(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
“Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered,
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever;
for wisdom and might are his.
He changes the times and the seasons.
He removes kings and sets up kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise,
and knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals the deep and secret things.
He knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
I thank you and praise you,
O God of my fathers,
who have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we desired of you;
for you have made known to us the king’s matter.””
(Daniel 2:17-23)
“who remembered us in our low estate,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
and has delivered us from our adversaries,
for his loving kindness endures forever;
who gives food to every creature,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loving kindness endures forever.”
(Psalm 136:23-26)
These were the young men, sons of the nobles and the elite of Jerusalem, who had been carried off into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:19-21). They were essentially slaves. Captives. Exiles from the Land. They had lost everything and their lives depended on the king. Here, the king was going to kill them all unless one of them told him something that no human being could possibly know and tell him. It was a ridiculous request. Instant doom for everyone who was an advisor, regardless of nationality. But these young men leaned into God. They didn’t loose hope and they didn’t blink. If they were going to die here, they were going to die here. But they weren’t going to give up without calling on the Lord. They KNEW that He could help them no matter what their circumstances were. If they were faithful to Him, He would be faithful to them. They looked to Him and gave themselves into His hands. He did NOT disappoint.
No matter WHERE we find ourselves, God can help us. He is with us. He doesn’t leave us. We cannot see all the threads, the ins and outs, the influences and the connections that surround us. God can use ANYTHING to teach us things He wants us to know. God can affect ANY circumstance – no matter if it was something He brought about or if it is the result of an ungodly person making an ungodly choice. God has NO limitations. His grace is sufficient. No matter where we are. No matter who is against us. No matter what is transpiring. No matter what the ‘facts’ are. No matter what the laws of nature say. God has NO limitations. He is ALWAYS more than enough. Always. We need to believe the Word and trust in His grace. Trust in His faithfulness. Trust in Him. No matter what.
Summary
What we see as the big, horrible thing doesn’t look like the big, horrible thing to God. In a drought, we can have a harvest. In an economic downturn or crash, we can be solvent and have an expanding portfolio. In a national crisis, we can be calm. In a lockdown, we can have plenty. We can live in such a way that if we didn’t see it on the news or hear it from a neighbour, we wouldn’t know there were trying times happening. This has been the experience of the obedient church since the church was founded. Yes, we can see it happening, but we are in the boat not at the mercy of the waves. If we trust in Him, He always meets our needs. We always get what we need. Sometimes, just because He is so loving and giving, we get bells and whistles too. You never know. What we DO know, what we CAN know, and what we SHOULD eagerly anticipate, is that God will show us His goodness at all times and in all circumstances. He WILL come through for us. Rely on Him. Trust in Him. Believe Him. Obey Him. The rest follows and follows in abundance – no matter WHAT it looks like to outsiders (Matthew 6:33).
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