“The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” (Daniel 1:19-20)
Our God reigns. Maybe you’ve sung a song with those words in it, Usually, I think of that phrase to mean that the one true God of heaven is in control of the universe. To modern unbelievers, it means that we believe in God while others don’t.
But the ancient world was full of the worship of all kinds of gods. To say, “Our God reigns” meant, “Our God is better than your god.” Occasionally, God would graciously prove to unbelieving people that his power was real, while the power of their false gods and false spirituality was either severely limited or completely non-existant.
God used Daniel and his friends to make that point at this moment in history. They were tapped into real power, the power of the God of creation. It’s not surprising that they were ten times more capable than all the other spiritual leaders serving false gods. God used their faithfulness to prove his power.
Think: Does God’s power show up in your life in a way that can be seen by others? What is the evidence that God is alive and at work in you?
Pray: Ask God to make his reality in your life through faith in Jesus evident to those who know you well.
Do: Read in Daniel 3 how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego risked their lives to stand up for God—and how God used that choice to make his power obvious to everyone.