Quote for the Day
“You may keep your gifts for yourself…”
Today's Prayer
This week pray that God will allow you to see His rewards and His will for your life. Pray for those on the road that God will give each person a sense of His will and His comfort as they are away from their family.
Daniel 5:10-17
Daniel 5:10-17 (NIV)10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “O king, live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king, I say—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” 13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from ? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
Message
This week I would like to focus on Daniel rather than Belshazzar. Some of the truth in this passage is about what we read, but a lot is about what is “seen” in the passage. First, let’s remember that during the lifetime of Belshazzar, his father made Daniel very famous and very powerful. It strikes me as impossible that Belshazzar would not have known of Daniel and what he had done for his father. At the same time, when a thousand of the king’s top advisors and friends were gathered for dinner, Daniel was not among them.Daniel is a man who sees many people come and go in power and does not worry about his own position, only about what God has for him to do. This is further evidenced when he is told of the reward for explaining the mystery, and answers just how he did every time he has been asked to explain the unexplainable in the past.What did he say? Well, in our modern language it could be translated, “I care not for the rewards of this world, including power and wealth; I care only to do the will of God and to speak His word.”Daniel did not focus on keeping the job with the most power or prestige. He did not focus on getting the best or the most rewards. Daniel focused on what God had asked him to do and he humbly went forth and did it. Daniel was a godly leader!How about you? Are you seeking and clamoring for the rewards of today, or of eternity?