“Then the presidents and officials sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him” (Dan. 6:4).
Although he was a stranger in a strange land, a Hebrew named Daniel experienced unprecedented advancement. While the Babylonian kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar passed into darkness, Daniel remained. Even with changing nations and the shifting rule of kings, he continued to be placed in a unique position to speak.
Even the Persian, Darius, whose rule followed the Babylonians, was so impressed with this Hebrew that he planned to place him over the entire kingdom. The Scriptures affirm, “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and officials because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm” (Dan. 6:3).
What was it about Daniel that enabled him to occupy such a unique position before kings and men? I think the answer to this is found in Daniel 6:4.
“They could find no occasion or fault because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him” (Dan. 6:4).
As this passage affirms, Daniel was an empowered leader devoid of corruption or negligence. Though others tried to find dishonor, all they could find was trustworthiness. What a powerful depiction of what a man of God should be.
Over the years I have been around a lot of ministers and have only encountered a small percentage who are truly like Daniel. This observation really shouldn’t surprise anyone. There has obviously been a lot of corruption and negligence in the pulpits.
Yet, this verdict is hard to swallow for most ministry leaders. First of all, most don’t think they are corrupt. They have a “perfectly good reason” for any lapse of ethics in their lives. Thus the issue of corruption is not all that well-received and even harder to prove. That is why I think we need to zero in on another attribute in this passage.
The issue of negligence is much easier to discuss and apply to our own lives. You have to ask yourself whether things are being left undone. Are there people you should be meeting with, but have put off? Are you considering the bigger issues that really affect the ministry? I know we don’t think of ourselves as corrupt, but are we negligent? I believe that a general lack of follow-through has been crippling the impact of gospel for decades.
We admire Daniel and his ability to influence kings. Thankfulness rises in our hearts as we are reminded that God rescued him from the lion’s den. Yet, we forget that, among other things, Daniel’s story was written to provide a model for us. Even in the midst of a dark, corrupt society, leaders are expected to demonstrate something more. No matter how difficult it might be, leaders are still called to live like Daniel.
In this glorious hour of grace, I believe God is empowering you to become something more. The power of the Holy Spirit is moving through the earth; causing great changes in hearts and minds. Despite the failures of the past, God is now enabling you to abandon all corruption and negligence. In the power of His strength, you will ultimately find yourself becoming trustworthy— just like Daniel. {eoa}
Steve Gray led the Smithton Outpouring and the Kansas City Revival. The founder of World Revival Church, Steve is a best-selling author and award-winning filmmaker.
