The governors . . . sought to find some charge against Daniel; . . . but they could find no charge or fault. . . . Then these men said, "We shall not find any charge against [him] unless we find it . . . concerning the law of his God" (Daniel 6:4-5).
THEME
INTEGRITY
After the Civil War, a large insurance company offered Robert E. Lee the title of president and an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars. Lee protested that he was not worth that much. A representative explained that the company only wanted Lee's name, not his services. Lee firmly replied, "That is not for sale."
Daniel was not willing to worship God privately and sell his name to a heathen cause even if the fee was his own life. Disregarding his possible demise at the lions' club, he demonstrated that he was the real lion--courageous in his integrity against all odds.
People of integrity are sincere and honest; they avoid deception, artificiality, or shallowness of any kind. They are truthful and forthright at all costs. They know themselves and therefore are whole and complete.
Jesus was a man of integrity. He refused to endorse the corruption of the Pharisees, though they might have made Him a leading rabbi. He rejected the kingmaking desires of the populace, though they would have dressed Him in royal robes. He resisted the temptations of Satan, though he promised Him the world.
If we sing the praises of God's name, we will not be tempted to sell our own.
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AUG 05
DANIEL 6:1-4
They could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful
(Daniel 6:4).
A friend of mine, evangelist Herb Tyler, made a call from a pay phone after speaking one night. He told the operator his name and the number he wanted to call, deposited the money, and talked for a few minutes. When he hung up, all his coins came back. Calling the operator, Herb said, "I don't know if you are the one who took my call just now, but my coins came back." "I know," she said. "I was in your audience tonight when you spoke on integrity, and I wondered if you practice what you preach. So I flipped the lever and returned the coins. The so-called Christians that I know don't live like it." Tyler put the coins back in the box--but only after making an appointment to talk to the operator in person. As a result of their meeting, she trusted the Lord as her Savior.
The little details of our lives tell in forceful language how much integrity we have. Another good example of this is Daniel. His "excellent spirit" displayed itself in all of his actions. Under the scrutiny of more than 120 officials, he showed that he was a true follower of Jehovah by his everyday habits.
To show others that our faith is real, we must display integrity in the mundane happenings of life. If we conduct our affairs with integrity--at home, school, or work--people observing us will "find no charge or fault" against us.
--P.R.V.
Those who are true to God will also be true to others.
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AUG 06
DANIEL 1:1-8
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
(Daniel 1:8).
An interesting thing to watch from an airplane is the winding path of a river. No two waterways are alike, but they all have one thing in common: they are crooked. And the reason is simple--rivers follow the path of least resistance. They flow around anything that blocks their eroding work. Rivers are crooked because they take the easy way.
Christians become crooked for the same reason. When we fail to overcome temptation, resist the devil, or tackle the enemy head-on, we deviate from the straight path God would have us follow. Unlike Daniel, who "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself," we bend to worldly pressures and compromise what we know is right.
This shouldn't happen. Nothing is so strong that we need allow it to sidetrack us. Writing to Christians, John said, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Believers can be "strong in the Lord" and press forward in "the power of His might." Rather than being overcome, we can be overcomers. Nothing should deter us in our Christian walk or divert us from our prescribed course. We don't have to give in to any temptation or foe.
Unlike rivers, which have no choice in the matter, we can remain straight by refusing to follow the path of least resistance.
--R.W.D.
No one ever goes crooked who stays on the straight and narrow.
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AUG 07
1 PETER 2:11-19
Finally, brethren, whatever things are . . . honest, . . . meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).
An office supervisor instructed her secretary to alter some questionable financial records. When the secretary refused, the supervisor asked, "Don't you ever lie?"
For many people, both public and private honesty is an obsolete virtue--a moral remnant of bygone days. Integrity is more complex than simply refusing to lie. Integrity means speaking out when remaining silent would convey the wrong impression, and it means doing what's best for others even if it causes us harm.
Sa'ad, a sensitive, hard-working man who lives in Zarayed, one of Cairo's garbage dumps, works long hours collecting trash. He is one of thousands of Egypt's garbage collectors who struggle to survive, but who seldom break out of their hopeless prison of poverty. Often he clears little more than fifty cents a day. One day Sa'ad found a gold watch valued at nearly two thousand dollars. He could have sold the watch and made a better life for himself and his family. He could have reasoned that he needed it more than the owner or that it was God's justice that allowed him to find the watch. But he didn't. He returned the watch to its owner. Sa'ad is a Christian and believes it's wrong to keep what doesn't belong to him.
If this kind of honesty is not evident in our lives, we need to reexamine ourselves. Jesus is the Truth. Truthfulness, therefore, must be the way of life for all who follow Him.
--D.J.D.
Some people are honest only because they have never had a good chance to steal anything.
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AUG 08
DANIEL 6:16-28
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus (Daniel 6:28).
