Advent Devotional  |  December 11, 2020

As for you, O king, while you were in your bed your thoughts turned to future things. The revealer of mysteries has made known to you what will take place. As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom than any other living person, but so that the king may understand the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind. …In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.  Daniel 2:29-30, 44

King Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler over Babylon when God’s people were exiled from the Promised Land. Like any ruler, he had thoughts of the future. I’m sure he wondered what would come next. His rule came with great struggle and cost many lives. As history demonstrates, it was a fragile thing to stay at the top of the Ancient Near East’s food chain! His thoughts were both troubling and mysterious to him. It was a divine appointment that one of his wise men happened to be an exile from Judah, a servant of God. Daniel was a servant and Nebuchadnezzar a ruler, but human titles do not matter to God.

What was unexpected to Nebuchadnezzar was expected by God. If you look at the overall storyline in the Bible, there are many twists and turns. God’s people being ousted from the Promised Land was a big deal. That was unexpected, but God planned for Jesus. What humanity could not accomplish, God did. Even the most powerful nation at the time, Babylon, was subject to the Creator’s will. Nebuchadnezzar, as powerful as he was, could not operate outside of God’s grand plan, and neither can we.

Daniel was a captive, and Nebuchadnezzar was a king. But that didn’t matter to God. He is in the business of making the expected happen through unexpected means. God’s Kingdom is the future Kingdom, no matter the time period, circumstance, or ruling party. This should be a great comfort to us today, as it would have been to Daniel in his day. Advent should remind us that God’s plan will happen. Advent should fill us with hope and joy in Jesus and the certainty of His return as King. So don’t get hung up on your circumstances. See this season as a symbol of God doing what He promised.

Pastor Dave Mergens