Please open your Bible and read: Daniel 4:1-27

The prophet Daniel faced some tough situations. His unflattering interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream could have cost him his life. And one of the Bible’s most popular stories recounts the man’s decision to pray even though the punishment was a one – way trip to the lion’s den. (Daniel 6:6-10)

Those hard circumstances arose from Daniel’s own commitment to his convictions. The king might never have known if he had received a false interpretation of his dream. And Daniel could have stopped praying, or at least made his daily prayers less public. But dishonoring God seemed far worse than death. While his convictions often put him in a vise, his principled life was also rewarded by the kings he served.

Today, we have the same choice to live by conviction or preference. Do other people know you as principled – someone who cannot tolerate dirty jokes or gossip, who refuses to pad his time sheet, and who responds to hurts with forgiveness? This is not an example of a super – saint; this is the God – honoring role believers are called to fulfill every day: we are to know Scripture and consistently model righteousness.

Some days, while trying to live out our convictions, we will feel like Daniel facing the lion’s den. But God provides courage. If we are willing to make right choices, our determination intersects with His divine bravery at just the right moment. The result is a life full of godly influence that will earn these words from our King: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)

Question: How were Daniel and his friends able to endure when their situation seemed hopeless?

About this Author: Charles Stanley

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)

I love meeting people who are not highly educated, but have found a wisdom higher than the world’s wisdom.  You know in meeting them that somehow they have found a sort of hideout with God where He reveals to them His secrets.  Somehow, they have understood that God’s ways and His thoughts are higher and so much better, able to overshadow any wisdom of the world.  The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.

Daniel acknowledged God as the revealer of deep and secret things.  He sought mercies from the God of heaven and King Nebuchadnezzar ‘s dream was revealed to Daniel in a vision.  I love how he acknowledged that the secret was not revealed to him because he had more wisdom than anyone living!

What’s amazing is that when Daniel revealed this secret, it persuaded King Nebuchadnezzar, and caused him to fall prostate declaring that Daniel’s God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.  He then promoted Daniel, gave him gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

I can only imagine how those that didn’t worship the God of Daniel must have thought about him being their overseer.  The magicians, sorcerers and astrologers couldn’t tell the King a thing.  They had nothing to offer, but Daniel could.   It wasn’t because Daniel had more knowledge, or more education that he was promoted.  It was because he acknowledged God as merciful and went to Him for the answers.

I believe this is a perfect picture of what God is doing throughout the earth.  He is raising up those that have spent time in the secret place with Himself; those that have humbled themselves before Him, knowing that it is only by God and through placing their hearts before Him that they have anything of value to offer.  It is in spending time with Him in His chambers, in His presence that He will share with us things that have not yet been revealed; ideas, cures of diseases and ways to even transform nations.

It is encouraging to me to know that “not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28, NIV).

Know that as you spend time with Him, He will share with you His secrets and reveal to you deep things.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your mercies and Your grace upon my life.  Thank you that it is You that I can come to for the answers and You alone that will bring me true fulfillment and satisfaction.  I want to know You more and spend more time with You in Your Presence.  Come and dwell deeper within me.  I love You Lord.

Questions: Are you spending time with the Lord and drawing closer to Him?

About the Author Brigitte Straub

Have you ever stopped to realize how many of God’s special people had lowly backgrounds?  Consider the following:
Joseph was a slave and prisoner.
Moses and David were shepherds.
Esther and Daniel were displaced persons of a despised race.
Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary a small-town girl.
Simeon and Anna were little-known prophets.
Peter, James, and John were fishermen.
Dorcas was a seamstress.

Because these people put God first in their lives, consider how God raised them up and used them:
Joseph became second to the Pharoah in ruling Egypt (Genesis 41:40-41).
Moses and David became rulers of Israel (Exodus 3:9-11; 1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13).
Daniel became prime minister of Babylon (Daniel 2:47-49).
Esther became queen of Persia and saved God’s people from extermination (Esther 8).
Joseph the carpenter was chosen to be the “stepfather” of the Son of God;     Mary was His mother (Luke 1:26-35).

Simeon and Anna were used of God to prophesy over the baby Jesus and proclaim who He was and what He came to earth to do (Luke 2:25-38).

Peter, James, and John became Jesus’ foremost disciples and intimate friends.  Peter and John wrote books of the Bible by inspiration of God (Matthew 17:1-3).

Dorcas was raised from the dead; many came to Christ because of this (Acts 9:36-42).

And then there was Jesus.  Although He was the Son of God, He was born in the lowliest of circumstances, in a manger, to a couple with little money.  There was neither fine hospital nor worldly acclaim such as given when a prince is born in England.  Only humble shepherds knelt by His manger to give Him homage.

Philippians 2:5-7 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

When God came as a man, He lived in no great palace as other kings do.  Instead, He said the foxes have holes and the birds nests, but He had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

Then He gave Himself into the hands of His enemies to be viciously lashed, mocked, and spit upon.  He let them nail Him on a cross.  He, the Almighty God (Isaiah 9:6), humbly allowed this because He loved us and came to save us.

He is coming again to earth–as King of kings and Lord of lords.  And those who have humbly followed in His footsteps shall reign with Him!

Fill my heart with humble gratitude today, Lord. Thank you that You use the ordinary and the un-spectacular. Fill me with Your amazing Holy Spirit today and use me to accomplish Your will. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.

Questions: Why do you suppose God used so many “lowly” people to help fulfill his wishes here on earth?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: Hear today’s daily devotional, God’s Lowly People, read aloud on the Men’s Devotional Blog