Dilemma in the Den of Lions – PART 1

Dilemma in the Den of Lions (Daniel 6:1-3) – PART 1

Joe Lee told of an early work experience that helped shape the future course of his life. He got a job in his teens on one of the largest cattle ranches in California. One day, he was instructed to drive cattle from one pasture to another. On the way, he saw that a fence had fallen, and the cattle had gotten out. Rather than continuing, he stopped, rounded up those cattle and spent the rest of the day fixing the fence.

Concerned that he would get in trouble for not finishing the job, he called his boss. When he told him what he had done, rather than getting reprimanded, he was praised for taking initiative. “Act like you would if you owned the place”, his boss told him. That principle of integrity—taking diligent care of everything placed in his hand made Joe Lee a great success in the business world, but most importantly as a Christian.

Daniel 6 opens with the head of gold being replaced by the silver kingdom, the breast and arms of Media-Persia. King Darius rose to power around 538 b.c. When Darius took over the Chaldean kingdom, he appointed 120 princes to oversee the affairs of the Chaldean province. Over these princes, Darius appointed three presidents of whom Daniel was first in authority. Daniel was the leading president of three presidents that oversaw 120 princes.

This was a new king, but he already knew that something was different about Daniel. The king discerned an excellent spirit in him. Daniel was preferred above all others because of his “excellent spirit.” His reputation as a man of wisdom was outstanding, and his character was impeccable. The king preferred Daniel because of his honesty and integrity. Standing for the Lord is not always easy, but Daniel displayed how to do it well. I Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Daniel's character could not be drowned by floods, burned by fire, corrupted by rust, stolen by thieves, or destroyed by moths.

There may be times when we face persecution, prosecution, destitution, retribution, or execution. God, however, wants us to know that faithfulness to Him is always the right thing, in spite of the difficulties. Faithfulness and obedience to Him yield rich rewards and blessings. We never have to be ashamed of our faith in the Lord though the world may try to intimidate us into silence. It is important that we have a good testimony in this world and that others can see Jesus in us.

Daniel completely embraced the things of God in his life. Daniel literally built his life on the Word of God and that was his strong foundation. It is important that we realize that God blesses attitudes and not abilities. There is nothing wrong with having ability, but if our attitude is not right, it does not matter what our abilities are. God can increase our abilities, but our attitudes are directly connected to our heart. There is not one person that can make the right choice for us, we must do it ourselves. There must be conviction in our heart that we are going to do what is right no matter what the consequences may be. We live in a world where people want to be politically correct and be praised, but we must be concerned about pleasing God above all else.

Questions to Consider:
Do you have an excellent spirit?
Are you easy to work with?
Do you work hard and do your best at what you do?"

Points to Ponder:
This was a great testimony for Daniel and a challenge to all of us to have the same kind of attitude.
As Christians representing the Lord, we should do our best to bring honor to Him.

Prayer, Father in Heaven, I thank You for Jesus Your Son. He is the perfect example of integrity and character. Teach me Your ways and guide my heart. My desire is to be more like Jesus in all my attitudes and actions in a manner that is pleasing to You. In Jesus name, Amen!

This was PART 1 of the series titled “Dilemma in the Den of Lions”. Please visit the website tomorrow for Part 2.

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