Mar 5

Daniel 6:²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! ²⁶ “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. (NIV)

 

What a phenomenal testimony by King Darius.  Clearly he witnessed a miracle and his life was profoundly impacted by that event, so much so that he sought to share that impact with all those with whom he had influence.  This is fascinating and worth reviewing exactly what events led to this radical conversion.  You might remember Daniel from the story of him being cast into the lions den and living to tell about it.  He and three other Hebrew captives were selected for service to Nebuchadnezzar following the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.  You might recognize the other Hebrew slaves by their Babylonian-given names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and you probably remember that they were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to dishonor God by bowing to a statue of the king.  God saved them just as he would save Daniel a little later. 

 

So what led to Darius' radical pronouncement acknowledging God as the one true God?  First, Daniel completely trusted God and lived to serve Him and Him alone.  He rose to great power in Babylon by remaining close to God.  God revealed to him the meaning of dreams and gave him great wisdom.  He also gave Daniel great strength of character that ultimately challenged the king of Babylon.  It was Daniels dedication to God that allowed God to use him in mighty and powerful ways. 

 

Today in America we don't face lions or fiery furnaces, yet we fold to simple peer pressure that is usually perceived and not really real.  What does that say about our character?  Am I the man of God He needs me to be?  Daniel lived a Godly life and led a pagan king to declare to his whole kingdom that truly God is the one true God.  I would be satisfied to know that my coworkers would know that God is the one true God because they see Him in me, but I fear that isn't necessarily the case.  How about you?  Are you living a life of integrity that clearly declares God to be your God?  Do you boldly approach each day living to please God or chase your own selfish desires. 

 

Daniel's complete dedication and trust in God led to clear acknowledgement of God to a pagan world.  I pray that I may live this day to show God to those around me.