September 15, 2017. Daniel 4-6

In Order.  Pay Attention

Have you ever been going through life, minding your own business when out of nowhere it seems like God just slaps a truth in your face? Almost as if he is saying “HELLO! I am still here, are you paying attention to me?” And then we turn around and get annoyed when we can’t seem to sense him or find him in our life.  We ask for him to reveal himself or show his plan for our life and then we turn around and ignore him. 

In these three chapters of Daniel, you can find an example of God revealing himself and being ignored.  In chapter 4, God reveals to Nebuchadnezzar that if he does not admit his sins and acknowledge and do what was right in the eyes of the Lord then he would be driven away from his people and live among wild animals.  Most people would take this seriously, and yet the king did not and within the year he was sent on his lonely way. 

4:32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven time will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

Again in chapter 5 we see Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar is enjoying a great banquet praising gods of gold and silver and others, when a hand appears out of nowhere and begins to write a message on the wall.  Daniel comes in and basically says you saw what happened to your father and yet you continue this way.

5:26-28 “Here 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.”

That same night Belshazzar was murdered and a new king, Darius the Mede, was placed on the throne. You would think that after two kings being warned about following God, that the people would learn, but nope they don’t get it.  In chapter 6 Darius does eventually get it, but not before he has Daniel thrown in the lions den for praying to his God, after Darius foolishly signed a decree stating that for 30 days no one could worship anything or anyone besides the king. However Darius did want to change it and quickly realized his wrong.

6:26-27 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Ask yourself this, what has God shown you repeatedly, yet are ignoring or have forgotten?  Be open to him and he will reveal it clearly, don’t ignore it, embrace it and watch how the Lord protects you and blesses you.