewards and responsibility.  He didn’t start out as a teenager full of wisdom and courage, it was a process.  He didn’t start out being bold for God. It was a process that took an entire lifetime.

Life is a process.  Be patient.  Acknowledge God. Wait on Him.  He will direct your path.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:6

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

(Click on the gray highlighted words for a direct link to the verses.)

We have all experienced it in some form.  From being picked on by the playground bully to being skipped over for a job based on a personal conviction.  It looks different for everyone.

Daniel faced this after Darius became king over Babylon and appointed him as one of three men who were to oversee the governors. Daniel, being the man of God that he was, became more and more distinguished among his peers.  King Darius was so impressed by him that he was going to appoint him over the entire kingdom.  His competition for the job became increasingly jealous about this and began plotting against him.  Daniel had lived his life in such a way that there was absolutely nothing that they could find against him.  So they went after his faith in God.  They knew that Daniel would never compromise his faith, NO MATTER WHAT!

Daniel 6:5-10 (click here for the story.)

I absolutely love Daniel’s response to this decree!  Do you see it?  He did exactly what the law told him he could not do and he didn’t wait.  He did it right after he heard about it.  There was no way he was going to compromise.  He had lived many years in a foreign land that worshiped many idols and he never compromised.  The threat of death was not going to make him compromise either.

Isn’t that what God calls us as Christ followers to do?  Jesus is a prime example of living a life of no compromise.  He never said “Follow me and I will show you how to live a life of compromise.” He shows us how to live life to the fullest without compromise.  He also tells us to expect persecution.

Jesus says to us, “…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  John 10:10

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:22

We have all had bullies and persecutors who have tried to cause us harm in some way. Just like Daniel the bullies conspire together, gang up and intend to cause us harm.  The question is how do you handle it?  I think Daniel’s story is a good answer.  Even though he knew that praying to God would cause his death, he did it anyway and did not hide it.  He threw open the windows for all to see.  He stayed true to God without compromise.  Ultimately God rewarded him for his faithfulness.  Even though he got thrown into the Lion’s Den, he was not harmed.  God sent angels to attend to him and shut up the mouth of the lions.  (Daniel 6:21-23)

When you are having a Lion’s Den experience, stand firm in Christ.  Live life and have it to its fullest abundance.  Christ will be there to see you through.  We all have a race to run that God has set for us.  (Hebrews 12:1) Part of that race will be persecution.  Allow that experience to shape you and mold you into the person Christ wants you to be.

By the way, the word abundantly in John 10:10 actually means exceedingly abundant, beyond measure.   Soak that up a bit.  It is a really good thing.

Being a man of honor, Daniel declines the gift but interprets the handwriting.  It is not a happy message for Belshazzar.

This is the inscription that was written:

Mene , Mene , Tekel , Parsin

“This is what these words mean:
Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.  That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.   Daniel 5:25-31

Belshazzar had lived during the time of his forefather Nebuchadnezzar.  He could have been his grandson.  (In the original language there was no word for grandfather or great-grandfather, just father.)  He would have know God’s judgment against Nebuchadnezzar and about his seven years as a wild man.  He would have known that it was because of pride that he was cast out into the wilderness and taken from his kingdom.  He had been a witness of God’s amazing grace shown to Nebuchadnezzar throughout his whole life.  Belshazzar didn’t learn from the mistakes of his ancestors and blasphemed God when he drank wine from the holy vessels and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze and iron at his party. He was a prideful, arrogant and boastful man who received God’s wrath because of it.

Galatians 6:7 says

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

God does not desire that any perish; His desire is for all to come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9) He gives us a choice every day to choose Him.  Belshazzar chose his own way and suffered the consequences for that.

Interesting fact:  Belshazzar means “Bel, protect the king”.  Bel was Babylonian god, Bel Marduk, god of war and the elements. He was the creator god.   One of God’s many names is ELOHIM, meaning strength and power. It is also the name used in Genesis when God creates the earth.   If Belshazzar had called on Elohim rather than Bel, he could have had access to a true power and strength and his life could have been spared.

Whose handwriting is on the wall of your life?

What does it say?

Call on Elohim and have access to true strength and power.

This is where we see Daniel in chapter 4 of the book of Daniel.  King Nebuchadnezzar has had another dream that he cannot understand.  He once again calls for his wise men, magicians, conjurers, etc. As in Chapter 2 they are not able to interpret the dream.  Finally Daniel comes before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar tells him the dream.  Daniel is the only one who is able to interpret the dream and it disturbs him. (For the whole vision read Daniel 4:4-18)

“Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened by the meaning of the dream. Then the king said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, don’t be alarmed by the dream and what it means.’
“Belteshazzar replied, ‘I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you!”                                                                                               Daniel 4: 19

Can you hear the anguish in his voice?  He really does not want to tell him that this vision is against Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel, by this time, has served King Nebuchadnezzar for a long time, about 30 years.  He had come to know the king in such a way as to consider him a friend.  Nebuchadnezzar actually tries to console Daniel when he sees that his friend is in distress.  This shows a great change in Nebuchadnezzar.  Over the years Daniel has had a great influence over Nebuchadnezzar and we see that his heart is beginning to soften a bit.

Daniel relents and tells the king that the tree in the vision is Nebuchadnezzar himself.  He has become mighty and strong and his dominion is far reaching.  The angelic messenger in this vision commands that the tree be cut down and destroyed only leaving a stump and the roots.  The stump will be protected and fenced in.  This means that Nebuchadnezzar will be defeated and cut down.  He will be driven away and made to live like a wild beast in the field eating grass.  His mind will be changed to that of a beast, his hair will grow to look like eagles wings and his finger nails will be as bird’s claws.  This will endure for seven years until Nebuchadnezzar recognizes that God is the Most High God and rules over all mankind.  After he acknowledges God he will be restored to his kingdom, which is the stump that has been preserved.

