Your Daily Bible

As kids, we ran to our parents’ room to escape the monsters under the bed. But what becomes our safe place as we get older?

Where do you turn when you’re scared, get bad news, or your world falls apart? Some run to a friend or special place. Some try to hide by getting lost in a TV show or movie. Others numb the pain by leaning on alcohol and other substances. 

In Daniel 9, Daniel gets devastating news: Jerusalem, the city he loves, must lie desolate for 70 years. But instead of running from the fear and pain, Daniel turns to the Lord. Daniel 9:3 says, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition…” 

When bad things happen, our first instinct is often to run. We beg God to remove us from the situation as quickly and as pain-free as possible. But Daniel doesn’t do that. Instead, he acknowledges that God’s punishment is deserved and takes responsibility for Israel’s disobedience (Daniel 9:5-14). Then, Daniel repents and asks for forgiveness (Daniel 9:15-16). 

Allowing ourselves to experience grief over our sin is the first step to moving past it. Not numbing or running from conviction is the spiritual equivalent of shining a light under the bed. By allowing ourselves to see the situation as it is, we can begin the process of replacing what the lies we believed with the truth of the Bible. We have face reality to change reality. 

When we rush to get out from under the pain, we miss out on what God wants to do in our pain. As Daniel was praying, a messenger from God reminded him, “... you are very precious to God” (Daniel 9:23). 

Israel still experienced the consequences of their behavior, but it didn’t last forever and it put an end to their sin (Daniel 9:24). Like Daniel, you are precious to your father in heaven. God hears you, and He loves you too much to let you stay in your sin. 

Support the show

Art galleries are full of masterpieces that began with a simple brush stroke. We stand in awe at the finished product, but rarely do we get to see the work in progress. Would we love the Mona Lisa as much if we only saw its early stages? 

Similar to an artist, God has a plan for us and a vision for us — His masterpieces. But often, we jump to conclusions or give up when there are still thousands of brush strokes to be made. 

Seeing God’s handiwork come to fruition requires patience and faith. For example, the events in Daniel’s dream came to pass when Alexander the Great (the male goat) defeated the ram (Persia). After Alexander’s death, his kingdom was divided into four parts (the four horns/four winds of heaven). 

Daniel’s vision also has implications we won’t see until the end times (Daniel 8:17). God is carrying out a bigger vision than we can see. We know God’s words will come to pass, but we shouldn’t assume to know when or how they will happen. 

In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says his ways are higher than ours, and visions like Daniel’s remind us of this truth. As we pray and hear from God, we might receive a word or vision that doesn’t make sense at the moment. We can trust God to bring His plans to life. And in the absence of a clear next step, we allow our faith to continue to push us forward. 

Every artistic process includes moments of frustration. But we have to understand the brush is safest in the hand of the Master Creator.

Support the show

Jesus’ coming is foreshadowed throughout the Bible. In Daniel 7, Daniel’s dream gives him a glimpse at what’s to come: “the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever” (Daniel 7:18). 

When we ask Jesus into our lives, we become those holy people and the assurance of eternity is ours. The message of Daniel 7 is the same message we see throughout the Bible: Satan is vanquished, evil is defeated, and victory is ours in Christ. 

Daniel’s dream also reminds us that in this world we will face hardship and temptation before Jesus returns (Daniel 7:21-22). 

We don’t have to look far to find hardship and temptation in abundance. But rather than lose hope when strife comes, we can persevere knowing, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). 

We need to always remember that we are on the winning team spiritually. When hard times come, we take heart knowing that one day “all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High” (Daniel 7:27). 

Living in freedom doesn’t mean we live free of problems. It means we live every day with the freedom of knowing we are on the winning team.

Support the show

At the beginning of Daniel 6, things are looking great for Daniel. He becomes one of three administrators over the 120 newly appointed satraps, who were like governors. Daniel impressed the king so much the king planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom. 

Enter envy. Other administrators and satraps were so envious of Daniel they tried to find dirt on him to or create a scandal that would have him removed. They were relentless in their pursuit and convinced the king to make a new rule they knew Daniel couldn’t keep.

Things go from really great to really bad really fast. Not only is Daniel persecuted for praying to God, he is thrown into a pit of hungry lions with no way to escape. 

