"Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and sa-
traps, because an excellent spirit was in him . . . "
Daniel was an extraordinarily-gifted man. He had faith, integrity, in-
telligence, looks, position, honor, and the respect of all his super-
iors. But what is interesting--and we see this as an almost-universal fact--is that his contemporaries both envied him, and sought to bring him down.
When we find these "excellent spirit"-type of churchmen--we should seek to emulate them; and not to destroy them. They are models to us of what we can all be, too. Let us learn to appreciate what God Himself admires; and let us not forget the fate of the enemies of such souls: they--Daniel's accusers--ended up being dinner for a bunch of hungry lions(!)
[Puritan quote of the day: "A true saint thinks he can never speak too well of God or too ill of himself." --Richard Steele, in, "The Character of an Upright Man"]
