Daniel 7 mesmerizes us with its stunning visuals and imagery. One of the keys to understanding this type of literature in the Bible, what some call “apocalyptic literature,” is not to let the details distract you from the main idea: in spite of present difficulties, God is in control, and he will have the final victory. Daniel 7 continues that theme by pointing to the victory of the Son of Man, andshows us that from his victory we draw our great hope.

Because God rules and reigns over all of creation, we can trust Him with our lives.

Human pride and kingdoms will fall under God’s righteous judgment, but Jesus bore God’s judgment and established an everlasting kingdom for all who will repent and humble themselves under his kingly rule.

Once we understand that "the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will," we delight in his kingship, embrace his kingdom, and filled with humility we grow in confidence and courage as we embrace King Jesus and live our lives for him.

Daniel 3 reminds us that God alone is worthy of our worship. When faced with pressure to bow before the idols of their age, God’s people chose instead to remain faithful to Him, even at great personal cost. This passage calls us to the same steadfast devotion, trusting that the Lord is able to save and that His glory will be vindicated.

Daniel 2 teaches us that all human wisdom and power, no matter how great they may appear, are limited and will ultimately crumble, but Jesus Christ—the “stone not cut by human hands”—is the King whose wisdom and power are unshakable and whose kingdom will never end.

The Book of Daniel guides us in our present exile by calling us to live faithfully. In itsopening chapter, we are reminded that faithfulness begins with seeing reality clearly: we live in the midst of a fierce conflict, we rest in the firm hope of God’s rule, and we are called to offer a faithful response in every circumstance.

In the midst of the realities of life, Jesus comes to us as the one who quenches our thirst and meetsour need, giving us His Spirit and placing us joyously among his people.

In a fallen world we often feel that life is unfair as we see prosperity among evildoers while God'speople suffer. Keeping an eternal perspective sets our hearts on God himself who in Christ drawsnear and is himself our treasure.

God funds his mission of making Christ known through the financial giving of hispeople. And, our passage teaches us the kind of heart God wants from us in our giving, what harvest our giving produces, and where we get the power to give this way.