How Do You Respond to Trouble? (Daniel 2)

This chapter is mostly about a dream God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar. The second part of the chapter records Daniel's interpretation of this fantastic dream. This discussion won't really touch on that part of the chapter, but it is important to point out that the main idea of the dream is that God is control of all kingdoms present and future and He will someday set up an eternal kingdom which will be greater than any kingdom ever create by man.

This study will primarily focus on how Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar responded when they encountered trouble in their lives.

Tell a story from your childhood about a time you got in trouble. Do you have any stories about getting in trouble even though you were innocent?

What types of trouble and suffering do people face in their lives today? Why do you think God allows this? How can good innings happen as a result of our suffering?

Read Daniel 2:1-12. What was the trouble that King Nebuchadnezzar faced? On whom did he rely to fix his problem? Why do you think he turned to these people?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the severity of Nebuchadnezzar's trouble? On a s ale of 1-10, how would you rate his reaction? Why?

Hve you ever reacted to a problem the way Nebuchadnezzar did? What was the outcome? What would have been a better response?

Read Daniel 2:13-19. What was the trouble Daniel faced? On whom did he rely to fix his problem? Why do you think he turned this direction?

What can we learn from Daniel's response to a pretty serious problem? What can we learn about friends? What can we learn about prayer?

How do you think Daniel's faith in God enabled him to respond this way? What foundational beliefs do you think Daniel held that empowered him?

What are some words you would use to describe Daniel in this story? How can you make these kind of words a bigger part of His life?

Read Daniel 2:20-23. What can you learn about thanksgiving from Daniel's prayer? What are the things for which you can be grateful tonight?