Living for God in a Godless Society Part 2預覽

REMEMBER TO WHICH KINGDOM YOU BELONG

It’s finally time for Daniel to recap King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and give an interpretation. Right from the start, Daniel is pointing back to God as the revealer of the dream. At the start of his explanation to the king, he says, “…this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than any of the living…(vs 30).” Daniel is humbly and acutely aware that what he’s about to share with the King is not because of any of his own doing.

God uses this dream to show how all of the great powers and kingdoms of the earth will eventually be destroyed. In the dream, the kingdoms of earth are described as statutes and while they’re made of materials like gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, they do not withstand a rock that appears and destroys them all. In the end, the statues become dust and blow away until nothing is left, but it’s the rock “not made by man” that destroys them and still remains. Daniel is prophesying the coming of Jesus’s kingdom that will eventually conquer everything. For it is the only true and lasting kingdom.

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)

In the New Testament, Peter refers to Jesus as the “living stone,” the one chosen by God to build His kingdom. When we’re going through the hardest challenges life throws our way, we can be sure that when we stand on the rock of Christ, we will not be shaken. Remember which Kingdom you belong to.

Ask Yourself and Reflect:

-Do my actions reflect the kingdom that I belong to?

-Where am I standing on shaky ground rather than standing on God’s truth and promises?

Pause to Pray: Use Psalm 18:2 as your prayer

Take a Next Step: What “kingdoms” in your life need to be destroyed so that you can stand on God’s rock? Make a plan (and share it with someone close to you so they can hold you accountable!) to destroy whatever is holding you back from fully belonging to God’s kingdom.