then these men said, “we shall not find any ground for complaint against this daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” [daniel 6:5]
the high officials and satraps couldn’t find a single complaint about daniel, except associated with his God. this brings to mind a couple of passages in the new testament:
[13] pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, [14] and said to them, “you brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. and after examining him before you, behold, i did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. [15] neither did herod, for he sent him back to us. look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. [16] i will therefore punish and release him.” [luke 23:13-16]\
[21] and when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. [acts 4:21]
one example of Jesus living sinlessly, and one example of the apostles living faithfully.
daniel, Jesus, and the apostles give us an example of how to live life as God’s people.
paul says it this way:
[16] live in harmony with one another. do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. never be wise in your own sight. [17] repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [romans 12:16-18]
will we live this perfectly? unfortunately not. i know i haven’t. but, through the grace of God, we get the opportunity to be ambassadors to a world in desperate need of a savior.
the Holy Spirit can and will empower us to live in this way, but we have the opportunity to participate in the Spirit’s move through how we live.
God, help our lives to look more like Jesus’ today. give us wisdom, patience, and discernment as we choose our words and actions today. may the fruit of the Spirit be evident in our lives, and may we be known as people who love you above all else!
amen.