Often in everyday conversations, we use colorful clichés to describe how we’re doing. When things are going well, we say things like, ‘I’m on a roll, I’m on the top of the world, my head’s in the clouds.’ When things are not going well, it’s ‘I’m down in the dumps, I’m hanging in there, I’m burned out, stressed out, wiped out, bummed out.’
When we’re in dire straits we can say things like, ‘I’m in hot water, I am in over my head. I’m coming apart at the seams.’
Three common clichés
I’m between a rock and a hard place – a predicament with no apparent solution.
There’s no light at the end of the tunnel – feeling like there’s no hope for the future.
I’m at the end of my rope – we’re running out of options.
Some of you can relate to one or more of these clichés as you think about some aspect of your life. If any of those clichés describe you continue reading.
In chapter two of the Book of Daniel, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream which is more like a nightmare and cannot sleep. Maybe you can relate to that? You have a dream you can’t remember, but you want to remember, but can’t you can’t get back to sleep. You’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and can’t sleep.
Because the King’s astrologers and fortune-tellers cannot tell the king the dream nor interpret it the king is furious and decrees that he will destroy them along with all the other wise men of Babylon including Daniel and his friends! They’re between a rock and a hard place; there’s no light at the end of the tunnel; they’re at the end of their rope.
At this point, Daniel did not know the dream or its interpretation. He was clueless about the dream, however, and it is a big however Dan was confident ‘where’ he would find the answer. Here we see Dan’s faith. He made a decision to trust God that put him out on a limb.
Faith is a decision to trust God
Dan made a decision to trust God for the answer. Faith is not a feeling or some state of spiritual consciousness. Faith is nothing when there’s no action or response involved. Faith is making a decision to trust God for the outcome.
Sometimes we make faith so complicated, but it’s not. We express faith every time we make big and little decisions to trust God for the outcome, in getting out of our comfort zone. Faith is all about stepping out and making a decision to trust God when we don’t know or can’t control the outcome.
I’m guessing some of you need to make a decision right now that you don’t know the outcome of? It’s risky because you know that if you might get shortchanged, but you’re going to have to trust God!
The first thing Dan does is go to his three trusted friends to explain the dire straits they’re in. Can you imagine the conversation, ‘If we don’t interpret his dream we’re toast!’ ‘What, are you kidding me?’ ‘I told the King NO problem.’ ‘You said what, what are we going to do?’ We could miss this, but something significant is going on here.
We need support in times of trouble!
Some people think they’re weak if they need people to support them. Dan was a man of incredible personal strength, yet when he finds himself at the end of his rope he goes to his friends and includes them in his and their dilemma.
Daniel is not the only one who understood this. The Apostle Paul was a rugged tested man who had been in prison, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned and left for dead. While in prison in the final days of Paul’s life he asked that a young man named Timothy would, “Make every effort to come to me soon and bring Luke and Mark with you.”
No matter who you are or how strong you are you need others. Even Jesus during his greatest trial in the garden of Gethsemane he asked Peter, James, and John to be with him for support and prayer. Jesus had three, Paul had three and Daniel had three friends. Who are 3 or 4?
When you’re at the end of your rope who do you call for support? In such a hyper-individualistic world many think they can make it on their own. I can pick myself up by my own bootstraps. I’ll make it alone. I’m self-sufficient. I’m good.
Really? Is the best way to go it alone? God provides friends for our support in times of trouble. Ask yourself, practically speaking, whose list are you on? Who could you call or turn to? Dan had his list, Paul had his list, Jesus had his list of friends. Every one of us needs a list. To be on one and to have one of your own.
Join us for the continuation of this blog next time.
