Title: Great Man, Great Humility / Topic: Character

Today’s Reading: Daniel 1; Daniel 2; Revelation 16

Scripture: Daniel 2:27-30
27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind..."

Observation: I love Daniel. The man and the book. What I love about the man is his sterling character. Here is a young man that has every reason in the world to pity himself, but there is not a hint of self-pity in Daniel. He does not see himself as a victim, because he reckons himself to be in the hands of God -- not his captors. So he views everything as coming to him with God's permission. Therefore he applies God's principles to everything. He doesn't just accept what comes, he believes that he is there as God's representative to influence his world.

And the way he interacts with the king is so great. The king asks him if he is able to interpret the dream. And even though Daniel knows the dream and the interpretation, and even though Daniel is the only one who knows it, Daniel answers with such great humility. "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries."

Application: So rarely do we see great humility today. People promote themselves with loud announcement and great bluster, asserting how great they are. But true greatness needs no bluster or announcement. True greatness can say, "Without God, I could not do it. But because God, I have something to tell you."

Prayer: Lord, I want to be like Daniel.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.