“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” – Daniel 6: 3-4
Nowhere in God’s word does it say that those who love Him will never experience trials and hardship. But that doesn’t stop us from asking Him, “Why me?”
The prophet Daniel knew what it was like living in a country that was hostile to his faith in God. He was in his late teens when he was forced from his home in Judah, becoming an exile in the land of Babylonia. He would spend the remainder of his life faithfully serving God in a kingdom that was notorious for its pagan culture.
J. I. Packer once wrote, “Any idea of getting beyond conflict, outward or inward, in our pursuit of holiness in this world is an escapist dream that can only have disillusioning and demoralizing effects on us as waking experience daily disproves it. What we must realize, rather, is that any real holiness in us will be under hostile fire all the time, just as our Lord’s was.”
Daniel lived under hostile fire his entire life. But Daniel never grumbled or complained. He knew that God was having His way, and as His faithful servant he would follow His lead, no matter what.
Daniel’s attitude was pleasing to God, and for this reason God blessed him with incredible knowledge and wisdom. Scripture tells us that Daniel was a righteous man who knew no corruption, and God expressed His favor to Daniel by making him successful in all that he did. He would go on to ultimately serve under 5 kings during his exile in Babylon, garnering respect and admiration from each of them. But still, Daniel routinely faced fierce opposition from his fellow government servants because of his unwavering faith.
Yet Daniel refused to compromise his love for God.
As we read the events in chapter 6 that would ultimately lead to him being in violation of the King’s decree regarding prayer and thrown into the den of lions, we try to somehow imagine ourselves being put in Daniel’s situation. Would we deny obedience to God for a deserved promotion at work? Or if our very lives were at stake?
At some point we are all going to encounter hostilities that challenge our obedience to God, be it from our own fleshly pursuits or those coming from the outside world. What will be our response?
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
How brightly do our stars shine for God today?
Former Blackout Artist 