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CONTEXT: Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

God is such a mystery! From a cloud by day and fire by night to a still small voice, to Jesus Himself - the Bible is full of ways God reveals Himself to man. He also uses parables or stories, dreams, and metaphors. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was actually a metaphor or symbol of something else, so he needed someone to translate it for him.

First, Daniel describes the dream. He intentionally says “we” (vs. 36) as a way to credit his friends and spare their lives. Daniel described a large statue made of four different materials, each one representing an empire. The gold head represented the Babylonian Empire, the silver chest and arms the Medo-Persian Empire, and the bronze torso and thighs the Greek Empire. Finally, the iron and clay legs and feet represented the Roman Empire. Daniel describes a rock cut from a mountain, but human hands didn’t cut it. The rock represents God.

Then Daniel interprets what it all means. The Rock (God) will smash each part of the statue, defeating every earthly empire and establish His kingdom that will never be destroyed.

It would have been easy for Daniel and his friends to take credit for accommodating the king’s demand. However, Daniel was quick to sum up his explanation by giving all the credit and glory to God for showing the king the meaning of his dream.

The same holds true for us. When God is gracious to reveal Himself by answering our prayers - maybe by confirming a decision, providing healing, or restoring a broken relationship - we should be quick to publicly acknowledge Him for all He’s done.

CONSIDER THIS:

1. Why do you think God uses so many ways to reveal Himself to us? Which way(s) has he revealed Himself to you?

2. Think of a time when God answered your prayer. Did you publicly credit Him when given the opportunity? For example, when sharing a story of how things fell into place, are you comfortable sharing that God made it happen? Why or why not?

3. Write a prayer asking God to help you become more mindful of how He’s working in your life and have the courage to give Him all the glory.