The book of Daniel is the bible study that we are in.  The major theme of this book is how to thrive, not just survive, as you walk through the problems of life.   Remember the context of Daniel?  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.  Do you know people who have faced a crisis and got angry with God, and used that as their reason to stay away from God?  Daniel 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.”  Do you know people who say, ‘This God stuff is good for others but because of my circumstances, I can’t live it out myself?’  Daniel didn’t.  Instead, Daniel thrives, and we have to see how he did it.  Somehow, Daniel was unshakable.  

What we have learned so far from Daniel.  First, how to process the tests and challenges of life. Do you remember what we said?  When we face challenges, ask five questions. 

What does this problem reveal about me?

What is this problem teaching me?

Where is this problem leading me?

How could this problem be protecting me?

How can I grow from this problem in my life?

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.  

Today I want to talk about how we face and overcome the impossible situations in our lives.  Specifically, I talk about how we tap into the supernatural power of God when we are in a crisis.  I want to share this before we start.  It is really important to think through, ‘What do I do when a crisis hits?’  No one ever told me this.  Even more important, what we learn from Daniel today should be habits we create in our lives.  We should be consistently tapping into the supernatural power of God.  

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream.  He calls in all his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what the dream was and interpret it.  But they can’t do it.  This is what Nebuchadnezzar says. 

Daniel 2:5 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.” NIV

Even with this threat, they couldn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar the dream or the interpretation, so Nebuchadnezzar ordered that they all be executed.  Here is what makes this situation a mess for Daniel.  Daniel is considered a part of these advisors.  He wasn’t at that meeting, but because he was an advisor, he is now going to be executed.  Can you imagine going to Walmart to pick up a few things, coming home, and soldiers are there waiting to execute you?  That’s exactly what happened to Daniel, except for the Walmart part.

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?

The story continues.  Let’s pick up the story in vs 17.

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

What does Daniel do?   Daniel goes to his buddies for prayer support.  They are going to be executed.  There is no way through this unless God gets involved.  Have you faced a problem like that?  You are up against something, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it?

Let me ask you, do you have people who will pray with you?  When life hands you a crisis, because it will, do you have friends around you who will join you in prayer?  Let me ask you this in reverse.  Do you have anyone who will call you if they need prayer?  Listen, you were built for community.  You need people around you because you can’t do life alone well.  And the people you want to be around are people who will pray for you, and you will pray for them.  If you don’t have buddies like that, find them.

Scripture says this.

Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command. 3 If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself. He is really a nobody. TLB

To tap into the supernatural power of God, you need to be in community to share troubles and problems.   If you pull away from the community and think it’s easier to be a loner, you’re wrong, and will be making a hard life harder.  And if you are outside of a prayer community, you’re not living out scripture.

I have to take a time out here.  In the area we live in, people, in general, are very kind and helpful.  And it is common for people to think, ‘I gladly help others.’  However, as kind and responsible as people are to help others, they also think, ‘…But for me personally, I will be so responsible, I will take care of myself so that I am not a burden to anyone.’  Being responsible is a great quality, but if it leads you to be disconnected from the community, if it leads you to not share your troubles and problems, you don’t get community.  And you're not living out scripture.  

Okay, back to the story.   Daniel goes to his buddies for prayer.

While Daniel is in Babylon facing this crisis, at the same time, back in the city of Jerusalem, there is a prophet named Jeremiah.  God tells Jeremiah to share this with everyone.

Jeremiah 33:2-3 This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’ MSG

This is exactly what Daniel needs.  Right now, Daniel is in way over his head, and he needs supernatural help.  There is no way Daniel will survive if God doesn’t move on his behalf.

That’s for you and me, too.   We need to personally pray to God and ask for supernatural help.  We need God to move on our behalf.  You may not have the money you need.  You may not have the connections you need, the education, or the ideas to succeed.  You may be an exhausted mom.  You may not feel smart enough.  You may feel like you are coming up short.  Pray and expect that God will come through for you.  God said, Call to me and I will answer you. 

Did you know God wants you to ask Him for help?  Scripture tells us to ask God for help.

James 4:2 You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. GNT

When we come to God with a pure heart, God moves.  Why?   Because God loves you.  But we forget this, don’t we?  We can be so busy trying to get everything done.  We can be so focused on fixing our own lives.  We can exhaust ourselves with our human effort trying to figure out what to do next, but we forget to stop and ask God to help us.  

