because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of babylon be destroyed. so the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. then daniel replied with prudence and discretion to arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of babylon. he declared to arioch, the king’s captain, “why is the decree of the king so urgent?” then arioch made the matter known to daniel. and daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. [daniel 2:12-16]
daniel replied with prudence and discretion
when approached by the man who had been commanded by the king to kill him, he responds with prudence and discretion. that’s what the peace, the shalom, of the Lord is like. it’s not the absence of difficulty or persecution, it’s calm within the difficulty and persecution.
what is your peace dependent on?
avoiding strife with those around you?
avoiding getting caught in your sin?
there is only one source of peace who does not waver with the seasons or circumstances—and it is Christ. Christ, who endured persecution to the end, Christ who remained obedient through anxiety in gethsemsne, Christ who intercedes on our behalf at the right hand of the Father. Lord, give us your peace!
~ stephen hall