Who Gets the Credit?

by Rick Warren — October 24, 2024
From Unshakable!

“There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.”

Daniel 2:27-28 (NLT)

Over the last few days in these devotionals, I’ve shown you what Daniel did when facing an impossible situation. The king had asked for someone to interpret an unusual dream. The king’s wise men couldn’t explain the meaning of the dream and that almost got them killed.

The stakes were high! But Daniel followed a biblical process that can help us too: Don’t panic, and then get the facts. Ask for more time. Gather prayer partners. Ask God for supernatural help. Worship God. And, use what you’ve learned to save others.

We also see that when God revealed truth, Daniel used the opportunity to point others to God.

The Bible says Daniel told the king, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed” (Daniel 2:27-28 NLT). 

Daniel didn’t take credit for the amazing answer to the king’s dream. He knew God had given him the answer. So he was honest about that.

I don’t know about you, but if I were a 17-year-old boy and I did something to make the king happy, I’d be tempted to take a bit of the credit. Daniel did the praying. He did the listening. He did the obeying.

Couldn’t he have taken some credit? He could have, but he didn’t. Instead he made sure people knew that God was the one who had the power to deliver them.

God will do great things through a person who doesn’t care who gets the credit.

The Bible says the pagan king told Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47 NLT).

How about that? A pagan leader acknowledged the true Creator of the universe.

When you spend your life pointing people to God, miracles happen.

Talk It Over

  • Think of someone you know who consistently points others to God when good things happen to them. What have you learned from this person about being a disciple?
  • How does pride keep us from giving our best to God’s mission in the world?
  • What are some practical steps that can shape a mindset that sees every good thing as a gift from God?

Where will you spend eternity?

God has already done the most impossible thing. He’s opened the door to heaven so that you can spend eternity with him. How did he make it possible for sinners such as you and me to join a perfect God in his perfect heaven?  

“He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins. And then God raised Jesus from the dead. This opened the door to heaven for you.

You can’t earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, start by praying this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.