Wed., 10/21/15 Devotion (Dan. 6:3a)

Today's encouragement comes from Daniel 6:3a, where we read these words:

"Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, be-cause an excellent spirit was in him . . . "

Daniel was an extraordinarily-gifted man. He had faith, integrity, humility, in-telligence, looks, position, honor, advancement, and the respect of all his superiors. But what is interesting—and we see this as an almost-universal fact—is that his carnal contemporaries both envied him, and sought to bring him down.

When we find these "excellent spirit"-type of Christian church members—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 ad-mires; and let us not forget the fate of the enemies of such souls: they—Dan-iel'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"]