Discovering Destiny (Part 74): There Is A God In Heaven Who Has Your Answer
Today, we continue our focus on THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, as we learn to maintain our posture of faith after God has revealed His plans for our future. Yesterday, God revealed the king's secret to Daniel in the night, and Daniel praised Him before he ever walked into the palace. Today, we see what Daniel did with the answer.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Peter 3:18 GNT
"But continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever."
Luke 10:20 Mirror
"It's time for you to rediscover who you are from Heaven's perspective."
1 John 3:10 Mirror
"There is a very visible and vast difference between living one's life from your God identity or from a fallen man's mindset."
Proverbs 25:2 NKJV
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Daniel 2:24-26 ERV
"Then Daniel went to Arioch, the man who King Nebuchadnezzar had chosen to kill the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to Arioch, 'Don't kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king. I will tell him what his dream means.' So very quickly, Arioch took Daniel to the king. Arioch said to the king, 'I have found a man among the captives from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.' The king asked Daniel (Belteshazzar) a question. He said, 'Are you able to tell me about my dream, and what it means?'"
Daniel 2:27-28 NLT
"Daniel replied, 'There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king's secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future.'"
Daniel 2:30 NLT
"And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart."
Supporting scriptures:
Genesis 50:20 NLT
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
Genesis 12:2 NLT
"I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others."
Psalm 75:6-7 TPT
"This I know: the favor that brings promotion and power doesn't come from anywhere on earth, for no one exalts a person but God, the true judge of all. He alone determines where favor rests. He anoints one for greatness and brings another down to his knees."
1 Peter 5:6 NLT
"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."
Proverbs 18:16 AMPC
"A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."
1 Samuel 2:30 NLT
"But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me."
1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT
"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, 'If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.'"
Matthew 5:16 NLT
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
Setting the Stage:
Daniel walked out of that night with the answer in his heart and praise still on his lips. But outside his house, nothing had changed yet. The king's decree was still in force. Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, still had orders to execute every wise man in Babylon. Daniel did not go to the palace first. He went straight to the executioner. And the first words out of his mouth were not about saving himself. He said, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon."
Think about who those wise men were. They were the magicians, the astrologers, and the sorcerers who stood before the king and said no man on earth could do what he was asking. They had the titles, the training, and the king's ear, while four young Hebrew captives were still in the king's school. Not one of them prayed for Daniel. Not one of them spoke up for him when his name landed on an execution list for a meeting he was never invited to. Daniel could have let them go down. Instead, he used his answer to save their lives.
Arioch moved fast. He rushed Daniel into the throne room and said to the king, "I have found a man among the captives from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means." Arioch did not find Daniel. Daniel found Arioch. But Daniel did not stop to correct the record. Nebuchadnezzar looked at this young captive and asked him straight out, "Are you able to tell me about my dream, and what it means?"
This was Daniel's moment. Standing before the most powerful man on earth, he could have made it about his education, his discipline, or his gift. Instead, he pointed up. "There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." Then he said, "It is not because I am wiser than anyone else." Here is what I want you to see today. Your destiny is bigger than you. The answer God gives you will rescue people who never believed in you. You do not have to fight for the credit. There is a God in heaven who has your answer, and when you give God the glory, God will lift you up.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Your Destiny Will Rescue People Who Never Even Believed In You.
Daniel's first words after the revelation were, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon." These were the same men who failed the king. They had the libraries and the credentials, and they still came up empty. They never believed in Daniel or his God. But Daniel's answer covered them anyway. That is how grace works. God does not bless you just so you can be blessed. He blesses you so you can be a blessing. Joseph said it this way: "He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." Your breakthrough was never only about you.
How this applies to you:
-- Daniel went to the executioner before he went to the palace. He knew he was going to be good, but his first concern was saving the lives of the wise men. That is an act of grace, and that is the type of mindset you have when you know God is empowering you to do what you're called to do. Many times, you're not even concerned about yourself. You're always looking out for other people.
-- The wise men who failed did not deserve to be saved. Neither did we. That is grace: unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor.
-- God told Abraham, "I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others." Your blessing has other people's names written on it.
-- Some of the people your destiny will rescue are the same people who doubted you, overlooked you, or talked about you behind your back. God is going to use you to bless them anyway.
-- If Daniel had held a grudge, he would have watched those men die, so do not let bitterness block your blessing.
-- God planned your destiny before you were born, and He planned it big enough to cover your family, your coworkers, and people you have not even met yet.
