Deeper Reflection
Aparallelism in Daniel’s twofold praise of God for His wisdom and power in verses 20 and 23 is significant: “wisdom and power belong to Him” (v.20) and “You have given me wisdom and power” (v.23). The “wisdom and power belong to Him” moves to “You have given me wisdom and power.” What belongs to God, God gives to us. What divine grace in condescension! This is possible because of God’s relationship with us – our union and communion with God. Our union with God is called “in Christ”, and our communion with God is called “with Christ”. The Psalmist calls it “Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup” (Psa 16:5, NIV). This union and communion with God is “Abide in Me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4) – a mutual abiding that must be ongoing and “on-growing” in depth. Is your relationship with God like this?Exalting God for His unsearchable and unfathomable wisdom, Paul asks rhetorically, “Who has known the mind of the Lord?” (Rom 11:33-34). The answer is “No one”. In another place, Paul asks the same rhetorical question with the same obvious answer. But Paul adds something to it: “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Mark the words, “we have”. To “have the mind of Christ” is to think and see things like Christ – “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). Is your mind “the mind of Christ”? And in our union and communion with Christ we can “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Phil 3:10).