Hello friends! Today is Thursday and it is time to count our blessings. Do you keep a gratitude log? Sometimes I make a list in my gratitude journal, sometimes I write in a gratitude journal my friend sent me, and other times I simply reflect on things I am grateful for in my prayer time with God. It is so important to take time to remember the goodness of God. It not only encourages us in the moment, but when we have a rough day, we can go back and see how faithful God has been to us when we read through those lists of things the LORD has done.
This week I want to thank God for wisdom. I do not always understand how to do certain things God is calling me to do. I know how to write, but getting all the pieces to fit in the puzzle in regards to publishing my book is sometimes a challenge. I know that God promised to give us wisdom if we ask Him. JEREMIAH 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. We must ask God, He promises to answer us, and to reveal great and mighty things we do not know. I am so glad He does that.
Sometimes He sends help through a friend, a book, an acquaintance, a video, or other various forms. What are you needing God to show you? All we must do is ask. JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. God promises to give us wisdom generously if we will ask Him. He upbraideth not, which means He is not going to rebuke us or severely scold us. He wants us to have wisdom because the end of that verse says that when we ask, wisdom SHALL be given to us! What is something God has recently taught you to do?
In DANIEL 6:3 it tells us something about Daniel's character: Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Why did Daniel have an excellent spirit? He communed with God. He sought God. He prayed and fasted and had a relationship with God. That translated into everything He did. You and I are to do the same thing. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. MATTHEW 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Daniel was not born with this knowledge; he did not study to get this great wisdom; rather he asked God to give him wisdom and God did so. He will do the same thing for us.
Do you remember reading in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, how that the king had a dream and could not recall what he dreamed? It troubled him so much that even though he could not remember the dream, he knew it was significant. So he asks the impossible! DANIEL 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. He asks for the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to come and tell him what he dreamed but they could not do it. They had no power to tell anyone what they dreamed. God alone can do that! He did not call on God first. We must be careful where we seek our wisdom from. The world cannot help us. Social media cannot help us. The government cannot help us. There is no other source to turn to for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding but God.
PROVERBS 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
PROVERBS 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
PROVERBS 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
PROVERBS 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Throughout the book of Proverbs we see the importance of obtaining wisdom.
The king was upset that the magicians and soothsayers could not tell him what he dreamed. He was so angry that he decided he would destroy them all. This dream was so disturbing in his spirit that he was not even willing to think reasonably beyond wanting something no one had ever asked of another human being before. They answered the king, "If you tell us your dream, we will give you the interpretation of it."
DANIEL 2:5,6 (5)The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. (6)But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
The king told them he cannot remember the dream. He wants them to either tell him what he dreamed and what it meant, or he will cut them in pieces and destroy their households. That is a desperate king! They answer the same way they did before, asking for him to tell them the dream so they could interpret it. He tells them they are just stalling for time and he will kill them if they will not do what he says. They are shocked and perplexed. This does not seem fair to them and they tell him that he is asking something impossible; something no other ruler would dare ask.
DANIEL 2:12, 13 (12)For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (13)And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. That escalated pretty quickly! Now the king decides to annihilate all the wise men because those who used witchcraft were unable to do what he asked. Now they are coming for God's chosen man, Daniel and his fellows. Arioch, the king's captain told Daniel why he was in such a hurry to execute all the wise men, so Daniel went to the king and asked for some time and then he would give the interpretation. That is great faith that God will do this. Daniel knew this was something only God could do. The king granted him the time to seek the answer.
Daniel went to other wise and faithful men unto God: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, or as we know them: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is important to seek out others with integrity and a heart for God when looking for wisdom and knowledge about a matter. These four men begin to pray and ask God to do the impossible and He showed up in a big way!
DANIEL 2:20-23 (20)Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: (21)And He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: (22)He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. (23)I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee: for Thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
What Daniel did not do was brag about how he figured it out. He did not tell others what God revealed to himself. He asked for wisdom and prayed with other believers and God came through. It is so important that we never take the credit for something God did. He alone gets the honor and glory! Look how Daniel handled the situation.
DANIEL 2:27-30 (27)Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; (28)But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; (29)As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. (30)But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Daniel revealed the king's dream and then gave the meaning of the dreams. He gave God all the glory. God gives us wisdom to do things and be successful in life. We must not take credit for things He has done. It is vain and foolish for us to take credit for something only God can do.
I am so thankful for wisdom. I am grateful that I serve a God who cares so much about His children that He wants to help them succeed and do well in life. He wants us to come and ask Him for this wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
I hope you have been reflecting on how good God has been to you. We are living in a season of uncertainty with so many conflicts around the globe, so much persecution, wars, rumors of wars, and sickness, but God is in control. He is on the throne and He is not upset, nervous, or scared about what He sees taking place. Run to Him and ask Him to give you wisdom if you lack it and He promises to give it to you generously.
Thank you for joining me on this Thankful Thursday to count my blessings with me! God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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