Chapter 18 – Daniel in Exile*

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Monday: Read Daniel 1:1-21 (p. 249-250, end at “…first year of King Cyrus.”)

Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” with the king’s food. Where have you “drawn a line” in your own life to stay true to your convictions?

 

Tuesday: Read Daniel 2:1-23 (p. 249-252, end at “…dream of the king.”)

Daniel immediately sought out three of his friends who prayed with him. Who are the people you turn to when you’re in a difficult situation?

 

Wednesday: Read Daniel 2:24-49 (p. 252-254, end at “…the royal court.”)

King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges Daniel’s God as the "God of gods," yet he remains a pagan king who eventually builds another idol. Have there been times when your encounters with God led merely to a temporary feeling of awe as opposed to a deep change of heart?

 

Thursday: Read Daniel 3:1-30 (p. 254-256, end at “…province of Babylon.”)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared that God could save them, “but even if he does not” they still would not worship the idol. How does their faith encourage you to trust and serve God no matter the outcome?

 

Friday: Read Daniel 6:1-28 (p. 256-260, end at “…power of the lions.”)

Daniel chose to obey God rather than the law that forbade prayer. How do you discern when “obeying authority” crosses the line into “disobeying God”?

 

Saturday: Read Jeremiah 30:1-4,8-11, 31:23-25, 29:10-14 (p. 260-261, end at “…were going home!”)

God had good plans for his people, but they would have to wait seventy years for those plans to come to fruition—meaning many would not experience it in their lifetime. How do you remain faithful to God when his timeline is much longer than your own?

 

* Chapters and page numbers are from The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. Copies are available in the lobby.