“Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed.” Daniel 2:1
There is always a first step. No matter what problem, decision, or situation arises in this life, after some time of contemplation, your feet will progress in a given direction that you deem will deliver you the solution. And if you’re honest, many of these problems and life-decisions can be real head-scratchers. Difficult and complex in their nature with solutions that run the gamut depending on the solution process chosen. And again, if we’re honest, as these problems quickly rise above our paygrade, we are acutely aware of it. Acutely aware that we are little fish swimming in very big waters. But the real question is, as you encounter these life conundrums, where is the first place you go? In what direction do your feet fall as you seek to decipher the riddles of what perplexes you? Do you head in the direction of self, resting in your own abilities? Do you head in the directions of others in this world, believing that they can produce the solutions you seek? You see, the real answers that we seek in this life are not found in the answers themselves, but in the direction of our seeking.
King Nebuchadnezzar has had a weird dream. And at that time being the ruler of the entire geographical Biblical empire, he has enough funds to employ an army of wise men. And here let’s please pause and reflect on that term, “wise men.” What is truly wise? Well, in my experience, most wise men need to tell you that they are indeed very wise so that you will know just how wise they are. In fact, in my contrary experience the wisest people I have ever met are the first to tell you they don’t know the answer to everything. Yet in any case, king Nebuchadnezzar has a court full of men who have been quick to proclaim their worldly wisdom in the works of magic, enchanting, sorcery, astrology, and yes, that includes witchcraft. And as the dream continues to confound the king, the first place he goes is to the men that have so readily and easily proclaimed their wisdom to their king. Yet as he seeks the answers to the questions of his dream, we see that his first step taken in finding the solution, was indeed a step in the wrong direction.
As the king’s wise men fail him in producing an answer, his temper tantrum results in a death sentence for all wise men in the entire Babylonian kingdom. And that included four new arrivals from the recently conquered Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishaal, and Azariah. (renamed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by the king) As the news of the impending execution sentence reached the ears of Daniel however, we see a response that is as polar opposite to king Nebuchadnezzar’s as chalk and cheese. As Daniel and his three friends process the idea of their newly coming death, the directions of their feet move them quickly in the direction of the one place they know the true answer lies…in the direction of the Lord.
“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishaal and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:17-18
We see quite the juxtaposition in Daniel chapter 2. Two men faced with perplexing, even life threatening obstacles, yet two completely different paths taken to find the solution. Are you facing a problem today that has you perplexed? Are you facing a situation today that has you possibly losing sleep as the anxiety and stress take their high toll? In which direction did your feet first follow? If it wasn’t directly to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, then you are more than likely still search for your answer. Take that situation today to the feet of the true King and drop it there...and leave it. For only at the feet of Christ will your problems receive the wisdom they require. Daniel knew this and was quick to not only deposit his problems at the feet of Christ, but to move his three friends in the same direction.
Prayer is one of the strongest tools in the believer’s toolbelt, but in order to use it, the believer’s feet must be pre-programmed to instantly and faithfully move in the right direction. Today, as the problems and frustrations of this world assault you, may you be quick to move in the right direction, to the throne of the One that made it all, controls it all, and knows it all…the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.” James 5:13a
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