A Man Greatly LOVED
The book of Daniel reminds us that trusting in God comes with challenges and that our faith and faithfulness will be put to the test. But, whatever life throws at us, Daniel encourages us to keep pressing on and seek after God’s heart through our daily commitment and devotion to Christ.
Being devoted to God is when a person determines to search and seek after God through the act of faithfully surrendering to His will and through the act of prayer, worship and honor to God and waiting on Him to reveal his will.
And that was exactly what Daniel did and this pleased God.
Daniel was a man who was greatly loved by God (Daniel 10: 11 &19) and his choice to devote his life completely to God paved ways for him to sit and be at the right hand of great kings.
At an early age, Daniel was deported and captured from Jerusalem (where he was born) to Babylon. He left behind his culture, ways and many other religious practices and entered into a whole new world that he had never experienced before. Although he was in a culture and city that did not honor God, he chose to remain faithful and not defile himself nor deny God.
No matter what was going on in Daniel’s life, his heart was to go first to God. His circumstances drove him to his knees, and he didn’t allow his situation to distract or discourage him.
Likewise, Daniel had an excellent Spirit (which is the Holy Spirit). He was highly recognized because of the hand of God over him. He magnified God and favored his friends. He was faithful first to his God and then to his people. Daniel surrounded himself with friends that were as devoted to God as he was and were ready to die for their faith (Daniel 3:16-18).
Daniel and his friends were filled with the Holy Spirit, but God chose Daniel to stand out among his friends and the people around him. Only God can choose us to be used by Him. It was not the case that his friends were not good enough but it’s God’s choice on whom He uses. But our hearts, devotion, and the way we live our lives also matter. God used his friends accordingly, but God went deeper with Daniel because He was willing to go deeper with God.
Daniel was willing to sacrifice himself and his will to God and because of this, God entrusted him with much responsibility.
Moreover, Daniel was rewarded for his faithfulness and his recognition for his God. No error or fault was found in him (Daniel 6:4). He was highly favored by God and as a result, kings and commanders had compassion on him.
Even though Daniel was put in a high position, there was no greed or malice found in him.
When trials and circumstances come our way we should not worry or try to do things on our own accord, but we are required to devote ourselves while we wait on God to deliver us from the hands of our enemies. We are required to keep trusting God and let Him find us faithfully waiting in prayer, worship and declaring His promises.
Some key points from Daniel’s life which is also very essential for our lives.
- Prayer: Daniel was devoted to Prayer & Thanksgiving
-) Daniel had a strict prayer schedule. He made a personal decision to pray three times a day. It was not the custom to pray three times a day but he made it a priority and he made a decision to stick with it. Daniel was so devoted to his prayer life that people knew when and where to find him during his times of prayer (Daniel 6: 11-12). He prayed regularly no matter what the condition of the day or season was, he didn’t let pressure or threats affect his prayer life (Daniel 6: 10). The effect of his devotion to prayer was very evident in his spiritual and physical life. He was considered “greatly loved” and filled with an “excellent Spirit”.
-) Mysteries and revelations were revealed to Daniel because he sought after God’s heart. When Daniel prayed for something, when he got it, he blessed God before he even goes out to publicly declares it. He explained mysteries and interrupted dreams. There was none like Daniel in his time (Daniel 5:12). But his recognition was influenced by his devotion and submission to God. Who you honour, honours you .
-) Daniel revered God in everything, and God esteemed him far beyond his imagination and far more than he could have ever expected. Daniel knew the source of his wisdom and understanding and at the end of every victory; he gives glory and honor to the source of his strength, God (Daniel 2:20-23).
-) Prayer is an act of humility and that’s why Daniel was so humble even when he was put in a place of power.
Daniel ate carefully and lived prayerfully.
