Daily Scripture: Daniel 6:1-10
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com
Reflection Questions:
Daniel was a Hebrew exile serving the Persian Empire—a clear target for political plots. But Daniel’s rivals were shocked. They found no sleaze, no slips, nothing to criticize. So they duped the king into making a law aimed at the spiritual habits that sustained Daniel. Daniel was ready to lose his job, even his life, rather than even appearing to stop his prayers.
- We often hear public figures facing a scandal complain, “No one could survive the kind of scrutiny I’ve faced.” However, the most powerful people in the Persian government found nothing about Daniel that could be used against him. How about your work, your life? Would you pass the “Daniel test”?
- Today’s verses set the stage for the famous story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Was it all really necessary? Would it have been so wrong for Daniel to say his prayers quietly in an inner room, or at least to keep the windows shut? Was he foolish or faithful to risk his standing and impact by holding to his well-known practice of prayer?
Read Pastor Penny Ellwood’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com
Weekly Prayer:
Lord God, the Scripture story tells me that you created this beautiful world I live in with the resources to sustain life. It says that you mean my work, whether at home, at church or in my workplace, to be a vocation, a source of meaning and challenge. Give me your wisdom to make good choices, Lord, and to balance my work and my rest in you. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.
