Daniel 5:11-12 MSG
There is a man in your kingdom who is full of the divine Holy Spirit… His name is Daniel… Have Daniel called in. He’ll tell you what is going on here.
Daniel was called because the harrowing events that took place at the king’s party were unexplainable. No Babylonian enchanter could explain how the finger of God had appeared and written a message on the wall. What did this mean? Who can explain this? Help!
When a crisis occurs, the vulnerability of the human soul is revealed. In fear, people look to people of faith for answers. They want to see faith in our faces. They’re looking for comfort and hope. “Who knows God and has the ability to reach him for us?” Help!
When 9/11 occurred, the nation turned to God for help. Church attendance surged as Americans desperately looked for God. When the NFL player, Damar Hamlin, had his heart stop on national television during a game, players, fans, and commentators began to turn to God in prayer. ESPN game announcers prayed openly.
Far more desperate events and supernatural signs are coming. Daniel is a playbook for how we are to be prepared to represent God. Opportunities to be a “Daniel” for confused people are coming.
Be ready. Be confident. Be full of the Holy Spirit! Peter encourages us, “Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy” (1 Peter 3:15-16 MSG).
You won’t be invited to the banquet when it begins. No one cares who you are or what you know. The drunkenness of this present “party” will continue to increase until the finger of God begins the writing on the wall. Be ready, sir. Stay ready, ma’am. It’s coming. They will summon you for answers to the pain and panic of their hearts, and you will be “Daniel” for that opportunity. Be ready!
Prayer
Jesus, baptize us now in Your Holy Spirit! Fill us with power and boldness to speak for You with clarity and hope. Fill us with love for the people to whom we will speak. Deliver us from fear and insecurity. Give us gifts of the Holy Spirit to interpret Your message in the midst of perplexity, in Jesus’ name!