Repeating Patterns
It’s not hard to believe that history can repeat itself. Often, events happening in the present seem like a replica of something experienced in the past. But what we tend to overlook is that recurrent history often reveals the consequences of our failed patterns to worship God.
In general, humans have failed to live out the very purpose of our creation: to worship God. Instead, we have created false gods to worship. Even the people of God, the Israelites, fell into this sinful behavior. For generations, they became an idolatrous nation, and as a consequence, God exiled them. This was exactly the reason why Daniel lived most of his life in Babylon.
By the time Daniel was in his late 70’s, he was about to witness again the consequences of the repeating pattern of false worship. The King of Babylon, while being surrounded by the Mede and Persian armies, decided to drink wine from the vessels that had been taken out of the temple of God in Jerusalem and praised false gods (Daniel 5:3-4), maybe looking for a miraculous intervention. But by doing so, he dishonored God (Daniel 5:23). As a result, that night the King of Babylon was killed, and his kingdom fell under the Medes (Daniel 5:30-31). One of the lessons that we can learn from this event is that idolatry always leads us to become subjects of God’s judgment in history.
On the other hand, Daniel lived exclusively to serve God’s purposes regardless of the circumstances. That’s why, even though he was exiled, and in the middle of political turmoil, moral depravity, and spiritual corruption, he remained faithful as a worshipper of God. By living this way, Daniel made evident that a repeating pattern of worshipping God leads to a life that makes history for the glory of His name.
My prayer is that, as 21st century “Daniels,” our personal history would reveal a repeating pattern of worship to God.
Esteban Tapia
Spanish Language Pastor
Faithfulness > Influence
There is always a catch. At least in our consumerist culture. Any good deal is struck with the goal of benefiting one or both parties. The best negotiators are those who are able to benefit themselves, while benefiting those who do business with them.
When we meet the God of the Bible, we find that his deals are not so cut and dry. The covenant that God’s people entered was one of endless grace, forgiveness, and mercy if they only remained faithful to keeping Torah. However, when given the opportunity to grow in wealth, prestige, and influence the kings of Israel that descended from David quickly showed what was their top priority.
They wanted a better deal. And the kings and cultures of the ancient near east were ready to trade, fundraise, raise armies, and enter into alliances with an Israel that looked more similar to them and less familiar to Yahweh.
This deal was enticing because influence is always appealing. Humans have been climbing ladders of social hierarchy since the dawn of time. The same jockeying that takes place in corporate board meetings has taken place in every circle of power of human history. We desire to grow in status, significance, and security - and so we grasp at power whenever it’s hinted at.
But Daniel stands out in contrast to all of this because he’s aware that power is fleeting. He has observed the Babylonian kings his whole adult life. He’s seen the flippancy, the inconsistency, the pettiness, and even the insanity of kings such as Nebuchadnezzar. And now he is about to witness the end of not just a dynasty, but an entire kingdom!
King Belshazzar offers Daniel the third highest ranking in his entire kingdom (Dan. 5:16) and yet Daniel remains unimpressed (Dan. 5:17). He knows that he serves a greater king, with a greater kingdom, and an eternal mission to restore everything to its rightful sovereign: Yahweh.
The tricky thing with God is that faithfulness does not always equal an increase in earthly influence. Where we may slave and toil away in faithfulness to what God would want of us, we find that we remain in the same miserable and mundane positions, circumstances, or seasons. But let us remember: that the kingdom that never fades is invading the earth! His reign is secure and increasing all around us - and even while we lack things we think will give us satisfaction, we possess Him, the one for whom there is no comparison.
We can be like Daniel: unimpressed with the earthly influence that the world promises and instead content to the faithful mission that God entrusts with us, in the times in which he places us. The payout, both here and for eternity, is far greater than the power that is here today and gone tomorrow.
Ryan Lunde
Pastor of Young Adults
The Arc de Triomphe
It is generally thought that there is a time gap of about 50 years between Daniel 4:37 and Daniel 5:1, and that Daniel is now around 80. So a question I have is, “What’s Daniel doing as he lives out his 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s in Babylon?” The answer may surprise you.
If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, take a look at Daniel 5:11-12, for it is here that we find out! For the past half-century, Daniel has continued to oversee the magicians, enchanters/conjurers, Chaldeans, and astrologers/diviners. In other words, he has been getting up and going to work every day.
First, even though King Nebuchadnezzar has made Daniel the ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:48), King Belshazzar - who is King Nebuchadnezzar’s son, no less - has no idea who he is. How can this be? Well, it can be if Daniel’s main concern is doing a good job at his job rather than making sure everyone knows he’s doing a good job at his job. Actions always speak louder than words, and I have heard (mostly as my wife shares with me her experiences in the corporate world) of many people who can talk a good game but never get anything done. Daniel was just the opposite - he got stuff done and let his work speak for itself. (And speak for itself it does, because the queen-mother still knows who he is.) Furthermore, Daniel seems to have maintained his conviction that God knew what he was doing, even if the king didn’t, and that this was okay. Knowing who knows what we do with our lives, and being okay with who might not know, is a constant issue for us, isn’t it?