2. Service: Daniel was devoted to serving
-) Daniel was an advisor to four different great Kings in Babylon. But never once did he use his position or his power to get revenge or to plot to get back at the Babylonians for capturing and invading his city. Rather, he faithfully served truthful and honestly knowing well that he was serving God and not man.
-) The more Daniel served faithfully and truthfully for the kings of Babylon, the more God blessed him and considered him blameless (Daniel 6:22). Like Daniel, let us also be found blameless and not try to take revenge or matters into our own hands. The God who sees everything that we go through will fight for us. But let your heart and your hands be clean and found blameless before God.
-) When we exalt God and devote our lives to him through our service, he will take us places and bless the work of our hands more than we can ever imagine. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be trials and challenges but if we stand faithful in hard times God will reward us.
3. Identity : Daniel was devoted to his identity
-) Daniel was either from a noble or royal family (Daniel 1:3). He was courageous and competent to stand in the Kings’ palace.
-) Daniel always knew who he was. He never loosed sight of that. Even when he was in high power, he knew who he was, whom he was serving, and he was confident in that.
-) Daniel was blessed with a God-given identity. Daniels’s heart was completely focused on the Lord which allowed his identity to reflect out into his reality.
-) He humbly and faithfully obeyed God. Integrity was found in Daniel and he lived in love.
What Lessons Can we Learnt from Daniel’s life;
Being faithful to God is key to living a blessed life.
a) Regardless of what happens, we should never turn our hearts away from God. Daniel was taken captive, that was enough for him to question his faith, but he didn’t. It only led him to draw closer to God.
b) Daniel didn’t plot evil towards anyone, even when they plot to kill him. He could have asked the king to kill his haters but rather he left vengeance for God and God surely delivered him (Daniel 6:4).
c) There’s no doubt that Daniel had his flaws, so did most of the people in the bible but what truly made them stand out is their devotion and submission to God, to His will. Even through times of uncertainty and hardship they never denied God or turn back to their old ways. The closer and longer we walk with God, the more He expects us to not go back to our old ways or keep making the same mistakes. Because now, we are in a different dimension than that of just a mere Christian.
Having a daily disciplined doctrine that involves us seeking God and his ways, works. If it worked for Daniel (a human like us) it can also work or us.
d) It is important to intercede for our country. Whatever affects the country also affects us regardless of how oblivious we want to be to the issues that arises. We should plea to God for mercy for our country just like Daniel who fasted and prayed to God for Jerusalem, for God to deliver his people (Daniel 9:16-19).
e) Being faithful to God is far more important than being popular or famous in this world. Fame will fade but God remains forever. Our aim and goals in life as Christians is to serve no other god(s) than God alone.
f) When God takes us to a place of prosperity far beyond our imagination, we must honor Him. Power and position were never an interest to Daniel, his heart was always centered on God.
God can use dangerous events to place us in positions of influence, like He did for Daniel.
g) The Lord lavished blessings on Daniel. If God oversees our lives, He will never let us be confused and He is able to bless us even when we think our lives are beyond a mess.
h) God gives gifts to everyone of us and we must use it to the best of our ability, deciding whether we want to use it for God or for evil.
i) We must surround ourselves with friends that are faithful and devoted to God, like Daniel’s friends.
j) God is the revealer of all dreams, when He gives a dream, He doesn’t want us to waste time asking people for the meaning. He doesn’t give us dreams so that others can interpret them for us. He gives us dreams so we can seek him for its understanding and interpretation (likewise, God gives people gift of interpretation so this is not saying you shouldn’t ask someone who you know has a gift of interpreting dreams). But if a dream is not clear to you, take time to seek the Lord, and ask Him for a clear understanding. If God gave you the dream, he will also give you the meaning and understanding.
Key verses:
Daniel 2: 14, 16, 18-24, 28, 30
Daniel 5: 11-12
Inspire Change 
This post is powerful. Thank you so much for sharing it and for spreading God’s word. God bless you.
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Thank you so much for this message, it was really helpful. God Bless you.
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