Through the Bible in 66 Days - Daniel

 

The book of Daniel is one of those remarkable portions of Scripture that lifts our eyes above the chaos of earthly kingdoms and reminds us—firmly, repeatedly, gloriously—that God is in control. Whether in the courts of Babylon or in a den of lions, whether interpreting dreams or standing before kings, Daniel’s life is a living testimony to the sovereignty of God and the faithfulness of His people.

As the book of Daniel opens, the nation of Judah is in a dark place. The nation has been carried away into exile, just as the prophets had warned (2 Chronicles 36:15–21). Jerusalem lies in ruins. The temple is destroyed. The people of God are scattered. Yet even here, in the ashes of judgment, God is at work. He has not abandoned His promises.

Among the exiles are four young men from the aristocracy of Judah—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—who are selected for training at the Babylonian court (Daniel 1:3–4). They are far from home, surrounded by pagan culture, pressured to conform, and stripped of their identity. Yet they resolve that they will not defile themselves (Daniel 1:8). Their faithfulness in small things becomes the foundation for God to use them in great things.

And isn’t that the Bible pattern? God takes people in weakness, in exile, in difficulty, and He works through them so that His glory shines brighter than their circumstances. As Paul reminds us, ‘God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise,’ 1 Corinthians 1:27.

God Reveals Mysteries

Much of Daniel’s story revolves around dreams and visions—Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream in chapter 2, the handwriting on the wall in chapter 5, and the great prophetic visions in chapters 7–12. Kings tremble, wise men fail, and empires shift, but Daniel stands calm because his confidence is not in Babylon’s wisdom but in the God who ‘reveals deep and hidden things,’ Daniel 2:22.

When Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great statue, he declares a truth that echoes through the whole book: ‘The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,’ Daniel 2:44. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall—Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—but God’s kingdom stands forever. This is the heartbeat of the gospel: the king has come, His kingdom is advancing, and His victory is certain. Christ Himself proclaimed, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,’ Mark 1:15.

Faithfulness Under Pressure

Daniel’s life is not easy. He serves under multiple kings and two empires. He is promoted to high office—second in command in Babylon (Daniel 2:48) and later honoured under the Persian administration (Daniel 6:3). Yet with every promotion comes new pressure.

In Daniel 6, jealous officials manipulate King Darius into signing a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but the king. Daniel knows the cost, but he continues to pray three times a day, just as he had always done (Daniel 6:10). His faithfulness leads him straight into the lions’ den.

But the God who rules kingdoms also shuts the mouths of lions. Darius declares, ‘He is the living God… His kingdom shall never be destroyed,' Daniel 6:26. Once again, the gospel shines through: God rescues, God reigns, and God vindicates His people. As Paul writes, ‘The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom,’ 2 Timothy 4:18.

A Greater Son of Man

Daniel’s visions point forward to Christ in breathtaking ways. In chapter 7, Daniel sees ‘one like a son of man’ coming with the clouds of heaven, receiving everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13–14). Jesus takes this title—the Son of Man—as His own, declaring that He is the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy, Matthew 26:64. 

The kingdoms of this world may wax and wane but the Son of Man will one day reign for ever.

Living as Exiles Today

Daniel teaches us how to live faithfully in a world that does not share our values. Like Daniel, believers today are ‘exiles’ (1 Peter 1:1), citizens of heaven living in foreign territory. We face pressures to conform, temptations to compromise, and challenges that test our loyalty to Christ.

But Daniel’s story assures us that:

• God is sovereign over history.

• God is present in our trials.

• God honours those who honour Him.

• God’s kingdom will triumph.

And ultimately, Daniel points us to the gospel—the good news that Christ has conquered sin, death, and every earthly power, and that His kingdom is unshakeable.

May we, like Daniel, live with courage, conviction, and confidence in the God who rules over all.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

When Irish eyes are smiling

I was in the Emerald Isle several years ago, and it lived up to its reputation - green and beautiful even on misty and foggy mornings. I was in Bandon and the surrounding area for a conference starting on St. Patrick's Day. I arrived on a very sunny day, and the views from the plane were stunning. Beautiful beaches and scenery. As I looked out the window, I wished I were there on holiday, but it was a business trip, and there was work to be done.

My mother and my wife are from the north of the country, and there are many similarities in the people's mindset. The way they think and their attitude to life are quite similar, especially those from rural communities. At that time, it was interesting to see the evidence of prosperity; every house I came across seemed to be bigger than the one before. It is, however, not the way things were when I visited. The country was struggling economically, and I was told that there were whole estates of houses which had never been occupied and might even be knocked down. What a shame and a waste of money.

Did you miss St Patrick's Day?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Around A.D. 390, Patrick was born into a Christian family in the Roman province of Britain. As a teenager, he was taken as a slave to Ireland. He later wrote that while living in Ireland, “the Lord opened the understanding of my unbelief… that I might turn to the Lord my God with all my heart.” From that time forward, Patrick began seeking God’s direction for his life. In his autobiographical Confessions, he wrote, “Tending flocks was my daily work, and I would pray constantly…. The love of God and the fear of Him surrounded me more and more.” 

