Jesus asks us to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify God. Just as Daniel shined before his colleagues—despite threats and difficult situations — we need to let our light shine before the people God places in our paths.
We can apply three key elements of this scripture to our own lives:
- Have an excellent spirit. Christians are able to cultivate exceptional qualities because they are marked in Christ with the Holy Spirit. Like Daniel, lead with an excellent spirit. If we listen to Him and obey, our acts will always be good.
- Avoid being accused. Daniel’s colleagues couldn’t find anything to blame him for. He was trustworthy.
The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives can help us be trustworthy, too, even as we struggle against evil and post-modernity. We are armed with truth, righteousness, zeal, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.
- Demonstrate complete trust in God. Daniel showed complete trust in God, who consequently sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths. Daniel believed that was God’s intervention.
Because of Daniel’s faith and God’s intervention, King Darius’s decree changed in favor of Daniel’s God. Do you inspire non-believers to know God through your trust in Him?
Brethren, we can brighten the corner where we are if we obey the Holy Spirit in us, wear God’s full armor, and completely trust in Him. Don’t let fleshy desires, difficult situations, and negative accusations prevent you from being a light where God places you.
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.
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. —Daniel 6:3–4, NIV
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for choosing us to serve you. Let us be instruments in your hand so that we brighten the corner where we are and impact our neighbors’ lives for your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. Jocelyn Dufreine works as a Partnership Training Specialist for Compassion Haiti.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.
5 Comments |Add a comment
Tondja,
Trust and Faith are not concepts to be embraced, it’s a decision that an individual commits to do, to put his trust and faith in Christ.
Completeness is what makes it indeed a great challenge, and only by God’s enabling grace can a believer in Christ be able to daily choose to continue to put his faith and trust in God, not merely relying on his own strength and knowledge, but totally surrendered and submitted to God. It’s both a one-time decision and a daily commitment.
Complete trust and complete faith are hard concepts to embrace for humans.
Thanks for this post, though I must say not all believers are spared from being accused as Daniel had been, for the devil is a great accuser. But yes, that shouldn’t stop us from standing up to the Truth and letting our light shine before men, for it is God who enlightens the minds of men, that even our accusers will be proven wrong.
Hallelujah!
so true, I often forget I am armed 🙂