August 6, 2026

Hey guys, 

I just finished up my personal study of the book of Daniel, and let me tell you, it is deep water! There are biblical prophecies that cover thousands of years. Some of these prophecies are found in the book of Revelation and everywhere in between. There are also great stories in there that maybe you grew up on: Daniel in the lion's den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, the writing on the wall, and the kings’ dreams that Daniel interprets. I really want to focus on two dreams here.

This week’s Thought comes from Daniel chapters two and seven. Both say the same thing in different ways. The dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in chapter two is of a tall statue made out of different materials: gold, silver, bronze and iron, representing the kingdoms that were to come. Then Daniel had a similar dream in chapter 7—different beasts that all had different characteristics, what they looked like, and why they looked that way. Both dreams pointed to Babylon and the empires that were to follow.

I was a high school history teacher once upon a time, and I taught about the Babylonian Empire, the Persians, the Greek and Roman Empires. No one debates whether those Empires existed, or even when they existed. Both of the dreams in Daniel 2 and 7 predict the rise and fall of these Empires. The beginning of the Babylonian Empire to the end of the Roman Empire is over 1,000 years! Here's the beautiful thing: while many argue the validity of Scripture, no one argues the existence and the time these Empires existed. God gave dreams prophesying their order hundreds of years prior in some cases. 

If God can orchestrate history, knows what's going to happen before it happens over the course of 1,000 years throughout political and world events, why can't I trust Him with my day? If He knows what tomorrow holds, why can't I let Him hold tomorrow for me? We think we have so many reasons in our life to be anxious, worried, or nervous about the future… But God writes the future! If He can orchestrate history for all of time, why can't I rest in Him today? 

This is a challenge for me and for you today: let the God of history, the God who writes all of our stories, have control of your day today. Let Him have control of whatever is weighing you down: a trial, a rough spot you're going through, or a time of uncertainty. It's not uncertain to Him. He wrote history. Rest in him today. 

Love you guys,

John