Lies Don’t Stick to the Faithful

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. (Daniel 6:1-5)

Trustworthy people are rare in today’s world of 'do whatever it takes to succeed.' What you often see are competition, power struggles, and hidden motives among those in positions of authority. In a highly competitive society, Daniel was envied by peers, scrutinized by enemies, and admired by kings. The Bible tells us that the king favored Daniel above everyone else because he possessed a spirit of excellence. Whatever Daniel did, he committed to wholeheartedly and did it well, with all his strength. This was not only about his drive but also about the results he achieved. Daniel’s blessings were evident.

However, whenever God promotes someone, the enemy sends false accusers. The leaders who served with Daniel were jealous of the favor he received and his ability to achieve everything with such excellence. They made it their mission to find faults and accuse him, hoping to remove him from his position of power. Yet, no matter how hard they tried, they could never find any reason to attack him. There were no shady deals, no skeletons in his closet. He was honest, faithful, and blessed, which only made them more furious.

The only thing they could find “fault” in was Daniel’s faith. He was so faithful and consistent that they knew they could use Daniel’s devotion against him. If your enemy wanted to find something against you, is your prayer life strong enough to be noticed?

Practical Application

Like Daniel, determine to be excellent in your work, faithful in your devotion, and unshakable in your faith.

Daniel 5:31; Exodus 18:21