History of the 2007 War on Mold and Mildew
by: Alice Maer
In the August heat, on the hottest day of summer, the compressor in the air conditioner broke. The day before, the downstairs neighbors moved out. We were without a cooling system and living in a 3rd floor apartment. The war has begun.
Our first sign of trouble was condensation on the kitchen floor, not just a light mist, but puddles so large that they would soak your entire foot. The children thought this was fun, splashing in puddles in the kitchen, but I knew better, I knew this was a breeding ground for the worst enemies any apartment has ever known, mildew and mold. Oh the kitchen was safe enough; they have windows to help dry the air and floor, but the bathrooms, oh the poor bathrooms! The hall bathroom sustained only minor injury, easily repaired by the maintenance crew, but the master bath, completely enclosed and isolated from any semblance of air circulation; it did not stand a chance against this evil. The maintenance crew came and scrubbed the mold and mildew until the walls were faded to a light pink color… but you could see that the little buggers were still alive and waiting for the next opportunity to strike.
Late in October, the weather became warm again, short sleeves, humid air, everything was perfect for this monster to once again assert itself. The walls, the ceiling, the shower… all covered in a blanket made of mold and mildew after three short days of humidity. They struck for the second time and this time it was personal. I called for reinforcements, Joe, ever ready with a bottle of bleach, a sponge, and gloves approached the bathroom with a warrior’s pride. He strode in with a ladder, scrubbed every possible surface of the bathroom, and managed in 3 hours to remove about a quarter of the offensive scum from the ceiling. The rest remained because our might warrior was tired and needed a much deserved rest.
Time was dragging by, the proud mold and mildew regrouping where the mighty warrior Joe had once devastated their population. We did not concede defeat; never will we allow the mold and mildew bullies to win this war against us! A new plan of attack was formed, and late in November, the mighty Rachel approached for round one with a bottle of chemical warfare in hand. She heartily sprayed every centimeter of mold and mildew infested walls and ceiling with the chemical whose purpose was to remove all signs of their existence. After her first attack, she realized the advantage the mold has over her, they can not smell the chemical warfare, nor can they breathe it in, but it is toxic to them, and soon they will run away, crying for mercy. A few hours later, Rachel the brave enters, armed once again with the chemical weapon for a fresh attack. She sprayed the entire bathroom once more, trying to save the rapidly infected room from total demise. The folly in her plan was soon realized as she started to cough and wheeze, the chemicals were hurting her! She ran for the relief of fresh air, and had to use an inhaler to restore her breathing to normal levels. Upon her retreat she noticed a significant withdrawal in numbers on the mold and mildew side of the war, one or two attacks more and this war will be won, the bathroom saved, and mold and mildew defeated until the next air-conditioning system failure next summer. The call is out, for a mighty warrior to come to the aid of this bathroom, to save Rachel the Brave’s lungs from total ruin during her attempt to decimate the stubborn mold and mildew so ruthlessly attacking her abode. Is there a warrior out there willing to fight this battle and help bring us to victory?
Time is running short, the enemy is approaching, I must send this now and hope for our Knight to come to us and rescue us from this danger. Please, come quickly!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Long anticipated...
Sorry for such a long delay. I've been so weak and tired that I just didn't know which end was up most days. My medications are now working, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) seems like a happy thing in relation to others that this could have been, and I've gotten the new job with the county! I'm being cleared to return to work on the same day the offer to start at the county is effective and all is well.
God has managed to use me through all of this, much to my surprise, and I'm thrilled He has. I just hope it doesn't take a major illness to get my attention next time!
For the past month or so I've been reading what others have been writing about the Bible, their thoughts and ideas, etc... instead of doing my own digging. I do plan to resume my own study and writing but for now am concentrating on getting better, resting when needed, etc... for those who have told me they miss my input, I'm sorry. I will be back though, I promise!
Hugs & Love
God has managed to use me through all of this, much to my surprise, and I'm thrilled He has. I just hope it doesn't take a major illness to get my attention next time!
For the past month or so I've been reading what others have been writing about the Bible, their thoughts and ideas, etc... instead of doing my own digging. I do plan to resume my own study and writing but for now am concentrating on getting better, resting when needed, etc... for those who have told me they miss my input, I'm sorry. I will be back though, I promise!
Hugs & Love
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Spoons
My friend Mei-Ling sent this to me. It is such an effective way to explain my day to day existence that I felt as if I had to share it with you. I hope you'll read it and get an understanding of what it is to live with an invisible chronic illness that impacts everyday activities.
