WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11
Daniel 2:12-24
James 5:16

“… The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much.”

THE DREAM REVEALED

There are two great presuppositions or assumed truths taught in the Bible: (1) God exists, and (2) God reveals Himself to man. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son …” And the only way men can respond to this stupendous reality is by faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6). In his own context, Daniel understood such spiritual principles, and Daniel chapter two shows how God intervened on his behalf to reveal and to interpret the king’s dream.

The true character of a person is surely revealed in times of pressure and crisis. Young Daniel faced a very great crisis, and his response is an example of how spiritually mature people behave: he trusted fully in his God. We can easily imagine what his fate would have been if he had failed God at this point and did not receive the interpretation!

Because he knew the God in whom he trusted, he took other meaningful and important steps. He prayed (Dan 2:17-19) and praised (Dan 2:19-23). He prayed with such confidence that he was able to go to sleep. In his praise he made God the true object of his worship. In this section, which is sometimes called “Daniel’s psalm,” there are seven ascriptions of praise. Can you count them?

The last ascription declares that “the light dwelleth with him” (Dan 2:22). The Babylonians considered their gods to be gods of light. But this entire event must have convinced Nebuchadnezzar and all of his court and nation that deep, hidden, secret things are fully and only known to the God of Israel. In fact, “the light dwelleth (literally, is at home) with him.”

THOUGHT: “It is not the circumstances of our life that gives it character, but our relationship to God under any circumstances.”
PRAYER: May my heart be the home in which Thou dwelleth, my God, so that I may ascribe praise to Thee.