In today’s reflection, we finish Daniel chapter 2 and look at how Daniel’s ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream leads him into a position of influence in Babylon. Daniel didn’t choose exile, but God placed him there and used the gifts he had given him to make a difference. In the same way, we may not always understand why God has placed us where we are, but we can trust that God can use our gifts, relationships, jobs, families, and communities for good. As Christians, we recognize that this world is not our ultimate home, but being people of the kingdom doesn’t mean withdrawing from the world—it means working for its good while living according to different values. We are called to show mercy, forgiveness, love, and care for others, using whatever influence God has given us to bring the values of God’s kingdom into the places where we have been planted.
Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.
You can read today’s passage here.
Click here if you’d like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST.
Subscribe through Spotify -
Subscribe through Apple Podcasts -
Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!
Good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Thursday morning as we draw close to the weekend. We’re not there yet—we’ve still got today and tomorrow—but we’re getting there. So I hope you’ve got some good things planned for whatever is going on in your life.
Today we’re going to finish out chapter 2 of Daniel. We’re going to look at verses 46 through 49.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that a grain offering and incense be offered to him. The king said to Daniel, ‘Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.’ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.”
So, if you remember yesterday, Daniel was able to interpret the king’s dream. He was able to help Nebuchadnezzar understand what was happening and what this dream meant. And this is something we’re going to see throughout the book of Daniel. Daniel has this particular gift—the ability to interpret dreams and understand these mysteries—and because of that gift, he is entrusted with leadership.
And I think there are a couple of interesting things for us to think about here.
First, let’s talk about leadership.
Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are all placed in positions of influence. Daniel is given authority over the province of Babylon, and his friends are given positions of leadership as well.
And I think that’s interesting because Daniel is exactly where God needs him to be.
God has placed Daniel in Babylon. Daniel didn’t choose to go there. He didn’t wake up one morning and say, “You know what? I think Babylon sounds like a great place to live.” No. He was taken there. He was in exile. And yet, God had given him gifts that allowed him to have influence in that place.
And I think sometimes we forget that God has placed us where we are.
I’ve heard a mentor of mine say over and over again, “Bloom where you’re planted.”
And I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that.
Sometimes we spend so much of our time wishing we were somewhere else. If I had a different job. If I lived somewhere else. If I had different circumstances. If things were different in my family. If I had more opportunities.
But Daniel reminds us that God can use us right where we are.
Where do you have influence?
You have influence at your work. You have influence in your family. You have influence with your friends. You have influence in your church. You have influence in your community.
You may not have influence everywhere, but you have influence somewhere.
And the question is: What are you going to do with it?
None of us can fix everything. None of us can redeem the entire world. None of us can solve every problem.
But God has given each of us certain gifts, certain relationships, certain opportunities, and certain places where we can make a difference.
So don’t be afraid to use the influence God has given you for good.
And then there’s another piece of this that I think is really important.
Daniel is doing all of this in exile.
He’s not home.
He’s in Babylon. He’s in a foreign land. He’s living among people who don’t share his faith or his values. And yet Daniel doesn’t simply withdraw from the world around him.
He works for the good of the place where God has put him.
There’s a passage in Jeremiah where God tells the Israelites to seek the welfare of the city where they have been sent into exile, because its welfare is connected to their welfare.
And I think that’s a really important word for us.
As Christians, we believe this world is not our ultimate home. We are looking toward something greater. We belong ultimately to the kingdom of God.
But that doesn’t mean we stop caring about this world.
Quite the opposite.
While we’re here, we should work for its good.
While we’re here, we should love people.
While we’re here, we should care for the broken and the hurting.
While we’re here, we should help the least, the last, and the lost.
While we’re here, we should show mercy and forgiveness.
While we’re here, we should model the goodness of Jesus.
And I think that’s where being an exile becomes really important.
Because our values should sometimes look different from the values of the world around us.
That’s part of what it means to be holy. To be holy means to be set apart—to be different.
And as United Methodists, we talk a lot about holiness. We believe that our lives should look different because we belong to Jesus.
So when somebody tells us to get even, Jesus tells us to forgive.
When somebody curses us, Jesus tells us to bless.
When somebody demeans us, we pray for them.
When somebody shows us judgment, we respond with mercy.
When the world tells us to look out for ourselves, Jesus calls us to look out for others.
Those are different values.
And here’s the thing: those different values give us influence.
Daniel had influence because of where God had placed him and because of the gifts God had given him. And we have influence for the same reason.
So I think there’s a really good word for us here today.
God has you where you are.
Maybe you don’t understand exactly why.
Maybe you don’t understand why you’re in this job, in this family, in this community, in this church, in this season of your life.
But God has you there.
So bloom where you’re planted.
Use the influence you’ve been given.
And while you’re living in this temporary home, don’t forget who you are and whose you are.
We’re exiles, but we’re not without purpose.
We’re strangers, but we’re not without influence.
And we’re here for a reason.
So let’s use the places and spaces where God has put us to do some good, to love some people, to show some mercy, and to point people toward the kingdom of God.
Because God has you where you need to be, doing the things you need to be doing, at the time you need to be doing them.
So let’s use those places and those spaces for good as we live out our heavenly values in this earthly home.
Hey, thanks for being with me today. Have a great rest of your day, and we’ll pick up tomorrow with Daniel chapter 3.