Scripture for the Journey: Daniel 2:19-23
19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision.
Daniel 2:19-23. NET
Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. 20 He said,
“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
for he has all wisdom and power.
21 He controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.
22 He reveals deep and mysterious things
and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
though he is surrounded by light.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,
for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you
and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
When we last saw Daniel, he had learned that the King had issued a decree for him and his friends to be killed. Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.
Today’s portion of the journey reveals – “that very night, their prayer was answered.” Daniel 2:19
Distress led Daniel and the others to pray… prayer led to God’s answer through a vision given to Daniel … and the answer led to praise – 🦋
The Prayer Was Answered
“The secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.” Daniel 2:19-23 NET
Like the Psalmist in Psalm 118, Daniel and his friends prayed to the Lord at the thought of what the King had decreed. Today, our journey reveals that the Lord heard their plea and rescued Daniel and his friends from the ordered execution. As He was with the Psalmist, the Lord was Daniel’s strength; the Lord gave Him victory over the threat of death at the hand of the executioners! – and that is exciting – However, the answer of living by faith in a faithless world lies in the truth of verses 20-22
Both Psalm 118 and Daniel 2:18-22 “reflect not only the urgency of seeking divine help but also the transformative power of faith in God.”
Prayer of Response to the Journey
Father, thank You for reminding us to trust You and do what is right. Help us to “settle in this land” and maintain integrity. Then, we will delight in You, and You will answer our prayers. Help us to commit our future to You, LORD, and to trust You to act on our behalf. – Let us be quick to praise You when we see Your answers, even when and if that answer is ‘no.’ – for we know that even then, You are Good.
A Song of Worship in response to the Journey
The More We Know
For more insight be sure and check out this post by LGG
Me From the Inside Out 