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CONTEXT: Daniel is troubled and confused by his dream and asks an angel for help.

What do you do when you don’t understand something? Some people are intrigued and search for information that leads to defined answers. Others become disinterested because it requires too much work. Still, others find themselves overwhelmed and decide to give up.

We’re a little more than halfway through Daniel’s dream; like most of us, he is having difficulty understanding what he sees. The images are troubling and disturbing. What did Daniel do? Did he chalk it up to a crazy dream? No. Did he try to use his own limited knowledge to explain the unexplainable? No. He asked for help.

Daniel writes that he saw a multitude of angels around God’s throne. He approached one of them and simply asked what all this meant. Tomorrow, we’ll discover what the angel revealed.

Sometimes, we read a verse or passage in the Bible and find ourselves confused by its meaning, but we’re not sure what to do next. Finding an explanation is hard if you’re unsure where to look. We allow our lack of knowledge to make us too embarrassed to seek the answers we’re looking for, and we give up. But God tells us that if we seek Him, we will find Him.

How do we do that? There are several ways you can pursue God even when you don’t understand.

• Keep Reading. Sometimes, the passage will become clear when you read its full context.
• Ask a Fellow Christian. The Bible encourages us to seek wisdom from others. Ask a mentor, pastor, or spiritually mature friend if they have any additional understanding of the passage in question. This can lead to great discussion and insight.
• Use Study Guides & Resources. Study Bibles have additional information about the history, people, cultures, meaning, and verse-by-verse breakdowns. These, along with Bible commentaries, are very helpful.
• Join a Group. Being in community with other believers is a great way to grow spiritually. Find a small group or Bible study at your local church to join, where you can discuss God’s truth and learn how to apply it to your own life.

CONSIDER THIS:

1. Think about a Bible story or verse you’ve read that was hard to understand. Did you take any steps to try to understand what the passage meant? Why or why not?

2. Which of the suggestions above will you use the next time you struggle to understand God’s Word?

3. Write a prayer thanking God for meeting you where you are. Ask Him for clarity and understanding as you seek to know Him more.