Can you imagine being Daniel and having to tell your friend that in the future you kingdom will be taken from you that you will go crazy, eat grass and live like a wild animal?  Not only that, but it will last for seven years.  WOW!  I don’t think I would want to be him.  Daniel, like a true friend, gives some advice to Nebuchadnezzar.

“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.” Daniel 4:27

Daniel is proclaiming God’s grace and mercy.  He is attempting to show Nebuchadnezzar a better way.  Daniel is confronting the sin that Nebuchadnezzar has been living in and giving him an opportunity to change his ways.  Nebuchadnezzar has seen many miracles in his time yet still has not fully turned to God.  Daniel has not given up on his friend and continues to show him God’s grace and mercy.

A year later all of the prophecies were fulfilled and Nebuchadnezzar was sent to live in the field as a wild animal for seven years.  At the end of that time he acknowledged God as the ruler of heaven and earth and was restored to his place in the kingdom.

So what is the lesson here?

1. Never give up because restoration happens!  Daniel had to be the bad-news- bearer to Nebuchadnezzar.  He didn’t want to do it but he also knew that God was in control.  He shows grace and mercy even though he knows that his friend is going to suffer for a long time.  Daniel never gave up and eventually saw his friend restored back to his right mind and to his kingdom and authority.

2. Speak the truth in love. Daniel confronts his friend regarding his sin in a loving manner, not condemning or harsh.

….you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”    Galatians 6:1

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.   Ephesians 4:15

In Daniel Chapter 3 we see a great story of faith, courage, strength and obedience and maybe even a little sass. I will give you my paraphrase but for the whole story check it out for yourself.

King Nebuchadnezzar has created a giant golden image. He has commanded that every person is to bow down and worship when they hear the sound of the instruments playing. If anyone does not bow down to worship the image of gold when the music is hears they are to be put to death in a furnace filled with a blazing fire. There response is so incredible. (See if you can detect a little sass?)

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,

the God we serve is able to save us from it,and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not,

we want you to know,O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

When they said this they knew that there would be consequences. They knew that they would be thrown into the fire. They also knew that their God could deliver them. They displayed amazing strength and courage in the midst of crisis.

What happens next is nothing short of a miracle.

In a fit of rage Nebuchadnezzar has them bound tightly, fully clothed in robes, trousers, turbans, etc. and thrown into the fire. He was so angrythat he ordered the fire to be seven times hotter than usual. The heat was so intense that the soldiers who were to throw them into the fire were killed by it. The three bound men fell into the blazing furnace. Look what happens next,

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”They replied, “Certainly, O king.”He said, “Look! I

see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”(The phrase “son of the gods” is literally translated “son of God”)

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegoservants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowdedaround them.They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a

hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched,and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!They trusted in him and defied the king’s command andwere

willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach,

Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and theirhouses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Daniel 3:24-29

They are delivered from the fire. Their faith in God was so strong that God came down in the form of Jesus and walked in the fire with them. He saved them from even smelling like fire. Can you image it? The fire was so hot that the soldiers were killed, yet they survived. How must they have felt? How would you have felt?

What does this mean to me and you? God is there for us no matter what. He will see us through the fire. It doesn’t matter what it is, loss of a job, a struggling marriage, raising teenagers,  illness, if we invite him in he is there. He promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. He was there for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He will be there for you. As King Nebuchadnezzar says, “no other god can save in this way.”

“When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 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. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.” (Daniel 2:14-19)

After this Daniel approaches the king and proceeds to tell him the dream and explains the meaning of the dream. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed at Daniel and his skill that he fell on his face in front of Daniel and gave orders to present him with gifts. Then something really spectacular happens.

The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. (Daniel 2:47-49)

There are some great practical lessons in this story.

Daniel had an amazing amount of wisdom for one so young. When he approached Arioch the verse says he spoke with “wisdom and tact”. I don’t know about you but when I think of “youth” these aren’t always traits that come to my mind right away. God had given him wisdom beyond his years. Those are traits that take years to learn and master yet he used them very effectively. This is a great example to follow. He didn’t fly off the handle with the first thing that came to his mind. His response was calm and measured.

When Daniel was posed with at challenge what was the first thing he did? He asked for time to seek the answers. His first response was the tap into his main power source, God. He immediately gathered people to pray with him. Because Daniel did this God gave him the answers. When he received the answer he gave God praise and thanks. (Daniel 2:20-23)

Look at how King Nebuchadnezzar reacted to Daniel? Remember the culture was very pagan but he acknowledged God as “the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries”. Daniel’s time in the king’s court had given him opportunity and influence over King Nebuchadnezzar. He had gained the king’s trust and respect so much that he was made ruler over the entire province of Babylon.

The next thing I think we need to note is Daniel’s progression in his faith and level of responsibility. He has gone from making a deal with the commander of the guard to interpreting dreams for the king in front of his whole court. We know that the time between events was about a year. In that time he had been trained in the ways and customs of the king’s household and of the culture. He had also had a year to grow in his faith and obedience to God. As he was ready, God gave him more responsibility. It didn’t happen fast, it was a process.

Things to ponder from this……

How would you have reacted in his situation? Would you have reacted in fear and anger or with wisdom and tact?

Use tact and wisdom when approaching someone in authority, it makes a difference.

What is your response when posed with a challenge? Do you immediately seek God or do you try to figure it out on your own? Do you remember to give God thanks when He answers?

When you are faced with a challenge tap into the Power Source, ask Him for help and guidance, he never disappoints. This should be your first line of defense not an afterthought.

As we mature and grow in our faith, God gives us more responsibility but never more than we are ready for. Be patient in the process.