“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” Daniel 6:3 (NKJV). The very spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells within you as a believer in Christ! His distinguished spirit of excellence lives through you!
The biblical meaning of Excellence/Excellent according to Strong's concordance: Distinguished, something valuable, a product of fruit, pleasant, precious fruit, honorable, surpassing and most noble. Excellent is something that excels, goes beyond, predominates! Daniel stood out not because of the physical but by his excellent spirit. Not a work of the flesh but of the Spirit! Daniel was not a man who thought of himself with a body possessing a spirit, he thought of himself within the spiritual realm possessing a body. Daniel was a man of nobility and revealed a heart who was captivated and yielded to God.
Daniel, a man of excellent spirit was a man of purpose, a man of prayer, a man of perception, a man of power. "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat," (Daniel 1:8). During a tumultuous time of exile from their homeland, Daniel and many were surrounded by a very sinful culture. They were forced from their homeland to hostility. Laws were even passed only to worship the Persian king. Thousands may have drifted away during adversity but Daniel purposed in his heart he would not take the bait and indulge in the enticements and the king's delicacies. Daniel could have quit under constant peer pressure, but he put his trust in God. God trusted Daniel and had given him very sensitive visions and influence with earthly kings. Is it possible the Holy Spirit could be positioning you to carry the promise, reflecting a spirit of excellence to speak into those with earthly influence?
Daniel was surrounded by ungodly peer pressure among a wicked culture. How did Daniel walk through this in a noble, uncompromising way? Here are some of Daniel's influencing attributes manifesting a spirit of excellence:
1. "Daniel Purposed in His heart that he would not defile himself....." Daniel 1:8
2. Daniel was a man highly esteemed. Daniel 10:19 (NIV)
3. Daniel was a man of prayer and thanksgiving. "Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10 (NIV)
4. Daniel was a man of wisdom and discretion. "...Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion." Daniel 2:14 (NLTSE)
5. Daniel was able to risk everything even his own life because he trusted God! Daniel 6:20-23 (NIV)
We can learn from Daniel's life during a very tumultuous time of sin-filled peer pressure. Daniel trusted God, prayed throughout the day, and purposed in his heart to be uncompromising, using discretion. God granted Daniel favor with earthly kings and was a man of great influence. A spirit of excellence was on Daniel's life!
A leader is not necessarily one of position but a person of influence. What would a believer's life look like influenced fully by the Holy Spirit? Through the power of the Holy Spirit your influence comes forth. We can see a divine key to stay built up by praying in the Holy Spirit in Jude. "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." Jude 20 (NIV)
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the very spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living within you! The Holy Spirit Excellency is already within you! It's never too late to embrace His fullness! You’re His royal child!
We love you,
Pastors Ed and Patty
Outpouring ChurchFebruary 20, 2018
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Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion [to bring accusation] against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault, for he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion [to bring accusation] against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. [Acts 24:13-21; I Pet. 4:12-16.] Then these presidents and satraps came [tumultuously] together to the king and said to him, King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted and agreed that the king should establish a royal statute and make a firm decree that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered. So King Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. [Ps. 5:7.] Then these men came thronging [by agreement] and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near and said before the king concerning his prohibitory decree, Have you not signed an edict that any man who shall make a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed or repealed. Then they said before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not regard or pay any attention to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed [over what he had done] and set his mind on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the sun went down to rescue him. Then these same men came thronging [by agreement] to the king and said, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed or repealed. Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, May your God, Whom you are serving continually, deliver you! [Ps. 34:7, 19; 37:39, 40; 50:15.] And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that there might be no change of purpose concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting, neither were instruments of music or dancing girls brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den and to Daniel, he cried out in a voice of anguish. The king said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, Whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions? Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever! My God has sent His angel and has shut the lions' mouths so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent and blameless before Him; and also before you, O king, [as you very well know] I have done no harm or wrong. [II Tim. 4:17.]
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