I have been reading through Daniel the last few weeks and it was the theme for Sr. and Jr. High Winter Camp this year (coincidence? I think not!). First of all Daniel is the man! I have known the stories of Daniel from Sunday school growing up but reading them as an adult is just so cool.
The first thing that struck me was in 1:8, it says,
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.”
This didn’t really hit me until I was talking through it with my mentor. She told me Daniel was about 16 when he was taken from Judah to Babylon, taken from his family and forced to live in a sinful, worldly city where he could have easily gone the way of the world. However, Daniel trusted in God enough to request that he not have to eat what the king, of the biggest empire in the world, required him to eat.
My mentor then asked me what I needed to resolve to do? I have been thinking about this for a few weeks now and with prayer I have come to the conclusion that my attitude about my coworkers is what I have to change. I am not called to like every situation in life I will go through or every person I meet, but I am called to love them like Christ loves them. Will you partner in prayer with me that the Lord changes my heart and mind each and every morning I walk into work? That I have an attitude of Christ when speaking to and interacting with my coworkers?
As you read through Daniel it becomes clear that Daniel is an exceptional young man. He is described as intelligent, good-looking, courageous, a faithful friend, prayerful in every situation, always giving God the glory, prophetic, and faithful only to God. Daniel loved the Lord with everything that he was and nothing could keep him from worshipped Him, even when it could cost him his life. In chapter 6, the officials could find no fault in Daniel, 6:4 says
“…but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he is faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.”
These officials didn’t like Daniel because the king loved him; they wanted him gone. They ended up using the only thing they could against him, his absolute LOVE and DEVOTION to God. If only more of us could have that used against us!!! In the end Daniel didn’t hide his love for God, he continued to pray three times a day, in the open and was thrown in the lions’ den as a result.
A few things stick out to me, first everyone who knew Daniel, knew he loved and worshipped God. Can I say that? Is it obvious in my daily interactions that I love God more than anything else? Second even when Daniel knew that worshipping and praying to God would get him thrown in a den of lions he didn’t let it stop him. He didn’t close his windows and do it in private where no one would see. He resolved to love God no matter what, and you know what, Daniel lived! God closed the lion’s mouths because Daniel was
“…found innocent before Him…” 6:22.
God’s glory was shown to a pagan king who then made a decree that everyone was to worship Daniel’s God! I want to be like that! I want it to be so apparent through my actions every day that God is the center of my life, I want people to come to know God because of how I live my life and not only by what I say or preach!
Side note: How funny/violent is the Bible?! 6:24 says
“The king gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”
Seriously crushed all their bones?!?! Then it just moves right along with the story. Seriously good stuff in this awesome Bible of ours!
