7 December 2025
Daniel – Strong in Faith. Faithful in the Fire
Devotions from the life of a young man of conviction
8. Visions & Trust – When God Speaks Through Dreams
Why God still speaks today – and how we can listen
Daily Verse
“I, Daniel, saw a vision by night… And behold, the Most High is Judge.”
– Daniel 7:13–14
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Introduction: When God speaks – in images
God is not silent.
He speaks – through His Word, through our conscience, through people, situations, and sometimes also in images that are bigger than words: visions, dreams, impressions.
Daniel lived his everyday life with God, but there were moments when God pulled back the curtain of the invisible world a little. He didn’t only show Daniel wisdom for problems in the court, but insight into times Daniel himself would never live to see.
Visions that stretched beyond the limits of his present day.
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Devotion – When night visions open heaven
It was night, perhaps the hour when everything is quiet, the city sleeps, and voices are silent. Daniel lay down to rest, without knowing that God was about to show him the course of history.
He had grown older. The years at court were behind him, the drama of the lions’ den, the intrigues, the changes of kingdoms. But God was not finished with him yet.
Daniel had previously seen how God spoke to others through dreams – Nebuchadnezzar’s restless nights, the strange image of the great statue, interpreted by God’s Spirit. But this time was different.
This time the visions were for Daniel himself.
The Bible describes this scene with just a few words, yet you can feel the tension:
“I, Daniel, had a vision by night…”
What he saw was no small impression. It was a powerful story told in images.
He saw dark water, boiling like an agitated world.
He saw four mighty beasts rise out of the sea – each one stood for a kingdom, for power, for human history in its harshness and transience.
These images were not pleasant. They were not gentle. They were threatening. Mighty. Untamed.
Daniel’s heart beat fast. He did not understand everything, but he knew: God is showing me something real, something serious.
And in the middle of these restless scenes came another image.
Daniel saw a throne.
Not in a hall of gold, but in an atmosphere of light.
He describes the one seated on it as “the Ancient of Days” – a picture of God Himself: powerful, untouchable, sovereign. It is a throne image that later appears again in the New Testament, in the book of Revelation.
Then, suddenly, between the beasts, between the kingdoms, between the chaotic images, another figure appeared:
“One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds.”
This expression is one of the most important in the entire Old Testament. Daniel saw someone who looked human – yet carried divine power.
He saw Jesus.
Centuries before He was born.
Daniel did not see Bethlehem. Not Nazareth. Not the cross.
He saw heaven.
He saw the coming of the eternal King.
To the “Son of Man” was given power, glory, and a kingdom that will never end.
All peoples, nations, and languages would serve Him.
His rule would never be destroyed.
And that changed Daniel.
Daniel lived under a king who thought he was powerful.
He saw kingdoms come and go.
He experienced the brutality of world politics firsthand.
But now he knew:
The Most High is Judge.
Not Babylon, not Persia, not any king who signs a law. God rules.
This vision did not make Daniel proud – it made him calm.
Even if Daniel did not fully understand the images, he was sure of one thing:
There is One who holds everything in His hands.
History has a purpose.
Justice will come.
And every human throne is only temporary.
This was not religious theory.
It was a nighttime encounter he never forgot.
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What does this mean for us?
Sometimes God does not speak to give us solutions for tomorrow, but to give us a glimpse of something “bigger than now.”
We see only our daily life, our worries, our world – but God sees time differently.
Sometimes He shows us something that says:
“I have the overview.”
Not every dream is from God.
Not every image carries truth.
But Daniel shows: God can speak. And when He speaks, it changes the way we see the world.
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What we can learn from Daniel
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God still speaks today – but we must be willing to listen.
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Visions are not meant to confuse us, but to stabilize us.
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God’s perspective takes away the power of fear.
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People plan, kings rule, but God decides.
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Practical steps for today
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Ask God to show you His perspective – not just His answers.
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In the evening, take time to become quiet and listen intentionally.
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Write down impressions, dreams, or thoughts and examine them later in peace.
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Read Daniel 7 and ask yourself: What does this show me about God’s greatness today?
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Questions to reflect on
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Are there areas of my life where I only see the “now” and ignore God’s “later”?
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How does the certainty that God is Judge change my decisions today?
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Where do I need a new perspective from God?
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Prayer
Lord,
let me hear when You speak.
Open my eyes to Your perspective and my mind to Your truth.
Take away my fear of the unknown and show me that You lead history.
Speak into my heart – through Your Word, through thoughts, through dreams,
and make me secure in Your presence.
Amen.
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Key thought of the day
God does not give visions to make us curious,
but to show us that He is above everything – today, tomorrow, and forever.
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