“Then Daniel (Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Daniel answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your adversaries!” ~ Daniel 4:19
As I read this passage in the book of Daniel, I almost sense a genuine concern from Daniel being expressed to king Nebuchadnezzar. For those of us familiar with this story about Daniel, does it not seem quite odd that after everything that this evil king had done to him and his people that Daniel seems to be extending a fair degree of empathy toward him in this moment?
Most would find this incredibly strange. In fact, most of us would be quite joyous to learn that one of our greatest enemies in life is about to be put in his rightful place by God. We might even be overcome with so much joy and elation that we would celebrate this great news with our friends!
But this wasn’t the case with Daniel. You see, Daniel understood that God was calling all of the shots; He was using this ruthless king to discipline the Israelites. Sure, he had done some terrible things to Daniel’s people, as well as the neighboring nations. But Daniel had the ability to discern why it was happening, and what was eventually going to happen in the not-so-distant future. He was able to comprehend these things because of his unwavering trust in God, the same God who had just given Daniel the ability to accurately interpret the king’s dream; a dream so dire that it ultimately foreshadowed Nebuchadnezzar’s utter ruin.
And it was the same God that influenced Daniel’s overall attitude and the manner of living that allowed Daniel to be useful to Him.
Once Daniel had received God’s interpretation of the dream, he was stunned. He needed a moment to gather himself and figure out a way to break this horrible news to the human king he served. But God knew that Daniel was the right man for this job. He knew Daniel’s heart.
I don’t know about you, but as I read this story about Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar – I feel incredibly challenged because of my attitude. How many times have I wished utter ruin upon people who have wronged me over the years? And sad to say, perhaps even a few people that God had put in my life for the sole purpose of helping in some way.
Today, Daniel 4:19 reminds us all that we have some much needed work to tend to. Does our hearts and attitudes reflect a willingness to be used by God, or are they limiting our usefulness to Him?
Former Blackout Artist 