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php
Hugs & Love
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php
Hugs & Love
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Can't write it...
I don't know why, but no matter how many times I've tried I have NOT been able to write down the thoughts I have about Daniel 4 in a clear and concise way. I think I'm going to shelf it until tomorrow and see what happens. Sorry.
Hugs & Love
Hugs & Love
Monday, October 22, 2007
Bible Blog: Daniel 3 – October 22, 2007
Daniel 3 – “The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace”
If I gathered everyone I knew to see the “great big shiny thing” I made and told everyone to sing worship songs to the “great big shiny thing” I’m sure at least a few would force me to have my head examined, a few more would slam me in the head with a spiritual baseball bat, and many would laugh at me… good for them! But I know of three people who would blindly do as I told them to because mommy knows what is right. It may seem like an overly simplistic way of looking at this situation, but it is accurate. King N was educated, knowledgeable in things the common man didn’t know he was missing… much like a parent-child relationship.
It’s easy to see the “trust in the Lord” message from this passage… less obvious is that we need to try to learn how to lead those around us away from the tempting “great big shiny things” of life and towards the arms of our loving Savior. I don’t want to encourage my children to sing praise to anything evil, I want them to sing praises to Jesus… they won’t do that unless they see me doing it.
I need to make sure I haven’t been leading them to any “great big shiny things” lately. I pray I never will!
Hugs & Love
Daniel 3
1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
If I gathered everyone I knew to see the “great big shiny thing” I made and told everyone to sing worship songs to the “great big shiny thing” I’m sure at least a few would force me to have my head examined, a few more would slam me in the head with a spiritual baseball bat, and many would laugh at me… good for them! But I know of three people who would blindly do as I told them to because mommy knows what is right. It may seem like an overly simplistic way of looking at this situation, but it is accurate. King N was educated, knowledgeable in things the common man didn’t know he was missing… much like a parent-child relationship.
It’s easy to see the “trust in the Lord” message from this passage… less obvious is that we need to try to learn how to lead those around us away from the tempting “great big shiny things” of life and towards the arms of our loving Savior. I don’t want to encourage my children to sing praise to anything evil, I want them to sing praises to Jesus… they won’t do that unless they see me doing it.
I need to make sure I haven’t been leading them to any “great big shiny things” lately. I pray I never will!
Hugs & Love
Daniel 3
1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bible Blog: Daniel 2:24-49 – October 12, 2007
Daniel 2:24-49 – “Daniel Interprets the Dream”
24. Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
25. Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26. The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
27. Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29. "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31. "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time 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.
36. "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38. in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39. "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
46. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47. The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48. Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
I’m starting to understand why people say, “Dare to be a Daniel.” This is a very impressive young man! When he went to King N to tell him his dream and the interpretation, he first gave all the credit to God. How often do you or I have something to share with someone that we don’t give even a mention of who is responsible let alone do it up front like that? It is such an easy thing to do, give credit where credit is due, yet we all fail to do it time and time again and here Daniel is giving credit before the explanation. Remarkable!
Of course he goes on to save the day by telling and interpreting the dream and assuring the lives of the wise men are protected and in the process finds himself appointed as King N’s new advisor. He doesn’t turn around and rub it in his friends’ faces either, nope; he goes and gets them jobs as his assistant. It makes sense, they share the same faith in God, have had the same training, and he trusts them… sounds like a perfect fit to me! By doing this Daniel once again showed that his actions are not for his own benefit, he found a way for his friends to be in prominent positions and set everyone up for success.
How do I do this for the ones I love and care for? Do I build them up and give them reasons to grow or do I cut them down for my own gain? Do I give credit to God and others when it is due? It is time to Selah on this. Hope you do too!
Hugs & Love
24. Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
25. Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26. The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
27. Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29. "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31. "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time 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.
36. "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38. in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39. "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
46. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47. The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48. Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
I’m starting to understand why people say, “Dare to be a Daniel.” This is a very impressive young man! When he went to King N to tell him his dream and the interpretation, he first gave all the credit to God. How often do you or I have something to share with someone that we don’t give even a mention of who is responsible let alone do it up front like that? It is such an easy thing to do, give credit where credit is due, yet we all fail to do it time and time again and here Daniel is giving credit before the explanation. Remarkable!