Maybe you have been there, too. Things seemed to be going great. Then the call came. Or the rumors started that threatened your integrity. Or your boss called you into his office with the news of layoffs. 

We may not be in an actual pit with real lions, but the “lions” in our lives are just as ferocious. God closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel, and He can do the same for the “lions” in your life. 

God doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life, but He does promise to be with us through it all. Daniel knew that and experienced it first-hand. Daniel continued trusting, praying, and praising his God. He did what was right without shame or fear. 

Daniel 6:23 says, “And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” No matter the “lions” in your life right now, keep trusting, praying and praising our God. He can deliver us without a single wound.

Support the show

If you’re younger than 30, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of Adam West or Val Kilmer. But Adam West, Val Kilmer, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, and Michael Keaton all have one thing in common. They all played Batman on the big screen. 

Ask people from three generations to describe what Batman looks like, and you’ll get three different answers. With each iteration, Batman changed to reflect the times — moving from the caped crusader in a cartoonish black and gray leotard to the brooding dark knight we know today. 

Batman’s evolution is a picture of the ever-changing standards we put on our heroes. What’s cool in one decade is lame to the next. What portrays strength in one generation is cheesy to the next. 

If we chase people’s standards, we’ll always chase a moving target. That’s a reality Daniel understood all too well. 

When Nebuchadnezzar was king, Daniel was his trusted advisor. But many years later, a new king was running things with a new group of nobles and influencers. Daniel had fallen out favor and been forgotten until an emergency caused the queen mother to remember the wisdom and insight Daniel gave to Belshazzar’s father (Daniel 5:10-11). 

Belshazzar was prepared to give power, money, and authority to the person who could explain the message he’d seen on the wall, but Daniel wasn’t interested (Daniel 5:17). Daniel knew that even the influence that comes from following the Lord can quickly fade. 

Daniel’s focus wasn’t on what he could gain by following the Lord, but on being faithful to follow the Lord. He spoke the words God gave him — nothing more, nothing less. 

Like Daniel, we don’t follow the Lord for fame or fortune but to know and serve God faithfully. Our cool factor and influence might change over time, but the peace that comes from knowing and obeying God will last forever.  

Support the show

None of us like to be told we’re wrong. We like it even less when the other person turns out to be right. Remember, the business deal everyone said was too good to be true? Or the relationship everyone warned you about that ended badly? Or that time in high school when the urge to “live a little” turned into a misdemeanor — just like they said it could. 

Refusing to take advice is a form of pride. It’s the haughty spirit Proverbs 16:18 says leads to destruction. And, it’s the pride that led to Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall in Daniel 4. 

Daniel pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways, saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper” (Daniel 4:27, NLT).  

Twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar still hadn’t changed, and everything God revealed came to pass (Daniel 4:28-30). It’s easy to read Nebuchadnezzar’s story and assume it could never happen to us. But no one is immune to pride. 

We don’t have to be rulers to build kingdoms. We do it every day in big and small ways. We build companies, playgroups, online communities, and Snap streaks. Then, like Nebuchadnezzar, we stand back and admire our accomplishment, saying “Look at me! What a great thing I’ve done!”    

The truth is nothing we have and nothing we build is ours, but for the grace of God. When we work hard, when we build communities, the goal is not to draw attention to us but to Him.  

It took hitting rock bottom for Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge that God alone deserves our praise (Daniel 4:34-35). But we don’t have to wait for an inevitable fall. God loved Nebuchadnezzar enough to send a warning through Daniel. And God loved each of us enough to show us a better way through the life, death, and resurrection of His son. 

When God brings pride to our attention, it’s not to shame us but to save us. How much heartache could we miss if we were to listen and repent?

Support the show

Government officials and commoners alike are gathered in the public square for the unveiling a new statue. A trumpet blows, the order is given and everyone kneels before the statue in worship as the band plays. 

Imagine the conflict in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the wrestled with whether to kneel or stand. The penalty for not participating was death, and they were government officials. People were watching. To kneel was to betray their God, and to not kneel was to betray their king. 

Eventually, we all come to that moment when everyone else is doing one thing, but God has called us to do something different. To choose purity can impact our dating lives. To choose integrity can affect our upward mobility. To choose love makes us vulnerable in relationships. 

