Specifically, in the area of problems and challenges, how did the grown-ups in your life respond to problems?  What was modeled for you?  Chances are, how you were raised has deeply impacted how you respond to problems and challenges today.  For example, if blaming others was modeled for you, then you probably, without thinking about it, blame others for your problems.  If being a victim was modeled for you, then you probably find it easy to be a victim.  If being positive was modeled for you, then you probably positively tackle your problems.

And here is my follow-up question.  Being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, has it changed how you respond to your problems?   

I think what happens to us is that we grow up, go through the ups and downs of life, and never give it much of a thought.  It’s like we are on autopilot, and we coast through life.  Problems pop up, and without thinking about it, we respond the way that was modeled for us.  We don’t think about it, we just react.  

And as Christians, we know about God’s love and forgiveness, but sometimes we don’t fully understand that we are being invited into a whole new way of living.  And this new way of living includes how we respond to our problems.   However, what was modeled for us was so deeply ingrained in us, it can feel next to impossible to change.  But if we don’t make intentional changes, then we will continue to loop in our old ways of responding to our problems.  What this means is, we continue to do what was modeled for us while ignoring a new way of responding to life.

I want you to think through this question: How do you respond to problems?  And if scripture showed you a new way to respond to problems, would you try it?  Or would you say, “What you are saying is good for everyone here, but I don’t want to change, it’s too hard, I can’t.”  

I say all this because the book of Daniel is a game-changer.  We are in a bible study of the book of Daniel.  The major theme of this book is how to thrive, not just survive, as you walk through the problems of life.   Daniel was fifteen years old, a prisoner of war, forced to go to Babylon, and in a three-year program to erase everything about his culture.  And get this, the reason everything in Daniel’s life was thrown upside down was because of God.  I want to read it to you.  

Daniel 1:1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah. NIV

Because of this, Daniel had every reason to get angry with God, but he didn’t.  Daniel had every reason to blame others for his problems, but he didn’t.  Daniel had every reason to be a victim, but he didn’t.  Daniel had every reason to say, “I can’t because of my circumstances”, but he didn’t.  Instead, Daniel thrives, and we have to see how he did it.  Somehow, Daniel was unshakable.  

As you walk through the book of Daniel, this young man is faced with so much adversity.  And it’s remarkable how he responds.  

Last week, Sam said this,

‘Tests and trials put us under the kind of pressure that reveals our true selves and helps shape and mold our hearts into the people God calls us to be.  Throughout the book of Daniel, we see his character tested, and each time he passes a test, he gains more influence, power, and promotion in his life. Why? Because God knows He can trust him with it!’ 

Then Sam shared the four things God is refining in our character.  

Integrity - Daniel never forgot who he was.  

Discipline - He controlled his ego and his appetite.  

Courage - He is willing to stand alone and stand up to the King.  

Humility - He treated his authority humbly and respectfully.

I want to talk about how we face and overcome the impossible situations in our lives.  A crisis.   There are two parts to this talk about facing impossible situations.  Today, I want to talk about how we respond practically to give us handles on what to do.   Next week, I will talk about the supernatural help of God.  

So, before we jump into scripture, think this through: What do you do when you face the impossible?  How do you respond to a crisis that is completely out of your control?  And how do you do it without losing your integrity as a disciple of Jesus?

Daniel 2:1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. NIV

What is Nebuchadnezzar doing?  He feels scared and wants to know what is going on.  And because Babylon was a place of arrogance, pride, and rebellion against God, they turned to the demonic for spiritual guidance.  Nebuchadnezzar turns to his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to help him know the future.

People do this today.  They feel scared, and they want to know the future, so they turn to things that they think are no big deal.  But the truth is, it’s a really big deal because it’s demonic.  Please hear me, anything that is not from God is demonic.   There are two kingdoms, God’s and Satan’s.  

I want to take a quick time out to say, every show you see on Netflix about evil fails to show you the truth.  They show you how good people or good witches fight bad witches.   There are no such things as good or bad witches, there is only God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom.  Witches, wiccans, seances, tarot cards, fortunetellers, Ouija boards, nature worship, anything not from God is demonic.  

God has been very clearly with us.

Leviticus 19:31 Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. NIV

Leviticus 20:6 I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people. NIV

Ecclesiastes 10:14 No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. NLT

Okay, back to the story.

Daniel 2:2b When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.” 4 Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” 5 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. 6 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.”

7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” 8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”

10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. 14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. NIV

This isn’t an ordinary problem, this is a legitimate crisis.  It’s a huge problem that Daniel didn’t even know about.  It’s an impossible situation unfolding in real time.  It is completely unfair, unjust, and unreasonable, but it’s Daniel’s reality.  Have you ever experienced a crisis that is completely out of your control?

To help us understand a crisis today, I want to use an analogy.  I want you to see that your crisis is like being in a car accident.  This past January, I was in a head-on collision coming home from Lancaster.  I was going around 35 mph, and out of nowhere, I was hit.  He hit me so hard, the airbag deployed, and he pushed the front of my van off the road and onto someone’s lawn.  I just sat there dazed and confused.  It took me a little while to figure out that I was in an accident.   I struggled to open my door, I got out slowly.  The other driver got out and was a mess.  He asked how I was and told me he had kids, and I told him, ‘Take care of your kids.’

I called Karen.  She helped me think through what to do next cause I wasn’t thinking clearly.  The fire company showed up, the cops, and the ambulance.  I tried to stay calm, but I had so many thoughts running through my mind.   The worst thing I could have done was start making big decisions.

When you face an impossible crisis, like a car accident, it will emotionally disrupt you.  It will leave you dazed and confused.  Fear and anxiety can take over.  Your thoughts spin in your head.  And like an accident, the worst thing you can do is try to make big, important decisions.    

