Depending Upon God

            Do you know how close we all came to not having one of the most awesome prophecies of the beginning of Christ’s church?  If it weren’t for the faith and courage of Daniel, we might have missed out on God’s pinpointing the time of His kingdom’s arrival.  But, fortunately, Daniel was willing to be used by God and the Jewish people were prepared for the coming of the Messiah.

            The prophecy about which I speak is found in Daniel 2.  God had actually revealed it through a dream to king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  Being the insecure and suspicious person he was, the king (very wisely) required his enchanters to tell him the dream and then interpret it for him.  He was going to be sure that they didn’t just make something up.  Unfortunately, no human has ever been able to do such a thing.  In a fit of rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of ALL the wise men within his realm.  This, by the way, would include Daniel and his three friends.

            When Daniel heard the king’s order, he asked for time which he used for prayer to God with his friends.  They asked for wisdom in helping interpret the king’s dream, knowing that God was the only One who could do what the king asked for.  When God revealed to them the contents of the dream and its interpretation, they spent time thanking God for His love and care.

            Now Daniel had the courage to stand before Nebuchadnezzar and glorify God with the answer he longed for.  And in that answer, God provided the timing for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus) and His kingdom (the church).  During the time of the Roman kings, God was going to establish His kingdom that would fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:44).

            The Jewish people were looking for the Messiah when Jesus was walking the earth, teaching, performing miracles and dying for the sin of the world.  And 3,000 were ready for it 50 days after His resurrection fulfilling God’s prophecy in Daniel 2. 

            What do you think would have happened if Daniel and his friends had panicked, or given up, or tried to figure all this out on their own?  Think of how much more God could do for everyone around us today if we were to turn to Him for help rather than trying to work things out by ourselves.  We were not designed to go through life alone.  Put your dependence fully on the Lord God and be amazed at what He is able to accomplish through you.

Doug