How Quickly We Forget

How quickly we forget

King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the wise men in his kingdom to reveal his troubling dream to him that gave him a fitful night.(1) Unwilling to reveal the dream, he insisted the wise men tell him what the dream was so he knew he could trust their interpretation of the dream.(2) None of those summoned were up to such a task. So the king declared an edict that all the wise men of Babylon were to be killed.(3) When Daniel became aware of the edict, he approached the king and asked for time to discern the dream. Time was granted and Daniel and his 3 friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah sought the face of God in that He might reveal the secret of the dream. Daniel received the secret in a vision.(4) He was able to tell the king his dream and the interpretation of it. In response, "...King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, 'Truly your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.'"(5)Sometime later, the king erected an image of gold that his subjects were to fall down and worship at the sound of all kinds of music, with the threat of death for failing to do so.(6) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not bow down and were brought to King Nebuchadnezzar, "...if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"(7)Wasn't it just a short while prior that he was declaring Daniel's God the God of gods and Lord of kings and the revealer of secrets? How then would he doubt that that same God would be unable to deliver His children out of the king's hands? How soon he forgot. All too often we are no different. Why do we so soon forget the evidences of God's grace and faithfulness in our lives when we face trials anew? Has He not carried us faithfully thus far? We fall into doubt, fearful that somehow THIS time He will cease to be good or faithful. We may not be courageous enough to actually admit it but often that is what lies behind our worry and fear. God is the same yesterday, today and forever.(8) He is the same in the Old Testament as in the New. He is the same in Daniel 2 and Daniel 3. Thank You Lord that You never change and are forever faithful, forever good, forever loving and forever present. Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK

1 Daniel 2:22 Daniel 2:5-63 Daniel 2:124 Daniel 2:195 Daniel 2:46-476 Daniel 3:4-67 Daniel 3:158 Hebrews 13:8