Second, I want to focus on the remarkable tension Daniel must feel as a follower of Yahweh who is put in charge of magicians, enchanters and astrologers. How does this even work? I don’t know, but with God’s help and guidance, Daniel made a go of it for over 50 years! I bet he got an awesome watch on his 50th anniversary.
One thing I see in Daniel’s life is an “arc de triomphe” where he is able to serve - both for a long time, as well as successfully and faithfully - in a work environment that is morally and spiritually challenging, to say the least. And how does he manage to do that? Daniel 6:10 gives us one clue!
Today, whether you’re struggling with the idea that maybe the right people don’t know what you’re doing with your moments and your days (and you wonder what to do about that), or with how to live as a faithful Christian in a difficult work (or otherwise) situation, I’d encourage you to devote yourself to prayer, asking God to guide you toward your own arc of triumph!
Scott Smith
Pastor of Discipleship Ministries
Weight Watchers
We’ve all heard the term “the writing is on the wall.” You may not be aware, but that phrase comes from Daniel 5 where a disembodied hand literally wrote on a wall. Like Thing from The Addams Family. Weird, I know! Listen to what the hand wrote,
Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting…" Daniel 5:25-27
“You have been weighed and found wanting.” The Babylonians didn’t weigh enough. As a culture, we tend to be fairly concerned about weight loss. In fact, the total U.S. weight loss industry hit a new peak in 2018, growing to $72 billion. We are so consumed with losing weight, but maybe that’s the wrong goal; maybe we should focus on gaining weight.
The phrase “you have been weighed and found wanting” is generally taken to mean that the kingdom lacked moral worth. The kingdom they were building was not made with material that leads to eternal impact. The kingdom looked good from the outside, but it was hollow on the inside. They were puffed up, but they were not healthy. Some lives can look that way too; the right activities are present and the correct truths are affirmed, but when it comes to becoming a disciple and embracing Jesus’ mission, there is a weightlessness. We can go through the motions without becoming the kind of people Jesus is inviting us to become.
If you were weighed by the Lord, would you be found wanting? Does your life have eternal substance to it? The Apostle Paul affirmed that each life would be weighed when he wrote,
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
We are all building a life that either has eternal or temporal substance. Today, think about the way you are building and the material you are using. Think about your words, your resources, and your time – they shape the life you’re building. Choose to courageously sit with Jesus and let him weigh you and then invite him to show you a path toward gaining weight.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Even Though You Knew All This
"But you… have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens… Therefore, he sent the hand…" Daniel 5:22,24
In the early years of our marriage, when I was still in school, things were pretty tight. Our budget didn’t leave much room for discretionary spending. We learned all the sound financial principles of how to manage a household budget and lived very frugally. As time passed, life pressures increased and we made some poor financial decisions. Each one seemed small at the time, but they began to add up. Later, when a major medical crisis came, we were unprepared.
Later, we learned there was a name for this from financial advisor Dave Ramsey. He refers to these types of decisions as paying the “stupid tax” or making financial decisions that we already know are bad when we make them. We can sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that it will all turn out just fine. We had somehow forgotten what we already “knew.”
When Daniel begins to answer King Belshazzar, he reminds him of the fact that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar had been given all of the power, glory and splendor that he possessed by God. He reminds him that God had taken it all away because Nebuchadnezzar refused to acknowledge “that the Most High God is sovereign over all the kingdoms on earth” (Dan. 5: 21). If only Belshazzar had remembered the humbling of his grandfather, humbled himself before God, instead of shaking his fist at God until he saw the writing on the wall and it was too late.
In 2 Peter the apostle Peter tells us that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:3). He wants us to know and to remember that God is the one who has all power to accomplish his purposes, and that he gives us everything that we need to live out his calling on our lives and for his kingdom. But he also knows that we are all inclined to forget what we know.
A little later he says, “I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them…” (2 Peter 1:12) Can you hear the tenderness of his voice? “I know you know these things, but I’m going to keep telling you so you don’t ever forget.”
Reflect today on the ways that you have determined to actively remember the gospel truths you “already know." Spend a few minutes remembering that our sovereign God is firmly seated on his throne, accomplishing all that he has planned for our good and for his glory. Then, like Peter, encourage someone today by reminding them that the Most High God is sovereign over all, because we all need to remember not to forget.
Nicole Jiles
Children’s Ministry Director
How’s Your Humility?
