Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Thankful in All Circumstances
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 nlt).
Daniel was a man of God and a man of prayer who was an adviser to the king. The other advisers were upset that Daniel was greatly loved and respected by the king, but the problem was that Daniel didn’t have any skeletons in his closet.
They said, in effect, “We have to get rid of this creep. He’s getting all the attention. Let’s bring this guy down.” So they decided to get a law passed that would trap him. They knew Daniel had an interesting habit. Every day he opened his windows, faced Jerusalem, and got down on his knees and gave thanks to God.
His enemies knew they could set a clock by Daniel’s prayer schedule. So they proposed a law to the king that appealed to his ego: “Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7 nlt).
The king signed it into law, not realizing he was dooming his friend, Daniel, to death. Or at least it appeared so.
Then we read this: “When Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (verse 10 nlt).
This is what Daniel always did. He had an attitude of gratitude. However, he had never read the book of Daniel. He didn’t know that when they threw him into the den of lions, God would deliver him.
Daniel didn’t know any of the story, but he got down on his knees and prayed anyway. And he knew this: God is good. God is in control. So he gave thanks.
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