Daniel 2:14-18; 26-28
When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: “Why this all of a sudden?”
After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream.
Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn’t be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men.
The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), “Are you sure you can do this—tell me the dream I had and interpret it for me?”
Daniel answered the king, “No mere human can solve the king’s mystery, I don’t care who it is—no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is going to happen in the days ahead. This is the dream you had when you were lying on your bed, the vision that filled your mind:
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I’ve often watched small children at play and observed how they repeat the same thing over and again – like putting the wrong puzzle piece in the wrong space – and hope that this time, it will fit! More than once I have wanted to jump in and show the child how to fix this... knowing that this was entirely the wrong way to help. In the moment that the “light bulb” goes on… or the child turns and asks for help… everything is revealed. The real “mystery” comes from the child’s determination to figure out things on his/her own. Often, each of us is like this “child” as we navigate all sorts of decisions, choices and situations in our own lives.
One sentence from this story in Daniel really resonated with me today… there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and He has solved this one. How often do we try to do things for ourselves? How frequently do we wring our hands and say, “I just don’t get it,” or “I don’t know what to do”? In truth, all we have to do is turn to God and say these very phrases… then allow Him room to work. God is the only one who can fix many of our messes! And just like our situation with the child and the puzzle, God knows that we sometimes have to wallow and fret in our own confusion for a while in order to really learn the lesson!
I don’t know about you, but I’m rather tired of puzzles and games… mysteries and unresolved issues. I’m ready to place these all at the feet of Jesus and say, “This is what you bought and paid for… so why am I trying to fix them? I surrender… I give them all to you, where they belong.” This is when the “light bulb” comes on for us as Christians… when we genuinely and calmly hand our challenges, burdens, worries, and cares – our very lives – to God and let HIM handle things. He has solved countless “mysteries” already… and He is surely able to solve ours now.
This is huge. Don’t miss what could be a major turning point in your life. When you begin to truly function in faith and confidence that God is handling things for you and solving the mysteries of your life, everything changes. Your entire perspective will be different… and maybe your demeanor, as well. Let the joy, peace, and freedom of placing this responsibility with God, where it belongs, encompass you and give you incredible relief. Put the puzzle pieces in the right spots and move forward… and allow God the handle the big stuff!
©2012 Debbie Robus
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