What happened to Daniel?   He was in a car accident.  That means out of nowhere, he finds out, he is about to be executed.  What is the first thing we see from Daniel?  He doesn’t panic or overreact.  Daniel holds his emotions together and speaks with wisdom and tact.  Daniel is a pretty impressive teenager.  The most powerful man in the world ordered his execution, and he handled the situation with wisdom and tact.  This shows us the depth of Daniel’s character.  

I want to ask you, what is the impossible situation in your life?  What legitimate crisis are you facing today that is way outside your human ability to solve?  What is it that has left you dazed and confused?  Your marriage?  Your future?   Your finances?  Your health?  Your adult kids?  Politics?   The economy?  What is it for you?  

What we learn from Daniel’s life, when a crisis hits, don’t panic, don’t overreact, try to stay calm.  Remember wisdom and tact.

Let’s keep reading.

Daniel 2:15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. NIV

What is the next thing Daniel does?  He asks questions.  He wants to know why his death warrant was signed.  He is trying to find out the facts.  He didn’t argue.  He didn’t point out how unfair it was.  He didn’t assume anything.  He’s trying to figure out what is really going on and how to fix it.

When you face a crisis, what do you do?  It can be hard for people to avoid emotions and ask questions.  It’s pretty common for people to feel the emotions and make assumptions – isn’t it?  The reason is, a crisis is like a car accident, and it disrupts our lives, and our emotions are hit pretty hard.  The boss wants to see you first thing tomorrow, that can’t be good, our minds spin.   The doctor wants a face-to-face meeting, which isn’t good, so we Google it – even worse thing to do.  Your spouse wants to have a serious talk when the kids go to bed, oh boy.  

When you make assumptions and react, it’s like you're walking into a dark room with no flashlight.   You will just stumble around the furniture.  When you make assumptions about others, your mind begins to spiral into endless questions and possibilities.  In general, when you make assumptions, you leave the land of reality and move into the land of lollipops, unicorns, and fairies.  That means, in your mind, you aren’t living in reality.  You leave reality and live in your head because you don’t know the facts, the truth.

Let’s read this verse.

Proverbs 23:23 Get the facts at any price, and hold on tightly to all the good sense you can get. TLB

Try to never make a decision or react with emotion until you know the facts.  Your feelings are a good indicator of what is happening in you, but when it comes to decision making, you have to be careful; feelings can lie to you.  So, get the facts.  You need to know the facts to make the right decision.

Like a car accident, when you are hit, fear, anxiety, and assumptions can swirl around your mind.  The best thing to do is to try to stay calm.   That day, the cops asked questions; they wanted to know what everyone experienced. The first aid folks asked questions, they wanted to know if we had serious injuries, especially the kids.   There was nothing I could do but stay calm, give everyone time to ask and answer questions.  The worst thing I could have done that day would have been to emotionally respond.  Anger, yelling, accusing, and blaming, would have been useless.

What does Daniel teach us when life hits us hard?  Don’t panic and ask questions to find out the facts.  

Let’s keep reading.

Daniel 2:16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. NIV

Daniel can’t interpret the dream that quickly, so he asked for time.  Again, think about how impressive Daniel is for a teenager.   Daniel doesn’t run and hide.  He doesn’t avoid the problem.  He didn’t talk about how unfair it was.  Daniel faced the problem head-on.  He immediately goes to the source of his pain, the king.   He faces his fear.

Questions for you, what have you been kicking down the road?  What have you been avoiding?  What is it that is getting worse, and you know it’s getting worse, but you are avoiding it?  Please hear me, if you procrastinate, you are only making things worse.  

From Daniel’s life, we learn to face our fears.

We know in this story that Daniel was about to be executed, and Daniel asked for more time to interpret the dream.  Think about this.  If all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers in Babylon can’t figure out the dream, how in the world will Daniel be able to do it?  Daniel didn’t know if he could, but he trusted God.  This is what we are talking about next week.   How do we tap into the supernatural power of God?

Daniel 2:17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. NIV

How do we face a crisis practically?  Try to stay calm.  Ask questions to find the truth and the facts before emotionally responding.  Face your fear, have the conversation.  Why is this so important?  Because it sets that stage for what God wants to do.  

I don’t know the crisis you are walking through, but I want to share with you what I learned the hard way in my life.  I could have enjoyed life so much more if I had trusted God in every crisis.  The problem I had was, I wanted everything to look like I wanted it to look.  You know what I mean, right?  Health, wealth, success, comfort, happiness, etc.  And anytime a crisis threatened what I wanted, I geeked with emotion and allowed fear and worry to swirl in my mind.  I want to read what Peter wrote. 

1 Peter 4:1-2 Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. MSG

Did you see that word ‘tyrannized’?  Isn’t that our lives when we demand that life look the way we want?   What I am trying to do these days is respond to the crisis in my life by trusting God.  Stay calm.  Ask questions.  Face my fears head-on.  Why?   Because it sets that stage for what God may be up to.  It helps me surrender my life to what God might be up to.  I want to get rid of the immature, sinful way of living where I expect to get my way all the time.  

For those who are younger, please hear me.  If you want to be strong in your spiritual faith, if you want to grow in integrity, discipline, courage, and humility, if you want to enjoy life and God more, surrender your life to God.  That includes when you walk through a crisis.  If you don’t, you will be tyrannized by your feelings and always want your way.  Scripture calls that our old sinful habit.

This young man, Daniel, teaches us, stay calm.  Ask questions.  And face your fears.  Why?   Its sets the stage for what God is up to.

Next week, we will talk about how we tap into the supernatural help of God.