The Importance Of Insight - Daniel

As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me. And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.”

Daniel 8:15-16

A college student faced with a difficult two-part economics exam went to great lengths to understand all the terminology and theories the professor had taught that semester. A few days after taking the exam, he found out that he had failed it.

The student had a perfect score on the first section, which consisted of multiple choice and true/false questions. Unfortunately, he bombed on the second, which asked him to apply what he had learned to a real-world situation.

His experience illustrates that though head knowledge is fine, it is of little value without the deeper understanding required to apply that knowledge to real life. The same holds true in the spiritual realm.

God gave Daniel a mysterious vision concerning future events, but at first he didn’t let the prophet understand its meaning. Daniel realized that a vision without a satisfying interpretation would do him no good. He needed to know the vision’s meaning.

As Daniel struggled to decipher the vision, an angel named Gabriel appeared to him and explained it. Daniel finally understood the puzzling vision but only because he had set his heart on grasping its strange and terrifying images. Daniel genuinely wanted insight into the vision, so God freely gave it to him, but not all at once.

Knowledge of God’s Word is good, but such knowledge doesn’t have life-changing impact without the practical understanding needed to apply it. Fortunately, God promises to give understanding to anyone who earnestly seeks it, just as Daniel the prophet did.

How often do you study the Bible so that you can know what it takes to be a godly man, husband, father, and employee? Do you seek the wisdom and understanding you need to apply God’s Word to every area of your life? What is God saying to you today?