Of course he goes on to save the day by telling and interpreting the dream and assuring the lives of the wise men are protected and in the process finds himself appointed as King N’s new advisor. He doesn’t turn around and rub it in his friends’ faces either, nope; he goes and gets them jobs as his assistant. It makes sense, they share the same faith in God, have had the same training, and he trusts them… sounds like a perfect fit to me! By doing this Daniel once again showed that his actions are not for his own benefit, he found a way for his friends to be in prominent positions and set everyone up for success.
How do I do this for the ones I love and care for? Do I build them up and give them reasons to grow or do I cut them down for my own gain? Do I give credit to God and others when it is due? It is time to Selah on this. Hope you do too!
Hugs & Love
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Bible Blog: Daniel 2:1-23 – October 11, 2007
Daniel 2:1-23 – “Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream”
1. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3. he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."
4. Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5. The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7. Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
8. Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9. If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10. The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12. This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15. He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18. 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. 19. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven
20. and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21. He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22. He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
This story is much more amazing to me now than it was when I was a child. We start with power hungry King N (I’m not typing that out more than the one time above) who insists that an interpretation of an undisclosed dream must be provided by the wise men or they will all be executed. YIKES! This is a bit harsh. Understandably the wise men didn’t want to try to interpret a dream they haven’t heard, but the power hungry King N doesn’t care, he wants them to tell him his dream also. When Daniel and his friends were gathered for execution and the reason was explained to them, they didn’t cry or beg, but Daniel requested an audience with King N to reveal and explain his dream to him.
I want faith like that. I don’t know how to get it, but I know I’m going to be praying that my faith increases quite a bit! I know it is a change that needs to take place inside me, that I’m the person at fault for not having that level of faith, but I really don’t know how to change my level of faith… yet.
Anyway, in faith Daniel goes to sleep and King N’s dream and its meaning are revealed to him. When he wakes up he behaves in a rather unnatural way for someone whose life and whose friends’ lives are on the line… he stops and praises God. Isn’t that wonderful? Daniel’s character, which I find inspirational, is revealed in this moment. God is first. There are no exceptions or exclusions that so many of us make “I can do it later” or “He won’t mind if I make sure they live first” no, God is good and God is first. Thank him for the revelation THEN take care of life saving business.
I can’t say that God is always a priority in my life. I think if I were in a similar situation my tendency towards self-preservation would kick in and I’d go make sure I was going to remain alive rather than thank God for the revelation of a dream. But Daniel went and thanked God for the revelation, not knowing if King N was going to actually spare him or his friends. His faith, his quick action, and his devotion to God are examples of things I lack in my own life. I know with God’s help I’ll make it though, and I’m going to work on changing my attitudes and faith.
Hugs & Love
1. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3. he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."
4. Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5. The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7. Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
8. Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9. If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10. The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12. This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15. He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18. 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. 19. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven
20. and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21. He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22. He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
This story is much more amazing to me now than it was when I was a child. We start with power hungry King N (I’m not typing that out more than the one time above) who insists that an interpretation of an undisclosed dream must be provided by the wise men or they will all be executed. YIKES! This is a bit harsh. Understandably the wise men didn’t want to try to interpret a dream they haven’t heard, but the power hungry King N doesn’t care, he wants them to tell him his dream also. When Daniel and his friends were gathered for execution and the reason was explained to them, they didn’t cry or beg, but Daniel requested an audience with King N to reveal and explain his dream to him.
I want faith like that. I don’t know how to get it, but I know I’m going to be praying that my faith increases quite a bit! I know it is a change that needs to take place inside me, that I’m the person at fault for not having that level of faith, but I really don’t know how to change my level of faith… yet.
Anyway, in faith Daniel goes to sleep and King N’s dream and its meaning are revealed to him. When he wakes up he behaves in a rather unnatural way for someone whose life and whose friends’ lives are on the line… he stops and praises God. Isn’t that wonderful? Daniel’s character, which I find inspirational, is revealed in this moment. God is first. There are no exceptions or exclusions that so many of us make “I can do it later” or “He won’t mind if I make sure they live first” no, God is good and God is first. Thank him for the revelation THEN take care of life saving business.
I can’t say that God is always a priority in my life. I think if I were in a similar situation my tendency towards self-preservation would kick in and I’d go make sure I was going to remain alive rather than thank God for the revelation of a dream. But Daniel went and thanked God for the revelation, not knowing if King N was going to actually spare him or his friends. His faith, his quick action, and his devotion to God are examples of things I lack in my own life. I know with God’s help I’ll make it though, and I’m going to work on changing my attitudes and faith.
Hugs & Love
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