Signs and Wonders
“For he is the living God,
Daniel 6:26-27 NLT
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.”
“Scripture is a living Word, the record of God’s compassionate, supernatural interruptions into the everyday trials of His children, to bring signs and wonders of encouragement and refreshment. Because of the power encoded like DNA in the written Word of God, it is important that we read each day’s Scripture selection to encounter this magnificent God in all His mystery and brilliance.”
Faith Blatchford, God of Wonders
This week we explore the stories of Daniel and three of his friends as they experienced miraculous encounters with God. As we do, our focus will be on embracing the wonder of it all, remembering that the God we discover in the pages of Scripture is the same God we serve today . . .
“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
Daniel 2:20-22 NLT
for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.
He reveals deep and mysterious things
and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
though he is surrounded by light.”
Miracle #1: A Heavenly Diet
“The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. . . . But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.”
Daniel 1:5, 8 NLT
“Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Daniel 1:7 NLT
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.”
There they received an excellent education in the language and literature of Babylon, as well as the perks that go along with living in the palace. One of these benefits was the daily food and wine ration. But Daniel and his friends, choosing to stay faithful to the Jewish dietary laws, refused the king’s food. This made the chief of staff nervous, because it was his head — literally! — if these young men grew thin and pale. They had been chosen partly because of their appearance, and they were expected to remain healthy and strong while in the king’s service.
But Daniel convinced the chief of staff to test them for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water. He did, and the results were surprising. They looked better and healthier than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king! “So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others” (1 Daniel 1:16 NLT).
Now, I think I could manage to live on nothing but vegetables and water for ten days. But to do it for three years? I don’t think I could manage that. Or if I did, I would expect to lose a lot of weight! But not so for Daniel and his friends. God kept them strong in body, even with a lack of protein in their diet, because they had remained strong in faith when tempted to go along with the king’s expectations. During the remainder of their training period, they grew in wisdom and understanding, and they entered the king’s service as respected advisors. God also gave Daniel the ability to interpret visions and dreams.
“The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
Daniel 1:19-20 NIV
Miracle #2: The Dream
“Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”
Daniel 2:35 NIV
We read about the next miracle in chapter 2. King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream that he could not understand. He summoned all his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, who offered to interpret the dream for him if he would tell them what it was. But the king refused. He was afraid his wise men would not give him an accurate interpretation unless they could first prove that they knew the dream itself. So, under penalty of death, the wise men were commanded to tell the king what his dream was. But this was impossible for them, and they said so:
“The astrologers replied to the king, ‘No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.'”
Daniel 2:10-11 NLT
Wrong answer! The king was furious, and he ordered all of the wise men in his kingdom executed. Unfortunately, this edict also applied to Daniel and his friends. However, Daniel went to the king and asked for more time to interpret the dream. And he asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to pray that God would reveal the king’s dream to him.
God answered this prayer. During the night, He revealed the mystery of the king’s dream to Daniel in a vision. And Daniel went back to the king to give him the interpretation. When the king asked Daniel if he was able to explain the dream, Daniel made sure not to take any credit for himself:
“Daniel replied, ‘No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.”
Daniel 2:27-28 NIV
The king had dreamt of a large statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. A rock struck the statue, smashing it to pieces, and then grew into a huge mountain which filled the earth. Daniel explained that Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold and the rest of the statue represented the kingdoms that would come after him. Ultimately, they would all be crushed by the kingdom of God, represented by the rock in the dream, which would reign forever.
In awe of Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar fell down in worship before him, and declared Daniel’s God to be the “greatest of gods.” Quite a statement from one of the most powerful pagan rulers in the world!
“The king said to Daniel, ‘Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.'”
Daniel 2:47 NLT
Miracle #3: The Blazing Furnace
“Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?'”
Daniel 3:14-15 NLT
It seems that Nebuchadnezzar’s humility before God was short-lived, because in the very next chapter we read that he has set up a 90-foot tall gold statue and has commanded everyone in the kingdom to bow down to it on command. Although Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were his administrators, Nebuchadnezzar apparently understood or cared little about the commandments of their faith, which forbade them from bowing down to other gods. They refused to follow his orders, and Nebuchadnezzar seemed genuinely confused by this. Perhaps since he himself worshiped many gods, he didn’t understand the problem. He called them in to give them one last chance to obey. But they made it clear to him Who it was they ultimately served:
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.'”
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT
Nebuchadnezzar had heard enough! Furious, he ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times hotter than usual and had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound and thrown in, killing some of his own soldiers in the process. I realize we’ve probably all heard the story by now, but let’s pretend for a moment that we haven’t. If the story had ended with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego dying as martyrs, their final words would have been an amazing testimony of faith: We know God is able to rescue us, but even if He doesn’t, we will not serve your gods. That in itself would have made their story an amazing one. How often have we exhibited that kind of unwavering faith in God? Not only faith in His power, but faith in His plan, whether the outcome is what we hope for or not. Their story could have ended there, and we would have been sad, but inspired, by their sacrifice.
