Daniel answered the king and said,

"No wise men, enchanters,

     magicians, or astrologers

can show to the king the mystery

     that the kind has asked,

but there is a God in heaven

           who reveals mysteries...

                  Daniel 2. 27-28

(Daniel does not draw

          attention to himself,

but points the entire kingdom

     to the reality of God Almighty.

But there is a God in heaven

   --on that reality,

     we can stake our lives.

Nothing random,

nothing without divine purpose,

trusting God

          and being faithful to Him,

even into

      what we cannot yet understand.)

O LORD,

We can live differently

    with hope and joy

          even in the hard stuff,

because You are God Almighty,

            and we are not.

Our prayers to You

for provision, protection, purpose

             and deliverance

are always in some way

     answered unexpectedly,

because there is a lot deeper

           in Your designs

      than we are aware of.

Help us to trust You

    and point others to You

in all that we are,

in all that You have given us

                 to do.