Daniel 2:17-18
Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Why do we turn to God so late in difficult and dangerous situations? We know that He is the Lord of Lords. We confess that He is higher than all other beings on, above, or below the earth. And yet, we refuse to come to Him first when we are placed in harm’s way.
The Bible promises us that there is no one greater than the Lord. His faithfulness to generations of believers is recorded throughout the scriptures. Jesus promises us that He will never leave us alone as orphans (John 14:8) but that He will always be with us (Matthew 20). These truths are cast across the pages of scripture to such an extent that Daniel could be confident of his Maker’s provision. At the threat of death, he gathered his friends and went to the Lord in prayer.
Daniel’s prayer resulted in much more than his deliverance from a certain death. It pointed others towards the one true God. Just as Daniel’s act of faith in God led a pagan king to confess “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…” (2:47), your immediate call upon the Lord will be a beacon, pointing friends and family to their only source of salvation.
Why do you refuse to trust in God’s provision as Daniel did? Are you not willing to trust in Him if for no other reason than to point your friends to Him?