Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 (NRSV)
Read Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 7In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: Verse 2I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, Verse 3and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
Verse 15As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. Verse 16I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: Verse 17"As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. Verse 18But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever-forever and ever."
Devotion
Experts on leading change in an organization argue that before progress can be made, one has to create a sense of urgency. It raises anxiety and prompts action. Daniel – like most apocalyptic writers – certainly knew how to do that. Here, Daniel’s dream imagines the powerful kingdoms that have dominated and subjected Israel for centuries. His vision of beasts and monsters wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting people is scary and unsettling. Yet he had to stir the people from complacency and urge them to trust in God.
Change is no easier for us than it was for the Israelites. Ask anyone who’s ever tried to quit smoking, or leave an abusive relationship, or turn around a stagnating congregation. We live in a world shaken by dark and foreboding things. Sometimes the change God calls us to can be stressful. But perhaps you can find comfort and strength from Daniel, who believed that God would be victorious even in times of trial.
Prayer
God of dreams and visions, fill me with peace when I face times of uncertainty, anxiety, and change. Amen.