Daniel 2: The right worship attitude.

We human beings are truly amazing creatures. We rarely agree on the right thing to do or even the best approach to take when solving a problem. Then, when the problem is solved, we fight over who gets the credit. This is often the case in situations when we actually are doing no more or less than was required of us.

How would you have approached Arioch with news that you could tell the King’s dream and its interpretation? Would you have cleverly found a way to imply that you had the answer because of how wise you were? Would you have failed to credit God with the wisdom He has provided you? Would you use the situation to get something more from the King (more money, more power, more recognition, etc.)? Since our flesh is much weaker than our spirits often are, many of us would use the circumstances to our advantage, or at least try to do so. This is not so with Daniel.

Once again we see that Daniel is different. He is not like the other wise men and magicians. He is more like his Jewish peers than his Babylonian peers but still stands out as a unique individual. Daniel makes no pretense of being any wiser even than his Babylonian peers who were very wise and knowledgeable. He makes no special appeal for extra benefits or special treatment.

We could assume that God chose to use Daniel specifically because he was so different from everyone else. However, it would certainly be more accurate to say that Daniel was different specifically because he wanted to be useable in the hands of God. He understood the Old Testament scriptures and he knew that God requires his chosen people to be holy, set apart from all the others, pure, clean, obedient, and uniquely sold out to God and His purposes. Because he knew these things about God, He gave all of his effort and attention to being exactly what God required of His people.

His humility of spirit made him stand out from any of his Babylonian peers and it undoubtedly endeared him to the King. His candor, even in the face of the King’s anger, was seen for the courage and integrity that it truly was. His unpretentious attitude made him trustworthy, even to an angry king. This is the kind of honest worship that God desires of us, that He demands of us.

Thought: Too many of us, even in fundamental churches, bring behaviors before God that we hope will persuade Him to do things our way or to give us what we want. This is not what God desires and it is not what He demands. He asks that we worship him in spirit and in truth. This means that we are honest with ourselves and with others about who we are and about whom God is. It also means that we do not even attempt to elevate ourselves beyond the position that God has graciously given us.
If our worship is actually to be “all about Him” as the Scriptures teach, let’s examine ourselves as we come before His throne. Whether we are coming with the rest of the local body on a Sunday morning or whether we are coming alone in prayer, let’s be certain that we are allowing Him to be God and we are reserving humble positions of servitude for ourselves. The Scripture is very plain that God will lift up (to positions of greater prominence) whomever He chooses. It is not for us to exalt ourselves as the enemy of our souls has already done.

Here we see Daniel keeping God in His rightful place and submitting himself to Him. Let’s remember this attitude of humility in our worship: It really is all about Him!

By His grace, there is more to come….