Daniel 4 demonstrates the life of a proud and arrogant King, who is troubled in his dreams, but then becomes humbled by God. The chapter concludes with, “for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Scripture provides many examples of humility; lives dedicated to the Lord and the building up of others. Let’s take a look!
Moses demonstrated humility through a willingness to learn from his father-in-law, Jethro. Exodus 18 shares how Moses listened to Jethro’s wisdom and followed his advice regarding how to best lead the Israelites. Moses was teachable.
John the Baptist, a servant of God, celebrated the coming of Jesus and elevated His role as the bridegroom. John 3:29 says, “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.” John’s love for Jesus was humble and pure and in this, his joy was complete!
In Philippians 2:14, Paul reminds us to “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Our attitude serves as a testimony to the world; a light shining in the darkness communicating the deep love of Jesus, our Savior, who humbled himself to the point of death on the cross; all for our sake. Humility lifts others up.
Matthew tells us in chapter 6 that the Father who sees in secret will reward. Verse 1 warns, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” A humble spirit does not need the praise of others.
Finally, humility means being willing to admit your failures. In Psalm 51, David cries out to God in response to Nathan’s rebuke of David’s sin. David admits his transgressions, he asks God to search his heart, he requests to be washed clean, and he worships his Lord. Humility admits failures and asks for forgiveness.
Based on these Biblical demonstrations of humility, how would you rate yourself in this area? This is not meant to be a test, critique or judgement on your character. Instead, this is an opportunity to honestly sit before the Lord and ask him what humility looks like in your own life. Celebrate the areas where you are doing well!
Ask God and even a friend to help you in the areas where you could grow.
- Am I teachable? Do I have a heart that desires to learn?
- Am I willing to celebrate others’ successes with honest and pure joy?
- Do I look for the good in others and the circumstances around me or do I grumble and complain?
- Do I have a heart that longs to do good, even if no one notices?
- Am I willing to admit my failures?
How’s your humility? Choose just one area to work on this week. It’s worth paying attention to. James 4:6 reminds us that, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” Do you long for the grace of God given to a humble heart?
Lynette Fuson
Director of Counseling and Soul Care
A Reasonable Recognition
"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling ...'" Isaiah 30:15
We’ve repeatedly seen the contrast between Daniel quietly and humbly honoring God while he took a firm stand for his beliefs and King Nebuchadnezzar seeking power and glory for himself to the point of building an idol of himself for everyone to bow down to. God used Daniel to pursue him again and again but the king acknowledged God, then fell right back into his pattern of seeking glory for himself and taking God’s blessings for granted.
Recently when my husband had surgery, I was reminded of how easy it is to take people for granted. He was in the hospital for five days and I was on my own. All of the million little things he does for me, like taking out the trash, putting gas in and having my car clean every week, unloading the dishwasher, and just being there were gone. I thought, do I thank him and appreciate him enough for those things and much more, I doubt it. In fact, sometimes my focus shifts completely to the things he doesn’t do or at least in my idea of “perfect timing” resulting in turmoil inwardly if not outwardly instead of peace.
Do we take for granted the million big and small ways God blesses us everyday? We know that gratitude can literally change the wiring in our brains and lift us out of sadness and despair When I choose to be grateful for a challenging circumstance or a “difficult person” instead of grumbling, what happens? My attitude changes, my outlook improves and when I share it with the Lord, my “burden” becomes lighter. (Matthew 11:28)
It starts with lifting our eyes to heaven as the King did in Daniel 4:34; honoring God with praise, acknowledging that he is the source of everything, and knowing that he closely walks with us in the hard things too. God sometimes takes us out of our comfort zones to show us that we aren’t in charge. He showed King Neb his sovereignty “at the end of that time” that King Neb was driven away. As soon as the King raised his eyes to heaven and “blessed the Most High” his focus shifted from himself and his own circumstances and his reasoning was restored.
We don’t have to be “driven away” to be aware of God’s blessings, we can choose today to pay close attention and have a heart that loves to praise and thank him for all of the obvious and not so obvious ways he cares for us.
Romans 11:36 - For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Deb Hill
Executive Administrative Assistant
What’s Your Learning Style?
“Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you…” Daniel 4:27
Scientists tell us there are four primary learning styles (visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic). We would not dare to argue against those. However, I would like to propose another, and I give full and complete credit to Dennis Keating. I submit the fifth style is the “learn by the ear or by the rear” approach. Are you familiar with it? Probably more than you would like to be, if you’re anything like me! Or King Nebuchadnezzar.
I find verse 28 fascinating in light of Daniel’s interpretation of the king’s dream, and especially in light of verse 27: “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” Not only does Daniel interpret the dream for Nebuchadnezzar, but he gives him two solid action steps to take which will ward off the impending doom predicted by the dream! What does the king do with it all? Nothing! Twelve, twelve months later, as he is walking around his palace, the predictions come to fruition. One wonders what would have happened if Nebuchadnezzar had chosen to learn by the ear rather than the rear!
