Read Daniel 2:1-23

1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."

4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic,"

O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

5The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."

7Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

8Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."

10The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."

12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

14When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20and said:

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

21He changes times and seasons;

he sets up kings and deposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

22He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him.

23I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:

You have given me wisdom and power,

you have made known to me what we asked of you,

you have made known to us the dream of the king." (NIV)

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Daniel and his 3 friends are put in to a bad situation.  The king wants to kill all the wisemen because they cannot tell the king what dream he dream and then its interpretation.  The king has set forth an impossible situation for those who give advise to the king.  We see the frustration of the wise men.  They tell the king tell us the dream and we will interpret it.  But the king says, no, you have to tell me what I dreamed, an impossible situation.

There are times in our lives where the situation seems impossible.  We look at what is happening and we say, there is no way out or there is no possible solution and we become totally discouraged. When I look back over my life, I see many times that I didn’t know how something would work out.  Some seemed near impossible, but here I am today, still living and enjoying the blessings of life.

We see a several things that helped turn an impossible situation into a possible situation.  The first is that Daniel gathered his friends together.  Too often when trouble comes, people separate themselves from those close to them.  God has created us so that we need one another.  When life is difficult, that is not the time to go it alone.  I think this is why Jesus reminded the people, “when two or three are gathered, I am there.”  It is important to have support in troubled times.

The next thing that Daniel, along with his friends, did was to pray.  They took there impossible situation to God.  They pleaded for mercy as well as a solution.  Notice that both were asked for.  They prayed for a solution to this mystery.

And we finally see that they trusted God with their lives.  They did not waver in their faith.  Too often, when bad stuff happens, we become angry with God and even walk away from God.  Daniel and his friends did not ask why is this happening?  Instead they put their whole trust in God.  This is something we learn over time.  Daniel and his friends had the experience of trusting God in their diet.  As we go through life, we learn to trust more and more each day.  When we look at the story of Abraham, he had to grow in his trust of God to the point that he would offer his son Isaac to be killed, trusting that God’s promised would be fulfilled, even if he had no idea how.  Abraham failed several times leading up to this by saying his wife was his sister to keep from being killed.  He learned in those situations to trust God’s ways.  We need to be growing in that trust also.

So, have you learned to trust God in the trials you have faced in life?  Do  you take everything to God in prayer as Scripture reminds us?  All of us should be growing in our faith.

Questions?  Comment?

Blessings and Peace

Pastor Harry