Trusting in God’s Messages
AM Psalm 119:1-24 • PM Psalm 12, 13, 14
Dan. 2:17-30 • 1 John 2:12-17 • John 17:20-26
Daniel’s life was on the line, along with the lives of his friends from Judah and the wise men of Babylon. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, had set what seemed like an impossible task. Not only should someone interpret his dream, but must also tell him the content of the dream. If they couldn’t do it, they were to be executed. “then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
Daniel asked immediately to go before the king so that he might tell the king his interpretation. Daniel took no credit for what he had learned, giving full credit to God: “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...”
What amazes me about this story is Daniel’s confidence in his “vision of the night.” He recognized it as being from God and acted on it right away. The passage also includes a beautiful prayer in which Daniel thanked God for revealing what was asked.
I wish I had that same confidence when I think that God has spoken to me in a dream, a fragmented thought, in something I read, or the myriad of ways in which God can speak to us. I second-guess myself – that was just my ego, not God. I start to act on what I thought I heard, and get side-tracked, because I don’t have full confidence in my ability to hear God. Sometimes I don’t have confidence in my own worthiness that God would actually choose to speak to me – as I wrote that last sentence, I realized that thought is not from God, but from my small mind. I am worthy, but I still lack confidence to listen and trust. That would be my prayer based on this reflection. I pray that I, and all of us, are able to recognize God’s voice when God speaks, and have the confidence to act on what God says. Amen.
Written by Cathy Campbell
Cathy is a semi-retired professional counselor and Healing Touch Practitioner. She advocates for marginalized groups, especially LGBTQ people.