Alas, before we are too hard on old King Nebuchadnezzar, I bet we can each think of some fairly significant times in our lives when God sent someone our way with a warning, or caused a verse of Scripture to jump off the page, or made a sermon really hit the mark in our hearts, and yet we ignored it entirely and went on about our lives,only to suffer the consequences of not listening later.
And why don’t we listen? Is it a lack of trust in God’s ability to guide us? Is it a lack of trust in the goodness of God’s plans for us? Is it a view of God that says that His desire is to make me and my life miserable (so it would be best to only trust Him as Savior but to not follow Him as Lord)? Maybe I just think I know better? Perhaps it is a bit of all of those.
An encouragement we receive from this account is that God does reach out and offer His guidance to us (I figure if He’s giving it to a pagan king, how much more is He giving it to His children! [see Psalm 32:8]). Our response is to receive and act on it with humility. But there is a challenge here as well. Just like King Nebuchadnezzar, if we reject God’s wisdom, we will end up having to learn our lessons in other, less pleasant ways. (The King’s lack of humility led to humiliation.)
Your ear, or your rear? The choice is yours! May you choose wisely.
Scott Smith
Pastor of Discipleship Ministries
The Curse of the Cocky
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
When my son was in junior high, I interpreted Proverbs 16:18 for him in this way: “Don’t be cocky or God will give you zits.” OK, so maybe not my best theological moment, but the point was made. When we start thinking we’re all-that, then “destruction” lurks around the corner. And, to a junior high student, there’s almost nothing worse than a big ol’ zit glaring from the end of one’s nose.
What is that “destruction” for you? Maybe your confidence -- and dare I say “pride” -- rests in your financial wealth, your work, your intellect, your influence, or maybe it’s being able to acquire a lot of “likes” on social media. Before we look at the example in Daniel, take a moment to ask God where you might be feeling prideful.
Now, let’s look at Daniel 4. King Nebachadnezzer had been warned about his pride, but in Daniel 4:30 he declares, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Wow! It smacks of praise to the Lord, but instead he’s praising himself. And nowhere does he mention the actual people who built the residence, he’s so focused on himself. It’s the opposite of Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on things above ...” or Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom ...” No, the king’s mind was set only on himself and he sought first his own kingdom. That self-focus is a recipe for a destructive fall.
Just as the king was warned, Daniel 4:31-32 says, “Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. ...’”
After living like a wild animal with his nails growing out like the claws of a bird, Nebuchadnezzar finally turned his focus from himself to the Lord. Daniel 4:37 says, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.” He wraps up the chapter in verse 37 with this piece of understated truth: “And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
Is there an area of pride and “haughty spirit” that you need to confess? Spend time praying to the Lord and asking His help in embracing humility.
Cyndie de Neve
Senior Creative Director
The Point of Plenty
"Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” Daniel 4:27
One of the more incredible features of the internet community is the platform GoFundMe. Maybe you are familiar with it, people can run fundraisers and accept donations for all sorts of causes, memorials, and everything in between. I am sure many of us have donated to a GoFundMe campaign, I know I have, to quite a few. Did you know that since its inception in 2010, GoFundMe has raised over 9 billion dollars from over 120 million individual donors? That is incredible! It just goes to show that when people face a crisis, there are many people in the community just waiting to show up and bless those in need.
In Daniel chapter 4, we see the story of Nebuchadnezzar who despite having all the wealth anyone could want, had lost sight of the fact that it wasn’t his ingenuity or industry that had provided the blessing, but God who had sovereignly provided. Do you ever lose sight of the fact that the things you “have” are not really yours, at least not to keep? Throughout Scripture, and especially in the Psalms, God is referred to as the one who is the possessor of the earth and all it contains. What do we do with that? What is the point of plenty? Well, I think Daniel 4:27 gives us a good indication: Do what’s right and be kind to the oppressed.
As you think of the many gifts you’ve been given, here are some questions to think about today? What are the causes that you can support with your time or finances that will move the mission of righteousness and justice forward in our community and the world? What are the ways you can use your influence to impact those around you? How can we be a community that says, “We have been so blessed by God, let us use our blessings to bless others.”
Whatever your station or situation, you have been blessed by God in some way to bring about righteousness and justice to this world and to be kind to the oppressed. We can all be kind to one another, a product in short supply in our current cultural climate. Let us strive to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God using the good gifts we’ve been given to bless and care for those around us. Today, as you go, ask God to reveal to you the ways you might practice righteousness and help the oppressed. It is a big challenge, but we worship a bigger God!
Pastor Seth Redden
High School ministries
