Year 3, Day 335: Daniel 1

Note: Yesterday's post marks the completion of my blog commentary on the entire Bible.  I'll be posting a link back to the commentary written over the last three years for anyone who desires to reference it.  As we move forward, instead of duplicating what I've already done over the last three years, I'm going to explore a single discipleship concept in each chapter.

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

As I read through the opening chapter on Daniel, I am brought to the idea of character.  When we look at character, we are talking about whether the person has the interior life needed by God to accomplish His will.  When we look at Daniel, we see the following qualities with respect to his character:

• Daniel feels the moving of the Holy Spirit within him and he is obedient in his response.  He sets himself apart for God and trusts God to accomplish His will through him.
• When Daniel understands God’s plan, he follows through.  Daniel allows the chief official to “test” Daniel’s request with a trial period, but he follows through with what he believes God directing him to do anyway.
• Daniel does the right thing, even when it wasn’t expected.  Nobody would have thought anything different of Daniel had he continued to eat the king’s food.  But Daniel is obedient to a higher standard than the world’s standard and he does the right thing.

What is the result of Daniel acting in a manner derived from his character?  God gives him an increase in competency.  Daniel’s wisdom grows and he is able to be obedient to God in even greater ways.

<><