📅 24 December 2025
🛡️ Daniel – Strong in Faith. Faithful in the Fire
Devotions from the life of a young man of conviction
⏳ 25.The God Who Changes Times and Kings
Why God writes history — not men
📖 Daily Verse
“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings.”
– Daniel 2:21a
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✨ Introduction: When everything is uncertain — God is still sovereign
Times change. Opinions shift. What seemed solid yesterday crumbles today. Kingdoms rise, systems collapse, power changes hands. In moments like these, the question grows: Is there anything that truly lasts?
Daniel reminds us of a deep truth: God is not part of history — He stands above it. He does not react to events, He leads them. What looks like chaos to us is part of His greater plan. Humans do not write the final chapter — God does.
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🛤️ Devotion – A man across generations, carried by God’s hand
Daniel was a man whose life stretched across generations. As a youth, he was taken to Babylon, exiled from his homeland. As an old man, he lived under Persian rule. Between beginning and end lay decades of political turmoil, power shifts, and personal trials.
He served under several kings, in different empires. He saw the rise of Nebuchadnezzar — and his fall. He witnessed the pride and downfall of Belshazzar. He saw power pass to the Persians and the decree of Cyrus. But through all these changes, one thing remained unshaken: God’s throne.
A key event in Daniel’s life is found in chapter 2. Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream: A giant statue — golden head, silver chest, bronze belly, iron legs, feet of iron and clay. It represented human power in all its splendor — and all its fragility.
Then something crucial happened. A stone — not cut by human hands — struck the statue at its weakest point: the feet. The entire statue crumbled into dust. But the stone grew into a great mountain that filled the whole earth.
Daniel interpreted the dream with courage. He told the king: You are the golden head. But others will follow — less glorious, just as mortal. In the end, beyond all human kingdoms, God will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
This was a radical message. Daniel told the most powerful man of his time: Your reign is limited. Your power is borrowed. God appoints kings — and removes them. The outcome of history is not decided by politics, but by God’s will.
This conviction carried Daniel through his whole life. When Babylon fell, Daniel did not. When Persia rose, Daniel was still needed. While others tied their security to systems, Daniel anchored his heart in God. He understood: Humans build empires — but God writes history.
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💭 What does this mean for us?
We also live in changing times. Certainties shift, authorities are questioned, plans feel fragile. Daniel’s life invites us to lift our eyes — not to what fades, but to the One who remains.
God is sovereign — even when we don’t understand. He guides times and seasons. And He often works quietly — but purposefully. Those who trust Him need not fear every change.
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💎 What we can learn from Daniel
Stability doesn’t come from stable conditions — but from trusting in God. Power fades, but God’s kingdom lasts forever. Whoever serves Him can remain standing through the seasons of life. And faithfulness today plays a part in His greater plan.
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🪜 Practical steps for today
Lay down your uncertainties before God. Remember that your time is in His hands. Untangle your trust from human securities — and renew it in God’s sovereignty. And live faithfully today — even when you cannot see tomorrow.
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❓ Reflection
Where do I place my security when everything changes?
Do I trust that God also guides my time?
How would I live if I truly believed God is writing the story?
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🙏 Prayer
Lord, You are the God of time and history. Help me trust You when everything feels uncertain. Teach me not to put my hope in the temporary, but in Your eternal kingdom. Carry me through every change. Amen.
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🔑 Key Thought of the Day
God directs times and kings. Those who trust Him will stand — even when the world shifts.
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