Dad's Ramblings -- The Excitement of Answered Prayer

THE EXCITEMENT OF ANSWERED PRAYER
 
Daniel 2:19-20
 
"The secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.' "
 
God answered Daniel's prayer concerning Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Daniel's life was on the line and he needed for God to intervene, so this was not a ho-hum moment for Daniel. He was so excited about God's answer that he erupted in praise to the God of heaven. May my spirit never become so hard that God's answers to prayer become blase and I fail to give God the glory. It's testimony time!
Let praise flow out of my mouth for God's goodness!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Answered prayer should produce an excited and praising spirit.
 
Have an excited day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Seeking God

SEEKING GOD
 
Daniel 2:17-18
 
"Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon."
 
Daniel knew that unless God gave him answers, he was doomed. Life is filled with perplexing "mysteries" – questions and problems that are beyond my own ability to comprehend. God has given me a brain and he expects me to use it. But it is so easy to "lean on my own understanding" instead of seeking the God of heaven for His understanding.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The God of heaven has the answers to life's perplexing problems.
 
Have a "seeking God" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Take Time

TAKE TIME
 
Daniel 2:12-13, 16
 
"For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them .... So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation."
 
The king, in his anger, lost his patience. He wanted an answer NOW!!! Sometimes we are under pressure to give an immediate answer. But it is wise to take time to cogitate. My children got frustrated at times because when they me for something, I would often say, "I need to think about it." Quick answers are often unwise, and I have regretted many spur-of-the-moment decisions. It pays to take time to seek God's mind, as Daniel did.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Since quick answers are often unwise, it pays to take the time to seek God.
 
Have a "take time" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Spiritual Angst

SPIRITUAL ANGST
 
Daniel 2:4-5
 
"Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, 'O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.' The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, 'My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.' "
 
King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by the God-given dream and he wanted to understand why. To calm his anxiety, he went to his worldly counselors. But they did not have the answer (see vss. 10-11). I believe that God places a spiritual angst in everyone.  It has been called a "God-shaped hole." They know something is lacking in their spirit, and it causes them to be troubled, so they seek answers in the wrong places. They investigate various religions or go to spiritual gurus. They join social groups or try to gain understanding through psychology or other intellectual pursuits. When these things don't give them peace, they try to drown their angst with activities, pleasure, or alcohol. None of these attempts will give lasting peace to the disquieted heart. Jesus promised to give us His peace. He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27) As the song says, "Only Jesus can satisfy the soul." Jesus is the answer to the angst of life.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Only Jesus can calm the spiritually troubled heart.
 
Have a peace-filled day in Jesus. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Troubling Dreams

TROUBLING DREAMS
 
Daniel 2:1-3
 
"Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams .... And the king said to them, 'I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know [understand] the dream.' "
 
This is not a Martin Luther King speech, "I have a dream." Nor were King Nebuchadnezzar's dreams caused by drinking too much coffee. They were God-sent, and they caused him to be troubled and anxious in his spirit. Even though he consulted the wrong people to have the dreams explained, the fact is that God got his attention. God can visit even ungodly people in the night and trouble their spirits – even President Obama – when it suits His purposes. May God trouble our leaders in the midnight hours, and cause them to seek godly counsel.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God can get the attention of ungodly people through puzzling dreams.
 
Have a dreamy day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Godly Wisdom

GODLY WISDOM

Daniel 1:17, 20

"As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom .... In all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm."

The person with God-given wisdom will stand out above the crowd.  Godly wisdom is 10 times better than the wisdom of this world.  That's why God says to seek wisdom.

TODAY'S THOUGHT:  Godly wisdom is like a beacon in a dark world.

Seek God's wisdom today.   Love you.

Dad's Ramblings -- A TEN-DAY CHALLENGE

A TEN-DAY CHALLENGE

Daniel 1:12, 14-15

" 'Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. ' .... So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.  And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies."

Daniel and his friends knew the value of self-discipline.  Could I live without the junk food of this world -- both physical food and cultural food?  Would I be better off?  Would people see any difference in my life?  This prompts my heart to  to be more intentionally disciplined in the new year -- 2012. 

TODAY'S THOUGHT:   Self-discipline can improve our appearance -- both physically and spiritually.

Have a challenged day.  Love you.