God has promised to be with us when life is hard, but often our hearts struggle to believe it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t know they’d find Jesus in the fire when they walked in the furnace. But they allowed their faith, not their fear, to guide their actions (Daniel 2:17-18). 

Faith rarely makes reasonable sense. So when people see faith in action, they need an explanation. As a result of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faith, the king acknowledged God’s power and people stood in awe. 

When we stand up for what we believe, the same thing happens. In the eyes of the world, suffering is all pain. But in the eyes of God, suffering is a vehicle for hope. 

Our faith might lead to suffering. But we take heart in those moments, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3-5). 

Support the show

We all know people who are naturally good at certain things. 

The numbers person leaves others in awe at her ability to calculate her head. The athlete pushes expectations of what’s physically possible and brings us to our feet in celebration. The artist sees beauty and inspiration in ordinary life. The friend who lightens a room and brings people together. 

God gives each of us unique abilities, talents, and insights — not for our glory but for His. When we’re operating in our gifting, things come easily. And if we’re not careful, we can start to take the credit for what God is doing in us and through us. 

Daniel had a prophetic gifting. When someone wasn’t sure what God wanted, they would turn to the prophets — men and women with the ability to declare God’s will and interpret His purposes. 

Daniel recognized that God gives His people this special insight. So before Daniel shares a word about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he reminds those listening where his ability to interpret dreams comes from: “... there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”

The ability to do something well results in all measure of attention and praise. But no matter how powerful we think we are, we are not more powerful than God. God alone gives power and authority, and takes it away (Daniel 2:37-39). An only God can build a kingdom that will last forever (Daniel 2:44). All of our gifts and abilities were designed to help build that kingdom. 

When Nebuchadnezzar saw what God empowered Daniel to do, it caused him to think twice about Daniel’s God (Daniel 2:46-47). In that same way, when we give God the glory He rightly deserves for our skills and abilities, we draw others to Him. 

Support the show

Have you ever found yourself in a seemingly impossible situation? Perhaps a relationship was in a rocky place. Maybe your finances were in a tough spot. Or maybe you had a tough decision to make. Daniel also knew what it was like to face the impossible.

Daniel turned to the only person who could help him: God. While the people around him said, “No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men,” Daniel knew this to be untrue (Daniel 2:11). 

The one, true God did live among them, and He lives among us today. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says we are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in us. In God’s mercy and grace, He makes wisdom available to us if we’ll ask, seek, and believe — just like Daniel did. 

Daniel was able to describe and interpret the king's dream because God gave Daniel the wisdom to do so. Daniel asked for God’s help by praying for wisdom and pleading for mercy in this situation. Then, Daniel sought God by trusting Him and listening to the vision revealed to him. And finally, Daniel had to have the faith to believe God would come through. 

For us, the process looks much the same. When we are faced with the impossible, we must have faith to ask God for help through prayer. Then, we seek His wisdom in His Word, and we believe He will help us through the impossible.

Support the show

When you hear the word “resolve” what comes to mind? Maybe you pictured a determined athlete, the 2-year-old that doesn’t want to back down, or the health battle we will do everything to fight. 

The dictionary explains resolve as “fixity of purpose” or “firm determination.” We easily associate resolve with reaching the highest level in a sport or persevering through a diagnosis. But it also takes resolve to stay the course spiritually. 

In Daniel 1, Daniel shows what having resolve for God looks like. Daniel, an Israelite, is chosen to join the king’s service. With this new role, Daniel faced pressure to compromise his Jewish standards and fit into the Babylonian culture. But “...Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine” (Daniel 1:8). 

Daniel knew what he was being asked to eat and drink was not in line with Scripture. It would have been easy to partake in the meal and appease his new bosses, but Daniel knew this would be wrong in God’s eyes. 

Daniel knew God, knew His Word, and was fixed on God’s purpose. So when faced with an uncomfortable — and potentially costly decision — Daniel didn’t have to wrestle with what to do. Though it took courage to follow through, the decision not to defile himself was clear. 

Like Daniel, we need to first know God’s Word, then be intentional in our obedience to it. This is where resolve comes in. 

The culture we live in isn’t always conducive to our values as Christians. Though knowing and wanting to do what is right is important, it is the first step. We also need to resolve to carry out our beliefs even when the pressure is on.

Support the show