Be Still and Know - "You Have Given Me Wisdom And Strength"

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

1. Daniel 2.23 NLT
   
   
   
   
   
   “I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
   
   Daniel had been given what looks to me like an impossible job. Not only did he have to tell King Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his dream, but he had also been told to inform the King what he had dreamt about in the first place! The King’s highly trained wise men complained, not unreasonably, that the job was impossible, and they were threatened with death as a result. But Daniel knew that he was in touch with the source of all wisdom, God himself. And so he prayed.
   
   You wouldn’t blame Daniel if he had prayed a desperate prayer screaming at God to do the impossible and save him from certain death. But he didn’t. His prayer was one of worship and adoration. He acknowledged that God was the source of all wisdom and power and that, ultimately, everything that happened in the world was in the Lord’s hands. He was, therefore, confident that God would do what looked impossible and reveal both the content and interpretation of the King’s dream.
   
   I can’t think of anything that I have been asked to do that matches Daniel’s challenge – and you might feel the same. However, we all face challenges that are beyond us. We meet people whose lives are in turmoil, and we hear of broken relationships that look insoluble. We hear about problems of ill health, discrimination, poverty, substance abuse, violence and much else besides. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed, and even depressed, by the enormous scale of these problems but we would do well to take a leaf out of Daniel’s book. We need to pray.
   
   
   
   
   
   Before anything else we need to praise God. We need to acknowledge that he is the king of the world and that he alone is the source of love, peace, wisdom and truth. He is worthy of all of our devotion. As we place ourselves in his hands, he will equip us to respond to the challenges around us.
   
   
   
   
   
   Question: As you face the specific challenges of today, how are you going to pray?
   
   Prayer: Lord God, you are the source of all wisdom and strength. I make myself available to you and invite you to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Amen