But just like a Hollywood movie, a surprising plot twist gave us hope for a happy ending after all. As Nebuchadnezzar watched the horrible scene, he saw something unbelievable. Instead of three bound men dying horribly in the fire, he saw four men walking around in the flames, completely unharmed. I imagine at this moment, his own words of challenge came flooding back into his mind: And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power? Apparently, he was about to find out! He jumped up in amazement and shouted to his advisers to look into the furnace and see what has happening:
“‘Look!’ Nebuchadnezzar shouted.
Daniel 3:25 NLT
‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed!
And the fourth looks like a god!'”
Nebuchadnezzar called to them from the door of the furnace: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” (Daniel 3:26 NLT) They came out, and sure enough, they were completely unharmed. They didn’t even smell like smoke! It was unmistakably miraculous, and that was the point. Servants of the Most High God. That’s what he called them. Nebuchadnezzar had been put in his place by Someone mightier than him, and once again, he was in awe of God’s power.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.'”
Daniel 3:28 NLT
More Miracles!
“King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: ‘Peace and prosperity to you! I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.”
Daniel 4:1-2 NLT
Chapter 18 in The Story skips from Daniel 3 to Daniel 6, which recounts the miracle of Daniel in the lions’ den. But there are more miracles recorded in chapters 4 & 5: In chapter 4, Daniel interprets another dream for Nebuchadnezzar — a bizarre prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar living as a wild animal for a period of time. This prophecy came true and ultimately led to Nebuchadnezzar humbly praising God as the King of heaven.
And chapter 5 tells of a mysterious hand writing words of judgment on the wall for Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, King Belshazzar: Belshazzar had brought out the gold and silver cups taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and basically threw a party, using the sacred cups to hold wine as he and his guests praised the idols they served. Daniel was brought in to interpret the writing on the wall, but it wasn’t good news for the king. God’s judgment was swift, and Belshazzar was soon killed.
His successor was King Darius.
“Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.”
Daniel 6:6-7 NLT
After years of service to Babylon, Daniel had proven himself to be a more capable administrator than all the other administrators and high officers. King Darius took notice and made plans to place Daniel over the entire empire. This apparently made the other administrators jealous, and they begin looking for some way to bring Daniel down. Since Daniel was completely righteous and trustworthy, the only way they could get rid of him was by finding some way to use his religion against him. Knowing his habit of daily prayer, they went to the king and talked him into issuing an unbreakable decree that anyone praying to someone other than the king should be thrown into the lions’ den.
Obviously, King Darius was unaware of Daniel’s prayer habit because he was deeply troubled when he found out from the other officials that Daniel had broken this decree. Darius tried to think of a way to save Daniel, but he couldn’t come up with any way out of the law he had so hastily signed. Finally, he had no choice but to order the penalty carried out.
“So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, ‘May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.'”
Daniel 6:16 NLT
I really feel for King Darius here. Unlike his arrogant predecessors, he seemed to be genuinely concerned with faithfully executing his duties as king. Maybe he was a little naive for listening to the administrators who came up with this stupid law, but part of his job was to listen to his advisors. So, he probably trusted that they, too, had the best interests of the kingdom in mind. He soon found out, however, that they did not. Too late, he realized they were motivated by nothing more than jealousy and self-preservation, and now a good man would pay the price. Daniel was placed in the den. A stone was placed over the entrance. And King Darius spent a sleepless night worrying.
The next morning Darius rushed out to the den and called to Daniel: “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20 NLT) I can almost feel his relief as Daniel answered him from inside the den: “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight” (Daniel 6:21-22 NLT). God saved Daniel, and in a way, He saved Darius, too. But Daniel’s accusers? Not so much. The king threw them into the den and they were quickly devoured.
“Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
Daniel 6:25-27 NLT
‘Peace and prosperity to you!
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Does God Still Perform Miracles Today?
“Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.”
Psalm 22:30 NLT
As we read these stories, we see God perform amazing miracles. But, if we’re honest, these events are so long ago and far away that they may not feel real to us. It’s not that we don’t believe them. But wouldn’t it be nice if God still did miracles like that today? Sure, we may have some experience with the “little miracles” God has done in our lives: little “coincidences” that we realize later aren’t really coincidences after all. But what about the big stuff? Does God still work that way?
“I don’t really believe in the ‘good old days,’ but do you ever find yourself longing for the days when our culture seemed less antagonistic toward people of faith? And do you ever wish God would come down and do something really big to prove he is God and therefore give you a little street cred?