Success comes in various forms. Some view it as the accumulation of great wealth gained through suffering and sacrifice. But for the believer, success comes only through doing God's will.
A young man named John W. Yates was so poor that he had to put cardboard in his shoes to cover the holes. Yet when he opened a bank account at the age of fifteen, he deposited his meager earnings under the name "John W. Yates and Company," acknowledging God as his partner and manager. He carried that practice into his business. In time, he became a multimillionaire.
Another young man, Oswald Chambers of Scotland, showed so much artistic promise that he was invited to study under Europe's greatest masters at age eighteen. But he declined the offer and enrolled in a little-known Bible school, where he eventually became a teacher. Later, he went to Egypt and ministered to the spiritual needs of British soldiers. Chambers died there when he was only in his forties, but he left to the world a rich legacy of devotional literature. Both men made doing God's will their prime objective; both achieved success.
Daniel began his career as a young captive in Babylon. Repeatedly he put his life on the line to remain faithful to the Lord. He refused to compromise, and God elevated him to a position of prominence. When we take that kind of attitude and accept whatever God has for us, we can be sure of success, no matter what form it takes.
--H.V.L.
Outside God's will is no true success; in God's will, no failure.
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AUG 09
1 PETER 2:9-12
Providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men (2 Corinthians 8:21).
The first governor-general of Australia, Lord Hopetoun, inherited a brass-bound leather ledger that became one of his most cherished possessions. John Hope, one of his forebears, had owned it three centuries earlier and had used the ledger in his business in Edinburgh. When Lord Hopetoun received it, he noticed the prayer inscribed on the front page: "O Lord, keep me and this book honest." John Hope knew that he needed God's help to maintain his integrity.
Honesty is essential for the Christian. Shading the truth, withholding the facts, juggling figures, or misrepresenting something are dishonest activities that displease God. For this reason, and to demonstrate the new nature that comes through salvation, Christians should strive to live uprightly before God and man. The use of our time on the job, for example, must be above reproach. We should give an honest day's work to our employer. To do less will destroy our verbal witness and brand us as dishonest.
Speaking of a mutual Christian friend, an acquaintance of mine said, "He's true blue, all wool, and a yard wide," indicating that our friend was genuine, truthful, and trustworthy.
We too must strive to be honest in motive as well as in action and acknowledge our need of the Lord's help to do so by praying, "Lord, keep me honest."
--P.R.V.
Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.
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AUG 10
PROVERBS 2:1-9
He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
Personal integrity is often missing in today's society. Our world-system sees nothing wrong with people who shade the truth or make promises they don't intend to keep. The Christian, however, should be one "who walks with integrity."
In an article in MOODY MONTHLY, John Souter wrote, "It was 11:00 p.m. I was sitting at the console of a sophisticated typesetting machine while an advertising man, a Christian, looked over my shoulder. He had roused me from bed to do a rush job for his client. Somehow I sensed I would never be paid for this job. But I swept those feelings aside. After all, this was a brother--a born-again Christian who would certainly pay his bills. But my fears were on target. I was never paid. Unfortunately, that experience has not been unique to me. I've learned there is often a big difference between what Christians say and what they actually do."
Apparently, many Christians have bought society's lie that integrity isn't important. As believers in Christ, though, we must follow the highest standards of personal honesty. When confronted with the temptation to compromise or to shade the truth, we must turn our backs on it and do what's right, regardless of personal cost.
If we have old bills to pay or promises to keep, we need to get things in order. Christians should be known for their honesty.
--D.C.E.
A debt is never too old to pay.
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AUG 11
JOB 31:1-8
"Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?" (Job 31:4).
As professional golfer Ray Floyd got ready to tap in a routine nine-inch putt, he saw the ball move ever so slightly. According to the rule book, if the ball moves at all the golfer must take a penalty stroke. Floyd was among the leaders in a tournament offering a top prize of 108,000 dollars. To acknowledge that the ball had moved could mean losing his chance for big money.
Writer David Holahan described what some golfers might have done: "The athlete ducks his head and flails wildly with his hands, as if being attacked by a killer bee; next, he steps back from the ball, rubbing his eye for a phantom speck of dust, all the while scanning the playing partners and the gallery for any sign that the ball's movement has been detected by others. If the coast is clear, he taps the ball in for his par."
Ray Floyd, however, didn't do that. He assessed himself a penalty stroke and wound up with a bogey on the hole.
The patriarch Job also showed remarkable honesty in matters not seen by human observers. He maintained his integrity by fearing God and shunning evil. Job knew that the eyes of the Lord were on him at all times, and that was what really mattered to him.
The true test of our integrity comes when no one is watching us. If we remember that God sees what others don't and that it's His approval that matters, our integrity will improve.
--M.R.D.II
It is better to suffer for the truth than to be rewarded for a lie.
