There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. -- Daniel 2:28.

I always call my cousin, Sybil Cassar, to inquire of her wellbeing, and last week as we spoke she said a prayer for the nation. What really got me was in addressing Father God, she among other adorations, referred to Him as the God of majesty and mystery. How profound, because most of the times we do not see God as being associated with mystery. But the times in which we live will call us to acknowledge that indeed, many of the things that are happening are clothed in mystery. No wonder William Cowper (1731-1800) penned "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm."
Growing up Over-the-Hill, the word Cuba was a household name. "What fall in Cuba?" Certainly it wasn't Spanish, but the reference was to the numbers for the day. There were key books in most of the homes -- the Bible, policy or insurance book, bank book and dream books. As a matter of fact, one went to bed hoping that the dream of the previous night would be fruitful financially the next day. Indeed, dreams were powerful and meaningful and no matter how we try to skirt the issue, many of us have climbed the ladder of success by dreams.
The Bible is filled with biblical characters who received messages good or bad through dreams, and Kings were no exception. Pilate's wife told him not to get involved, legally nor politically with that innocent man because of troubling dreams that she had!
The Book of Daniel has a special appeal to young people. Say the word Daniel and lion comes immediately to the fore. Writing from Babylon during the time of the exile, Daniel tells of God's miraculous power to protect those who belong to him. God gave Daniel and his friends the ability to stand firm and to serve effectively in a hostile environment.
Today our text tells us about the importance of dreams. Dreams are for your spiritual health, to be forewarned and in some cases how to conserve, preserve, restore and just plain common sense, for it is God and God alone who knows the pathway through uncharted wilderness of national distress.
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his mind and limited his night's sleep. So, he summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means." Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O King, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided -- if you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." But they could not.
Nebuchadnezzar was so angry that none of the core of magician diplomats could interpret his dream that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, and men also went to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard went to carry out the executions, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact, asking, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel who went in to the king and asked for time so that he might interpret the dream for him.
During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons, he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: you have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Then Daniel went on to interpret the king's dream. It was honest, impartial, void of favoritism and the truth. Daniel asked the king not to kill the wise men, enchanters, magicians or diviners, but allow them to live to see that God is greater than any dream book. Indeed our land needs some Daniels who will assist the king in the affairs of the land, not to be partial and family-friendly, but to give justice to whom justice is due.
May God so use us as Daniels in this land so that we would be used to honor those who deserve honor, give a promotion those who have labored and toiled, and give respect to those who are worthy. God is about to reveal hidden mysteries that were reserved for such a time as this, but this can only be if we live lives worthy of God's favor.
We need Daniels for the crime in our land. We need Daniels for the enrichment and excellence in education. We need Daniels for national pride to swell in the hearts of the people of this land. We need Daniels for young men to become men of action, advancement, productivity and engagement in the better things of life.
Yes, we need Daniels so that God can reveal hidden mysteries to His people.

o E-mail rubyanndarling@yahoo.com write to P.O. Box 19725 SS Nassau, Bahamas with your prayer requests, concerns and comments. God's Blessings!

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