Randy Frazee, The Heart of the Story
The Upper Story of Daniel and his three friends gives us a clue as to how this can happen. When they put God above everything else — when they obeyed the first commandment — God went to work for them. I believe with all my heart that if we have this same level of commitment, we will see great things happen. Whenever people put God first, they never regret it. God always comes through. Maybe not in the way we expect him to or wish he would. But always honors us when we put him above everything else.”
I believe God works however He needs to in order to accomplish His work, whether that means a little nudge to keep us on track or something big to get our attention. A lot of the “big stuff” is what’s recorded in Scripture, but I’m sure there were plenty of little miracles back then, too. The point is to focus on God and trust Him to take care of the rest, no matter how impossible “the rest” may seem to us.
Randy Frazee touched on something else we should consider. When we find ourselves wishing for a big miracle, we may want to think about the amazing level of faith of those who experienced these wonders. Are we ready to step into a blazing furnace or a den of lions to demonstrate our faith in God? I would like to say yes, but am I really? Honestly, I hope I never have to find out. But maybe, someday, if my faith is up to the task, God can use me in a big way to help someone else discover His power. That’s what it’s all about, after all, isn’t it? It’s not about us. It’s about Him.
That being said, let’s not be timid about asking God for the impossible. When we seek Him with all our heart, He begins to shape our heart’s desires to match His own. He begins to transform us to do His work. And let’s face it, His work is pretty awesome! I mean “awesome” in the true sense of the word: awe-inspiring, astonishing, breathtaking, wondrous, and even miraculous. So, if you feel God has called you to do something impossible, then He probably has. Because if you could do it without Him, then His power wouldn’t be on display for others to see.
So, as we study the stories of God’s signs and wonders in the Bible, let’s gaze in awe at the omnipotence of our God. Let’s allow the faith of those we read about fuel our own faith. Let’s remember that God is the same today as He was then. And let’s be inspired to believe in the impossible. Because we are servants of the Most High God!
” . . . if you’re not daring to believe God for the impossible, you’re sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian life. . . . faith is not a drug to sedate you through a life you hate. It’s a force to transport you to another realm of reality. . . .
Steven Furtick, Sun Stand Still
There’s nothing our world needs more desperately today — in individuals, families, businesses, churches, and communities — than God’s saving, supernatural acts. And he’s ready to act if we will be bold enough to ask, not just for a good day or a better life, but for the impossible. Then step forward to act in audacious faith.”
This week’s Scripture passages focus on the power and glory of God and remind us that no matter what happens, He is in control. His signs and wonders are recorded for all to read, and as we stand in awe of our Lord, we will be transformed. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, so let’s call on His supernatural power to accomplish His work in the world. And may we never take for granted the might of the God we serve.
Our faith can move mountains, for with the God of Wonders, nothing is impossible!
“God has wired us for awe. One reason we need circuitry within us for this emotion is so we are able to live face-to-face with the powerful God of glory and wonder. . . . let your imagination explore undiscovered realms of this region of awe. As you take time to ‘look up,’ you may be surprised to experience stunning encounters of your own.
Faith Blatchford, God of Wonders
The Lord is waiting for you in the wonder.”
References:
- Blatchford, Faith. God of Wonders: 40 Days of Awe in the Presence of God. Chosen, 2021.
- “Daniel: The Bible Explained.” YouTube, uploaded by Spoken Gospel, 31 January 2020, https://youtu.be/xtrK2GnZyVg?si=2h-p0rxoFiZBPIml.
- Frazee, Randy. The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of God’s Story. Zondervan, 2017.
- Furtick, Steven. Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible. Multnomah Books, 2010.
- The Story: Read the Bible as One Seamless Story from Beginning to End. Rev. ed., Zondervan, 2008.
Images:
- Omega Nebula featured image by WikiImages from Pixabay
- Earth and Space image by Lumina Obscura from Pixabay
- Salad image by Alexa from Pixabay
- Mountain image by Klaus Dieter vom Wangenheim from Pixabay
- Fire image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
- Lion image by Alexa from Pixabay
- Planetary Nebula image by WikiImages from Pixabay
- Man and Starry Sky image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
About The Author
Christa
My vision for Wondertakings was to create a devotional blog for "nerdy" Christians like me. I do believe, as Socrates said, that wisdom begins in wonder. So I love to read or watch anything that inspires wonder and figure out what I can learn from it. I view it all through a Christian lens. I believe that God can and does speak through many sources in many ways, even if those speaking are not aware of it. I am not an expert in theology or religious studies. My goal with this blog is simply to share what I've learned as a fellow student and sinner in the Christian walk. My hope and my prayer is that by doing so I may be able to help someone else. In Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT), we are told: "Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives. . . ." So in the words of Moses (and Spock), live long and prosper, my friends!