Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Searcy, AR
I have a math problem for you. Ready? What is the solution to this formula?
((1,874,309 / 45) + 593,482 – (23 * 497,833) + 4,349 – (4 * 597)) * 0
I hope you didn’t work too hard on that. Did you catch the part at the end? The “times zero”? That changes everything. The answer is simply zero.
It doesn’t matter how complicated or lengthy the math problem. If you add “times zero” at the end, everything is made simple. The answer will always be zero.
It is the same way with these two words: “but God.” When you add God to the mix, everything changes. Today we are going to talk about how adding God to a relationship can redefine the relationship.
Let’s look at Daniel. Daniel was a servant and a captive of King Nebuchadnezzar. The king had besieged and conquered Judah and hauled off the strong and talented young men to serve him. In chapter one, we see Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to defile themselves with the king’s food. They risked the king’s anger with this refusal, but it paid off. This was their first test.
In chapter two, things heat up a bit. This time, the king has a frightening dream. He demands that someone among his advisers not only interpret the dream, but also describe the dream. If they don’t, he will kill them all! This includes Daniel and his friends.
Daniel doesn’t try to calm the king or reason with him. He doesn’t try to call in favors, pay bribes, or work political angles to avoid this fate. He turns to God in prayer. And it changes everything. Daniel goes to bed as a servant of the king who was under a death sentence. But God reveals the dream to him during the night and within 24 hours the king makes Daniel a ruler over the entire province of Babylon and places him in charge of all its wise men. God completely redefines the relationship between Daniel and the king!
What other relationships in the Bible do you see redefined when God is added to the mix? What relationships in your own life are complicated and hard? Have you asked God to come into the middle of that relationship? What might happen if He did?
This Saturday, May 8th, at 9:30 am CDT we will have our monthly virtual ladies Bible study on “Relationships Redefined.” I will be speaking to the English-speaking women and Brenda Brizendine will be speaking to the Spanish-speaking women. I will be delving further into this topic, but I also want to hear from you during that time. Join us and share your own insights on how God redefines relationships.