📅 16 December 2025
🛡️ Daniel – Strong in Faith. Faithful in the Fire
Devotions from the life of a young man of conviction
🌪️ 17.Visions for the Future – God Writes History Beyond Kings
Why God’s plans do not end with our present
📖 Daily Verse
“Behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man … and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom.”
– Daniel 7:13–14
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✨ Introduction: When your world looks small – and God sees bigger
There are times when your perspective is very limited. You see the next day, the tasks ahead, open questions, and unresolved problems. Your life seems manageable, sometimes even confined. But God sees further. He sees not only your today, but also your tomorrow and what lies far beyond.
Daniel lived in a time of political upheaval, foreign rule, and personal uncertainty. And yet God showed him something that went far beyond his own lifespan. In the midst of chaos, God revealed to him a plan that spanned generations and reached into eternity.
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🛤️ Devotion – A Prophet with Foresight
Daniel was many things in his life. He was a young refugee in exile, a student at the Babylonian royal court, an administrator in the political system, a faithful prayer warrior in secret, a witness of miracles, and a man who stood firm under pressure. But over the years he became something else as well: a seer.
God began to give Daniel visions. These visions were no longer focused only on his personal situation, but on the course of world history. In Daniel chapter 7 he sees powerful images. Four beasts rise out of the sea, each representing a world-dominating empire. They are strong, brutal, and temporary. They rule for a time, but no dominion lasts forever.
Then the scene changes. The focus is no longer on the earth, but on heaven. Daniel sees one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. To him are given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that will never end. This vision is more than political symbolism. It is divine revelation.
Daniel realizes that God stands above all kings. Kingdoms come and go, systems rise and fall, power shifts. But God’s plan remains. At the center of this plan is not another empire, but a person. The Son of Man whom Daniel sees is later taken up by Jesus himself. Jesus calls himself this Son of Man and makes clear that God’s kingdom is different from all human realms.
Daniel understands: God’s story does not end with Babylon, not with Persia, and not with Rome. God writes history beyond kings. His kingdom is eternal, just, and unshakable. This insight changes how we view the present. Whoever knows that God knows the end can remain faithful in the now.
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💭 What does this mean for us?
Our lives, too, unfold within a limited time. We see our challenges, our responsibilities, and our limits. But God sees more. He sees how your life is woven into his greater plan. Even if you recognize only a small part, God is already at the goal.
This perspective brings hope. It reminds us that our faithfulness today has meaning, even if we do not see the results immediately. God works not only in individual moments, but across generations.
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💎 What we can learn from Daniel
God reveals his plan to those who remain faithful to him. Faith grows when we look beyond our own time. Worldly power is temporary; God’s kingdom remains. And whoever knows God’s perspective does not lose themselves in the chaos of the present.
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🪜 Practical steps for today
Ask God for a broader vision than just your today. Hold on to his faithfulness, even when you do not yet understand his plans. Read God’s Word with the awareness that it is part of a greater story. And trust that your life has meaning in God’s hands.
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❓ Questions for reflection
Where am I too focused on the here and now? How would my trust change if I adopted God’s long-term perspective? What does it mean for me that God’s kingdom does not pass away?
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🙏 Prayer
Lord, you see further than I do. Help me to trust you when my vision is limited. Open my eyes to your greater plan and grant me faithfulness today. Let me know that my life is part of your story. Amen.
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🔑 Key thought of the day
God’s plan reaches further than your present. Those who trust in God’s kingdom remain steadfast—even when the world is changing.
