Petitioning God
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
In 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Army were reeling. Their backs were literally to the English Channel. One British unit sent a three-word cable to Britain’s War Office. “But if not…”
Lord Halifax’s call for a National Day of Prayer. Winston viewed such an exercise as something of a waste of time at such a moment (rescue BEF & guarding against a possible airborne assault)
King George VI had a higher view of prayer.
“At this fateful hour, we turn, as our fathers before us have turned in all times of trial, to God Most High. Here in the old country, I have asked that Sunday next be observed as a day of national prayer.… Let us with one heart and soul, humbly but confidently, commit our cause to God and ask His aid … With God’s help we shall not fail.”
In France, their tanks were halted 10 miles away. The storm that grounded German planes. The English Channel was calm. Britain would not be left undefended (335k instead of the 20-30k they thought they could save).
Scripture Introduction
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Daniel 2:16 “And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.”
This trial moves Daniel to find his spiritual gift and his role in the mission of God.
Potential Impact
To release the burden of solving the problems in your world.
So many of people’s problems come from trying to control things outside of their control, and when they try, they lose control of themselves. Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Toddler
Anxiety; fear; control
Connection: There are times in our lives where we seek God’s help
Take Home: Instead of exhausting all our resources to tackle life’s challenges, we must seek Yahweh, the source of wisdom and might.
Message Focus: Why we seek Yahweh, who is the source of wisdom and might.
God is the Source of Wisdom & Might vv. 17-23
God is the Source of Wisdom & Might vv. 17-23
and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Lewis and the rocky mountains (Trade; Spanish war parties; Missouri River head; gentle slope)
They would have to change plans, give up expectations, even reframe their entire mission - Tod Bolsinger, Canoeing Mountains
Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery were looking for a water route, but now they had run out of water. How do you canoe over mountains? - Ibid
Daniel was not an interpreter of visions at this time.
We tend to be self-sufficient until we feel the urgency or our solutions have fallen short.
God has gifted us with talents and we often forget that it is him working through us.
God just might allow times like these to remind us we need him.
Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
He Changes . . .
He Changes . . .
God’s Sovereignty
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;
Times: duration of empires (Daniel 7:25 “they shall be given into his (little horn) hand for a time, times, and half a time.”)
Seasons: Culmination and decline (Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”)
Kings: The dream concerns the succession of kingdoms
He Gives . . .
He Gives . . .
God’s Omnipotence
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;
The wise are only so because God has given them their wisdom.
God is not just wise, but exercises His wisdom, even giving some to humanity.
Outside of visions, many times God’s wisdom bestowed on us helps us to see things already in existence but unnoticed or forgotten by us.
That’s how God’s discernment works in my life.
We must discern God’s wisdom and not rely on our intellect. If we haven't prayed about it, outside of the grace of God, we labor in vain on shifting sand.
Wisdom is to direct hard work to its best use.
He Reveals . . .
He Reveals . . .
God’s Omniscience
he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
Psalm 139:12 “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
Hebrews 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Knows what is in the darkness
Thoughts of people Psalm 139:4 “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”
Intentions Job 34:23–24 “For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.”
Future Beasts in Chapter 7 & 8
Potentials Luke 10:13 ““Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.”
Light Dwells with Him
Enlightenment of what can be known.
God is the Giver of Wisdom & Might v. 23
God is the Giver of Wisdom & Might v. 23
Envision a grand library filled with books of wisdom. But this isn’t a normal library, this is representing the vastness of God’s wisdom, revealing truths beyond our imagination. He has given you a library card to these resources and all you need to do is check in with him and he will guide you to the wisdom you need.
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.”
We/us
Shared burden in prayer
You have given me wisdom and might
They belong to God (v.20) but He has graciously given them to the guys.
Summary
Petitioning God
It’s vital to seek divine wisdom rather than exhausting our own resources.
God is the Source of Wisdom and Might
To Yahweh belong wisdom and might
God Gives Wisdom and Might
He gives wisdom and knowledge, and reveals hidden things
A Possible Next Step
When you traverse a mountain of life and instead of finding a gentle slope on the other side, you are hit with the reality of an endless mountain range. The answer is to not to struggle to use the canoe on the mountain side, but recognize the new adventure and petition God for the adaptive capacity and to open our eyes to new possibilities.
