Who Opens the Door: Daniel 2:12-16

When we see a door God opens, we should not fear stepping into it.  God provides opportunities, we act upon them.  He leads; we follow.  So long as we don’t get that backwards – which I’ve periodically done in my life – we’ll be just fine.

Daniel handles himself exceptionally well in this story.  Nebuchadnezzar tires of the games his wise men play with him.  He has no need for stall tactics.  Nebuchadnezzar issues an order for the wise men to be rounded up and executed.  They come for Daniel, and Daniel takes the news in stride.  Daniel doesn’t get upset.  He doesn’t get hysterical.  Daniel handles it.

I love Daniel as he is presented in God’s Word.  Daniel isn’t out looking to create an opportunity for God.  Daniel isn’t trying to lead God.  Daniel goes about life quite normally waiting for God to open opportunities for Him.  When Arioch comes to arrest Daniel and take him off to be executed, Daniel recognizes the door God opened.  Daniel steps into the opportunity God created.

You’ve probably heard it said that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.  That’s very true.  If we don’t try, we don’t succeed.  Ever.

Unfortunately, that kind of worldly thinking can get us into trouble when we apply it in the wrong circumstances.  If I profess to be a follower of God, I shouldn’t mind missing 100% of the shots God doesn’t want me to take.  Life is not about taking every possible opportunity.  Life is about following God.

We can add to this idea.  Not only should I not mind missing 100% of the shots God doesn’t want me to take, I’m guaranteed to make 100% of the shots He wants me to take.  When God opens a door, we’ll be successful just by stepping into the opportunity.

It is easy to think we should be out on big spiritual adventures creating massive spiritual opportunities.  There are times and places for massive spiritual opportunities, and we will participate in those moments.  We call them mountain-top moments in reference to Moses’ experience with God on top of Mount Sinai or Peter’s, James’, and John’s experience with Jesus during the transfiguration.  As with Daniel’s moment coming up, those experiences were set up by God and people stepped into them. The people didn't create the opportunity, God did.

Be careful.  I’m not saying Christianity is about passivity.  We shouldn’t be laissez-faire about following God.  We should be actively following God.  Notice the object of our activity.  We are active about following God.  We are actively searching for doors He opens for us.  We are God’s people; we follow His lead.

That’s what Daniel does.  Daniel sees a door God opened and steps into it.  He doesn’t hesitate.  He hears he is to be arrested, so he steps forward and says, “Take me to the king.  I can resolve this situation.”  When we see a door God opens, we should not fear stepping into it.