Daniel 2:19-23 – Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Like torpedoes riding out of site and unknown until an explosion blows a hole in the side of a ship, life comes with the occasional torpedo.
We’ve all known exactly what it feels like to be hit with an unexpected crisis, overwhelmed, and unsure what to do. When a torpedo hits your life, what is your first response?
With a death sentence sent out from the King of Babylon, Daniel and his friends were facing sudden death. Rather than panic, they praised. From their example we learn three things:
- You need your crew before your crisis. Too often, people don’t have a crew, and when their crisis hits, they are alone. These four friends had built trust together over years, and when crisis hit, the crew assembled to praise God and pray for guidance.
- Before you bring your problem to God, bring your praise to God. When we remind ourselves of who God is, and what God can do, it calms us down as we bring our latest need to Him.
- Our King is in authority over whoever is in authority. When they pray, “he removes kings and sets up kings”, it is a reminder that no matter who is over us, our God is over them and for us.
If a crisis hits, do you have your crew ready?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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