Daniel 6
Daniel had the rare opportunity to influence four kings and their kingdoms with godly principles. Staying true to God often meant putting himself in danger. But, he never once wavered in his convictions. The record of Daniel's life shows us what is necessary to have a godly impact on others.
Complete confidence in the Lord's ability to protect and provide empowered Daniel to make bold decisions. He delivered bad news to kings, an act that could have gotten him killed (Dan. 2:26-44; 5:17-28). Daniel even defiantly challenged a law requiring him to worship other gods (6:7-11).
Daniel wasn't concerned with being popular. He was committed to doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. And when he had to face consequences for choosing the unpopular course of action, he did so with a calm and humble spirit. He offered no complaint and accepted the punishment of being thrown into the lions' den. He had, in fact, broken the law.
It's so tempting to think that if we do the right thing, we'll be rewarded or, at least, protected.
But, we live in a broken world. Sometimes doing right will get us punished. How we respond to the consequences of our obedience is actually as important as carrying out God's will. Others are watching and evaluating our reaction, and they want to see if we really believe our claim that the Lord is in control. Ultimately, God uses our experiences and our witness to reach others for His Kingdom.
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