-- When God gives you an answer, ask Him, "Lord, who else is this for?" In most cases, it's always going to be bigger than just you.
2. You Don't Have To Fight For The Credit When God Is Fighting For You.
Arioch rushed Daniel to the king and said, "I have found a man among the captives from Judah." Arioch did not find anybody. Daniel walked into Arioch's office on his own. But Arioch saw a chance to look good in front of the king, and he took it. Daniel did not interrupt him. He did not say, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, I found him." Daniel knew his promotion was not coming from Arioch. The psalmist said, "The favor that brings promotion and power doesn't come from anywhere on earth, for no one exalts a person but God."
How this applies to you:
-- Some people will take credit for what God did through you. Let them.
-- Daniel did not need Arioch's praise, because he already had God's favor.
-- When you fight for the credit, you are fighting a battle God already won for you.
-- Peter said, "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." Your job is to humble yourself. Lifting you up is God's job.
-- The Amplified Bible says, "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men." You do not have to push your way in. The gift God placed in you will make room for you.
-- God planned your destiny before you were born, and nobody can steal what God assigned to you.
-- Performance-based religion says, "Make sure they know it was you." Grace says, "Let God get the glory, and let God handle the rest."
-- God has many ways to ensure you get recognized. When you do, and you deflect that glory to God, He will continue to move you up the value chain because the more influence you have, the more glory He gets.
-- When you are committed to glorifying God in all you do, God will be committed to increasing your influence because the higher you go, the more glory He gets.
3. There Is A God In Heaven Who Has Your Answer.
The king asked Daniel, "Are you able to tell me about my dream, and what it means?" Daniel did not say, "Yes, I can." He said, "There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." The wise men had already admitted they had nothing. The experts had run out of options. But Daniel knew something the wise men of Babylon did not know.
How this applies to you:
-- When the world does not have the answer, there is a God in heaven who has all the answers. That was true in Babylon, and it is still true in your house this morning.
-- The doctors may have done all they know to do, but there is a God in heaven who never runs out of answers.
-- The lawyers may have said that they've run out of options, but God is never out of options.
-- The world may not have an answer for the trouble in your marriage this morning, but there is a God in heaven who does.
-- The world may tell you to accept the path your children are on, but there is a God in heaven who can turn them around and lead them down the path to their destiny.
-- Your boss may be asking for something no one has been able to figure out. There is a God in heaven who knows the answer.
-- Daniel did not say there might be a God in heaven. He said it with confidence, standing in front of a king.
-- God planned your destiny before you were born, and He already knows the answer to the question you have not even asked yet.
-- There is a God in heaven who still saves, still delivers, and still sets free. He still changes lives by His grace. Enter into this day, depending on him.
4. When You Give God The Glory, God Will Lift You Up.
Daniel had every reason to take a bow. He had the best education in Babylon. He was ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers. And he had the one answer nobody else could find. But Daniel said, "It is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream." He deflected the glory right back to God. And watch what happens next. In tomorrow's message, this same king is going to fall on his face before this young captive and promote him over the whole province of Babylon. God said it Himself: "I will honor those who honor me."
How this applies to you:
-- Daniel was not ashamed of his gift. He just knew where it came from.
-- Daniel's education got him into the king's school, but he never let his education take God's place.
-- I have a long track record of succeeding at tasks other people failed at. Not because I am so good, but because of God's grace. I am quick to give the glory right back to God.
-- Paul said, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."
-- Jesus said, "Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." The goal is not for people to praise you. The goal is for people to see God in you.
-- Pride says, "Look what I did." Grace says, "Look what God did through me."
-- God planned your destiny before you were born, and every gift you carry came from Him.
-- When you live the grace life, you will become accustomed to God using you in ways that exceed your education and experience. On every one of those occasions, please make sure to give Him the glory. If you ever take His credit, you will position yourself for a downfall. God gets the glory, we get the benefits! That arrangement is just fine with me.
That's enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, there is a God in heaven, and You are my God!
You reveal secrets, and You have the answer I need!
When the world runs out of answers, You are just getting started!
My destiny is bigger than me!
The answer You give me will be a blessing to others!
I will not let bitterness block my blessing!
I do not have to fight for the credit, because You are fighting for me!
My promotion does not come from people, it comes from You!
I give You the glory for every gift I carry!
As I honor You, You honor me!
In THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!
This is Today's Word. Apply it and prosper!
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