OnFire #76 God of Mysteries

Daniel 2:27-28 (NIV) Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...."

Have you ever been in an impossibly difficult situation? One day in Saint John I heard a child scream near a public lake. As I crested a hill to investigate, I looked out into the water to see a child submerged. There were no lifeguards on duty. A man, evidently her father, stood chest-deep, horrified that the girl was beyond his reach. Everyone else was either too stunned or unable to do anything.

Daniel and his friends were in a real bind. King Nebuchadnezzar got fed up with the kissing up of his so-called wisemen, so instead of simply asking for the interpretation of his disturbing dream, he required that anyone who might interpret it should also tell it. No one could tell him the dream, so Nebby declared that every wise man should be chopped to pieces. Daniel must have been out that day because he was surprised when he heard the decree. He immediately went to the king and begged some time.

That night God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. He told it to the king, along with its interpretation. The result was that Nebby appointed Daniel as governor of the area. Daniel, in turn, appointed his companions as administrators.

It turned out well enough in the end, but we have the benefit of being able to look back. Daniel and the Dudes couldn't see the end, however. They were caught in what must have seemed like an impossible situation. While Daniel managed to buy time with the king, it seemed likely they would not escape in the end.

We are not told how they felt, but we can imagine. Shock. Horror. Fear. We've all been there. We've all felt caught in what seem like impossible situations.

How did Daniel react? He begged his friends to pray for mercy from God about the mystery of Nebuchadnezzar's dream so that they would not be executed. That night God revealed the dream to Daniel in a vision.

God delivered in a way which seemed impossible to most people. None of the other wise men thought it was possible to know the dream, but Daniel trusted in God as the revealer of mysteries.

God specializes in unravelling the mysteries of impossible situations, and he often does it mysterious ways. Just as he delivered the Hebrews at the Red Sea by parting the water, just as he delivered Daniel by revealing someone else's dream and its meaning, God will deliver us in ways we might not ever consider.

I still wonder how I came to be at that place in Saint John at that time. It could only have been God's leading. Another minute on either side and it would have been too late for that little girl. It took only a split second for me to assess the situation and then my former lifeguard training kicked in. I don't consider myself a hero, I just thank God I could do it and he put me there at that time.

When we find ourselves in an impossible situation, we need to remember, as Daniel said, that "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." We need to trust in him, even when the situation seems hopeless, because God - the revealer of mysteries - delivers in mysterious ways.