Finding Faith in Modern Times

In this powerful exploration of Daniel chapter 2, we discover what it means to live faithfully in a world that operates by completely different values than God's kingdom. The story centers on King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream of a magnificent statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay—representing the successive earthly empires that would rise and fall throughout history. But the most striking element is a small rock, cut without human hands, that crushes the entire statue and grows into a mountain filling the whole earth. This rock represents God's eternal kingdom established through Jesus Christ. What makes this message so relevant for us today is the recognition that we too live in 'Babylon'—not as a physical location, but as a mentality that prioritizes self, comfort, security, and pleasure above all else. We face the same temptation that believers have always faced: to either completely separate ourselves from culture in judgment, or to assimilate so fully that there's no distinction between our lives and the world around us. Daniel shows us a third way—engaging culture with wisdom and tact, speaking truth with grace, and maintaining our allegiance to the one kingdom that will never crumble. The cosmic truth revealed here is that every earthly kingdom, every political system, every personal empire we build has foundations of clay. Only God's kingdom endures forever. This challenges us to examine where we've truly placed our hope, security, and identity—and our emotions often reveal the answer.