ICS Daily Devotions
Learn to Submit Like Daniel
Daniel 1:1-2 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
God has a plan for nations which we often don’t see. God allowed Jerusalem to be besieged by Nebuchadnezzar because King Jehoiakim of Judah did evil in His eyes. As a result, Daniel was thrown into a new environment when he was brought to Babylon to serve the king. Though caught in a change of authorities beyond his control, he did not escape, carry out a coup or refuse to serve the new leadership. He learnt submission.
We often struggle when we are caught in a new environment—from company to national levels—because we all prefer status quo, and our sinful nature coupled with today’s “Have It Your Way” culture make it very easy for us to be swept into the world’s way of claiming our rights and insisting our own way if we don’t have a Godward focus or remember the commands of His Word.
Our true self is often revealed where there is an actual or even a perceived unfavourable environment. Instead of submitting, we might rebel by fighting every decision by the new management or leader, but it’s always better to wait for the deliverance of the Lord than to take the situation into our own hands. In fact, it is during times like these that we can be seen to be different—to be the salt and light in the world!
Ranking or positions in any organisation is God’s ordained structure of authority, and God takes it personally whether we will submit to someone He has set over us. However, God is the supreme authority over all authorities. He has His strategic plan for His Kingdom and the end times, and God will test our ability to submit to authorities whether in church, the office or the country where He has placed us.
Dan 5:18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
Daniel’s heart was at the right place despite the change of leadership from King Nebuchadnezzar to King Belshazzar. He respected the position and the authority whom God has put in place although it wasn’t the kingdom that he belonged to as a Jew. Let’s learn to submit like Daniel!
Sermon Series: The Daniels of Today
