REVEALER OF MYSTERIES
Greetings church family!
(This week we continue our year-long journey through the book of Daniel).
Daniel 2:19-23 - The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel praised the God of the heavens and declared: May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the king’s mystery.
I was driving from my church office to my home one day when I realized two things. First, I remembered that I needed to make an important call. Second, I had left all of my charging devices at home. I finished my 35 minute commute home, quickly ran into the house and into my bedroom, found my phone charger, and plugged the phone in.
As you know, it takes a few minutes for the phone to charge, so I made myself some dinner while waiting for the phone to charge. After about 10 minutes, I went back to my bedroom to grab my phone and make the call - but the phone was still dead. How could this be? It took me a few moments to realize I had plugged one end of the charger into my phone, but failed to plug the other end into the wall.
In last week’s devotional thought, I pointed out the need for God’s people to have a prayer reflex. When we encounter adversity and crises, our first response should be to pray. However, it is important to remember why prayer works in the first place, which is much like the phone charger. The phone charger is effective only as it is connected to a functional outlet. Likewise prayer has meaning and might only because of the God to Whom we pray.
When facing a death sentence, Daniel turns to God in prayer. Look at what he says. “May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. Wisdom and power belong to him. There are some commonly used phrases these days like artificial intelligence and Project 2025. Scripture reminds us, however, that technological advances and political entities will come and go, but true wisdom and true power is God’s and God’s alone!
Daniel 2:24-30 - Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.” Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can let the king know the interpretation.” The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these: Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future. The revealer of mysteries has let you know what will happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
I recently purchased a gift for my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t the typical roses or chocolate - but rather a coloring book (she is very artistic). However, this was not just any kind of coloring book. The title of the coloring book is “50 Color by Numbers Mysteries.” Each page is a grid of relatively small circles, and in each circle is a number from 1 to 9. In the margins is a color legend relating a number to a specific color. When you first look at the coloring page, you have no idea what the image is going to be. But, as you color in the circles according to the color legend, the “mystery” is revealed.
I wish life was like that coloring book 100% of the time. I wish that every instance where I am feeling confused or have a life question that needs answered, that I could just figure it out with a little bit of effort and time. Sometimes this does happen. Other times, the questions and lack of clarity remain.
What gives me hope in the latter situations are the words of Daniel. “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” King Nebuchadnezzar found himself in a situation where “no wise man, medium, magician, or diviner” was able to give him the answer he was looking for. However, the prayers of a Judean exile, prayers connecting him to the God of wisdom and power, allowed for revelation and interpretation.
Church family, I don’t know what questions, doubts, or unclear decisions are burdening you this week. What I do know, is that Jesus blesses us with a promise in Matthew 7. He says, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” [Matthew 7:7-8]. Furthermore, when you understand this passage in the original Greek verbiage, you come to realize that Jesus isn’t saying ask once, seek once, or knock once. The most accurate translation is “Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.” Kudos to King Nebuchadnezzar for continuing to seek clarity for the mysteries he encountered when his own wise men failed to deliver. As followers of Jesus, we are called to do the same. Then, trust Jesus’ promise that, whether it’s overnight or over a lifetime, understanding is on its way.
Be blessed!
Pastor Chris
