Thesis
Drawing from Daniel 10 and 12, Pastor Bill argues that the entire book of Daniel is a God-given assurance that history has a predetermined destination under God's sovereign control. Like children on a long car ride, we waste energy asking 'Are we there yet?' instead of trusting the Driver. True wisdom is not knowledge but applied truth — choosing faithfulness each day, redefining 'good days' not as easy days but as days we stayed faithful to God. Because God is both the holy, righteous King who commands our reverent awe and the loving Father who calls us precious, we can surrender to the journey and live with confident, courageous trust.
Key points
- 1
God is sovereignly in charge of all of history, no matter who holds earthly power.
- 2
Seeing Jesus in His true holiness and glory is the starting point of wisdom — it brings us to our knees before it lifts us up.
- 3
God's first word after revealing His holiness is that we are precious to Him — fear and love must be held together.
- 4
Wisdom is not knowledge but applied truth — it means taking God at His word and living accordingly through both good and hard seasons.
- 5
A 'good day' is not an easy day but a faithful day — one where we chose the way of wisdom regardless of circumstances.
- 6
The way of wisdom is summed up in trusting God completely and not leaning on our own understanding.
- 7
The cross is the ultimate picture of God's holiness and love together — He threw Himself in front of death for us because we are His precious.
Outline
The Long Car Ride
Pastor Bill uses the childhood experience of asking 'Are we there yet?' to frame our deeper struggle with trusting God on the journey of life, particularly in unsettling cultural and political seasons.
Overview of Daniel 7–12
A rapid survey of Daniel's prophetic visions shows that every prophecy except the final 'seventieth week' has been fulfilled with stunning historical accuracy, proving God's sovereign hand over all kingdoms.
Daniel's Vision of the Risen Christ (Daniel 10)
Daniel collapses at the sight of the glorified Christ on the Tigris River, then hears he is precious to God — establishing that true faith holds together holy reverence and beloved intimacy.
Wisdom vs. Wickedness — Redefining Good Days and Bad Days
Pastor Bill unpacks Daniel 12 to show that wisdom is applied truth and that a 'good day' means faithful obedience, not ease — illustrated powerfully by his father's reflection on the battle of Iwo Jima.
Go Your Way — Daniel 12:13
God's final word to Daniel — 'go your way until the end' — is a call to keep walking the path of faithful trust, summarized by Proverbs 3:5-6 and illustrated by surrendering to the process of a long journey.
God's Point of View: You Are His Precious
Through the story of his mother shielding him in a car accident and the imagery of the cross, Pastor Bill shows that God sees us as precious cargo — He threw Himself in front of death for us even while we were rejecting Him.
Communion and Closing Challenge
Pastor Bill calls the congregation to a moment of reflection — pondering how they have defined good and bad days — before leading them in communion as a tangible reminder of God's holiness, love, and victory.
Memorable moments
no matter who's in charge, God is
Some of us need to see Jesus clearly. You play a game with God, and you think he's just your buddy, and he's this and that. He is the Lord God Almighty. He is righteous. He is holy, and we are not
Wisdom is not knowledge. Wisdom is applied truth
Good day does not equate easy day
you are very precious to God
I threw myself in front of this problem for you. Even though you're the one fighting with me. You're rejecting me. You're worried about your good days and your bad days, meaning easy versus hard. Trusting me. You're not really putting your faith in me, but I am gonna throw myself in front of that oncoming freight train called death for you because you are my precious
Application
Pastor Bill's challenge is direct: stop being a backseat driver in your own life and in the world around you. Practically, this means redefining what a good day is — not the day when everything is easy, but the day when you chose faithfulness. It means praying for leaders on both sides of the aisle, surrendering the anxious need to control outcomes, and trusting that the same God whose prophetic word proved accurate across centuries has your life in His hands too. Start each morning choosing the way of wisdom — leaning not on your own feelings or understanding but into God's love and His will. At the end of that day, no matter how hard it was, you will be able to say: today was a good day.