After six years, Patrick escaped and returned to Britain. There, Patrick experienced his own Macedonian call: he heard the voice of a man in Ireland calling, “Come and walk among us again.” He became a minister and, around 432, returned as a missionary to the area where he had been enslaved. Patrick’s passion for evangelism brought the gospel to Ireland and beyond.

At that time, Ireland was considered the “end of the earth” because it lay beyond the borders of the Roman Empire. The vast majority of people were pagans, practising witchcraft, magic, and human sacrifice. Under Patrick’s preaching, some of the leading druids were converted. The king’s brother became a Christian, and a church was established in his home area. By 447, fifteen years after Patrick arrived, most of Ireland had heard the gospel. 

By the time of his death, Patrick had planted approximately 200 churches and baptized 100,000 converts. He promoted true discipleship, refusing to baptize new converts until they showed steadfastness in the faith. 

Perhaps most importantly for the spread of the gospel, Patrick established an indigenous Celtic church. He trained men to serve the churches he planted. Following Patrick’s death, missionaries from Ireland took the gospel through central Europe, as far north as Iceland and back to Britain, the land from which their first missionary had come. In the years after Patrick’s death, Christianity’s greatest evangelistic efforts were led by Irish missionaries, the fruit of Patrick’s ministry.

Patrick is far more than a mythical character celebrated by wearing green on March 17. He is a hero of early Christianity and, in many ways, a model for missions today.

Author unknown

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Ezekiel

 

Ezekiel — A Prophecy of Glory, Judgment, and Unshakeable Hope

1. God Appears When Everything Seems Lost

Ezekiel begins in a refugee camp by the River Chebar — a place of defeat, dislocation, and despair. The people felt abandoned, their city destroyed, their temple burned, their future gone. Yet there, in the dust of exile, God breaks through.

Ezekiel doesn’t see a God crushed by circumstances but a God riding above them, enthroned in glory, unbound by geography, politics, or human failure.

God still comes to people who feel defeated. Christ steps into our exile — our sin, our brokenness, our hopelessness — and reveals that God has not abandoned us.

Key Verses

• “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5

• “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ.” — Ephesians 2:4–5

When everything collapses, God is not absent.

2. God’s Glory Is Above Every Circumstance

Ezekiel’s opening vision is not a puzzle to decode but a message to absorb: God is not trapped in Babylon, nor defeated by Babylon. His throne has wheels — He moves, He reigns, He is sovereign everywhere.

Ezekiel learns that God is not overwhelmed by the chaos of life. He is above it, ruling over it, working through it.

The Lord Jesus Christ shows us the same truth. Even the cross — the darkest moment in history — was not a defeat but the place from which salvation flowed.

Key Verses

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” — Matthew 28:18

• “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:17

Ezekiel’s vision lifts our eyes. Christ lifts our hearts.

3. Ezekiel’s Message of Judgment Is a Message of Love

Ezekiel speaks plainly about sin, idolatry, and rebellion. God’s people had wandered far, and judgment was not cruelty but clarity — a call to return.

Judgment in Ezekiel is never the last word. It is the doorway to restoration.

The cross shows the same pattern. God takes sin seriously — so seriously that Christ bears it. Judgment becomes the pathway to mercy.

Key Verses

• “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” — John 3:17

• “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” — 1 Corinthians 15:3

God confronts us not to crush us but to bring us to repentance.

4. God Can Change Not Only Our Circumstances but Our Hearts

Ezekiel is full of transformation — dry bones become an army, a ruined temple becomes a pl

ace of glory, a scattered people become a restored nation.

But the greatest miracle is internal: God promises a new heart, a new spirit, and His own Spirit dwelling within His people.

This promise is fulfilled in Christ. Through His death and resurrection, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God changes us from the inside out.

Key Verses

• “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

• “I will put My laws in their hearts.” — Hebrews 10:16

Ezekiel shows that God doesn’t just fix situations — He renews people.

5. God Never Gives Up on Those Who Trust Him

Despite their failures, God promises Israel a future — a shepherd, a covenant of peace, a restored land, a renewed temple, and a river of life flowing from His presence.

Ezekiel ends not with despair but with a name: “The LORD is there.”

Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, and the source of living water. In Him, God’s presence is not a distant hope but a daily reality.

Key Verses

• “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” — John 10:11

• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14

• “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” — Philippians 1:6

God’s faithfulness outlasts our failures.

Conclusion — Ezekiel’s Gospel Thread

Ezekiel teaches us that:

• God appears in the darkest places

• God reigns above every circumstance

• God confronts sin to restore us

• God transforms hearts by His Spirit

• God never abandons those who trust Him

In Christ, every one of these truths shines even brighter.

When we sit by our own “River Chebar” — confused, defeated, or displaced — the God of Ezekiel still comes to us. He still speaks. He still saves. He still restores. And He still reigns.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash