May 29: THE MEASURE OF GREATNESS
Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat at the gate of the king. Daniel 2:49
A knock at the door had plunged Daniel into crisis. Arioch spoke: “Daniel, I’m here to kill you.” (vv.13,14). But rather than panic, Daniel responded calmly to Arioch. Then he asked the king for time, in order to pray with his friends in seeking the Lord about the matter. Daniel had good relationships with the people around him, but foundational to that was his relationship with the God of heaven. Daniel’s conscience had been shaped through knowing God; his fidelity to God’s requirements and to his own conscience had carried him from a disastrous situation to a signal victory!
From a worldly perspective, the two things that make a person great are wealth and power. Both of these things had been conferred upon Daniel by King Nebuchadnezzar. The promotion that Daniel had received positioned him as chief counselor to the king. But rather than become intoxicated by this sudden change in his own circumstances, Daniel sought the king regarding the faithful friends who had prayed with him during the king’s dilemma. Previously, the king had interviewed them (1:19), so Daniel’s mention of them reminded the king of his own assessment of their excellence: ten times better… (v.20). The positions of authority conferred upon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego – over the affairs of the province of Babylon – placed them in ideal settings for the use of their skills, talents, training, and integrity before God: to be His witnesses before the people.
Daniel sat at the gate of the king. This expression refers to the king’s court where councils convened and the king sat as judge; matters of top priority were considered. As the king’s chief counsel, Daniel was exactly where God intended for him to be. Thinking of others is a hallmark of Daniel’s Christlike character. With these four young Hebrew worthies in positions of leadership, God’s plan for the benefit of many more was advancing.
Though God Almighty allowed His people to go into captivity under the Babylonian rule, His plan was for the refinement of their character. Remember Jeremiah’s words: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). When our God speaks of the future, He is speaking of a hope for eternity. In the process of Christian growth, we are each to become more thoughtful of others for the sake of their eternal future. To mirror the love of Christ means overcoming our fallen tendency toward selfishness. What better measure of greatness could any of us imagine?
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4