SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 1
He changes times and seasons. Daniel 2:21
God Is Lord Over All Times
and Seasons
Daniel’s
wisdom is on display in the narratives and prophecies in his book. The verses
prior to today’s reading, for example, demonstrate that he knew the right thing
to say in the right way at the right time, both when he questioned the
commander of the king’s guard and when he petitioned the king to allow him to
have more time. For such wisdom, Daniel gave all the credit to God, who as Lord
over all times and seasons always and infallibly knows the right thing to do at
the right time (v. 21). King Nebuchadnezzar had demanded that his wise men
recount and interpret a dream without being told what it was. They were unable
to do so, but during a night of prayer Daniel received this knowledge from God.
Impressively, Daniel praised God (vv. 20–23) going to the king to save the
lives of himself and his friends (v. 24). They were by no means well known at
court yet. This incident occurred only one year after they had been taken into
exile (1:5). To exalt God as the sovereign Lord was a huge step of faith,
considering that Daniel was a foreign exile slated for execution. He even dared
to assert that his God was greater than the emperor (vv. 37–38). God had paved
the way for His name to be glorified in this unlikely place at this unlikely
time, and in the end Nebuchadnezzar gave Him praise (v. 47). This month’s
devotional is a topical study of time. What does the Bible say about time and
our use of it? We’ve divided the study into four main sections that reflect
Scripture’s main themes in this area: (1) times and seasons in life; (2)
knowing the right times; (3) our stewardship of time; and (4) the fleetness of
time and brevity of life.
Taken
from the Word for You Today Devotional
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