Are you an exhausted mom?   A burned-out entrepreneur?  Is your marriage wearing you out?  Has life worn you down?  I think the answer for everyone is, yes!

When we face a crisis, how do we tap into the supernatural power of God?  We ask others to pray with us; we call that community, sharing your troubles and burdens.  We go to God and ask for supernatural help, we call that relationship with God.  

Next, probably the most powerful thing you can do to tap into the supernatural power of God is to worship God.  That means you focus on God.  Worship isn’t just music, it’s bigger than that.  Worship means your mind is focusing on God.  Why is this so important?  When we focus on God, we take our focus off our crisis.  What happens?  Our fear, our anxiety, and our stress begin to lose their power over our minds and hearts.  

Let’s get really practical here.  I love this verse.  I shared this with you weeks ago.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. NIV  

Be still in Hebrew means to stop striving, fighting, or gutting it out.  Come to God and be weak, let go, surrender, and release your pain to Him.  It’s in that moment that you can rest in God's power.  It’s in that moment you remind yourself, you are not God, God is God.   And only God can take care of the impossible.   Do you realize how comforting that is?  You take your life and place it in God’s hands.  We call that faith.  

Question.  When was the last time you were still and reminded yourself, God is God, you are not God?  When was the last time you were still and gave all your anxiety to God?

To be clear, when I say, ‘Be still…’ I didn’t say be lazy, quit your job, and expect others to care for you.  I didn’t say don’t brush your teeth, don’t pay our bills, and God will fix your life like a magical genie who grants you a wish.  I am saying, in a crisis, tap into the supernatural power of God by asking others to pray for you.  Go directly to God and ask for His help.  And as you continue to walk through the crisis, because it may take longer than you want, stay focused on God.  Practically, have moments when you can ‘Be still’ and know that you are not God; God is God.  

Let’s read what happens

Daniel 2:19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: 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.” NIV

Daniel knows he was in complete need of God, and God revealed everything to him.  What does Daniel do?  Daniel is so grateful and thankful, he praises God.  He is basically telling God, I know who I am and I am not God, You are.  Daniel is praising God because he got what he wanted.

I must ask you, have you succeeded in life?  Have you been blessed in your life?  Do you know who enabled you to do that?  

One of my favorite scriptures.  It’s when God is about to bless the Children of Israel and lead them into the promised land.   Listen to what God says before He blesses them.

Deuteronomy 8:11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, …13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. …17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. NIV

God is saying, ‘Remember who blessed you.’  You are where you are because of God.  Today, the biggest givers of time, money, and energy to the church are those who have experienced God loving them, giving them success, and they now want to say, “God, I get it, it was all you.”  

This is why what Daniel does is so powerful.  Daniel knows exactly where his success came from.  So, Daniel praises God.

Let’s see what happens when Daniel meets Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 2:26 The king said to Daniel, “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” 27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, astrologer, magician, or wizard can tell the king such things, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has told you in your dream what will happen in the future. This was your dream.” TLB

Let’s set the stage here.   Daniel is 15 years old.  He is in front of the most powerful man in the world.   And he has what the king is looking for.   This moment could change Daniel’s life forever.  What would you have done?  I ask because what Daniel did isn’t normal.  He tells Nebuchadnezzar, …there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets…  Daniel doesn’t take credit; he gives all the glory and honor back to God.  Who lives like that?  This is the moment to build himself up.  He could leverage the king for a better life.  He could push others down and put himself ahead.  But he doesn’t.  Daniel is humble.  He gives all the glory to God.

Do you know what reveals your true character?  You probably know that how you respond to problems reveals your character.  But did you know, how we handle success also reveals our character?  And Daniel passes this test easily.  He gives all the glory and honor back to God.  

Let’s close with what Nebuchadnezzar says.

Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” NIV

Nebuchadnezzar was in awe of God in Daniel.  

Let me ask you, are people around you in awe of God in you?  Is your family in awe of God in you?

Maybe you need to tap into the supernatural power of God.  Make this your habit in life to prepare yourself.  Have a group of buddies to pray for you.  Go to God and ask God for help.  And, ‘Be still’ and know that you aren’t God, God is God, and relax in that.   And when God sees you through a crisis, give all the honor and glory to God.