I was hoping today's focal verses in our Read the Bible Through plan included something referring to thanksgiving and there it is. We begin reading about Daniel today, a man in whom nothing bad is found. He was a man of prayer and faithfulness, someone who should inspire us today to pray without ceasing regardless of the circumstances.

I've determined a "new" and interesting fact about the word of God. I am of the opinion that praise and thanksgiving can be found in every page turn of Scripture. Not only was thanksgiving spoken in prayer, but it was regularly lived out by men and women of Bible times. I therefore conclude it is a good for us to thank the Lord at all times and in everything.

Daniel was taken in captivity by the nation of Babylon, what most scholars believe is today's nation of Iraq still thriving in Mesopotamia north of Israel. Daniel had three friends who along with the entire nation were expected to live out their lives as slaves to the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Not a lot of reason for Daniel and his friends to be thankful, but they did it anyway.

Daniel's prayer in chapter two followed revelation of the meaning of the king's dream. Daniel prayed in thanksgiving for the fact God revealed the meaning to him, not for what the information would do for him. That's not the way we pray I'm afraid.

By what God has revealed in Scripture to us, we have knowledge of things even kings desire but can't realize. We know why things happen, many times when they will happen and what action on our part can change the course of events when those things are bad. If it seems this is an oversimplification, you're right! But the fact is we have more information than Daniel, but seldom thank God and act on we know to be true. If Daniel is known as a man of thanksgiving, prayer and faith, I fear our generation will be known as one of self-centeredness, no prayer and fear.

Daniel had no reason to think things would get better. In fact, things got worse for a while before they got better. But I imagine Daniel's faith, while under extreme testing, never wavered. We know Daniel prayed at least three times a day and we know he was not afraid of anyone, even when they had power to hurt him.

We also know that God rewarded Daniel with a seat of honor, but I suspect Daniel would have thanked God if he'd made him clean toilets for the rest of his life. He was just that kind of man: grateful and God-fearing, never allowing his heart to get hard, but remaining soft and pliable for God to impress. Proverbs 28:14 says trouble always follows a man with a hard heart. Well trouble also followed Daniel, but think about this: it never gained ground. One can only conclude that thanksgiving keeps trouble at bay.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Dn. 1:1-2:23 1 Pt. 3:10-4:6 Ps. 119:71-80 Pr. 28:14 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

Copyright © 1998-2004 James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries
All Rights Reserved