14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

— John 17:14-15

8 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

19 And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

— Daniel 1:8, 19-20

20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.

22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

— Daniel 2:20, 22, 47

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

The Book of Daniel vividly depicts Daniel and his three friends, as captivated Jewish exiles in Babylon, were unreservedly obedient to God in every circumstance. God honors God. As they remained faithful to God, their Lord blessed them with “knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.” They were not of the world, but they were in the world. In a less-than-ideal environment, they came to understand the culture of the unbelieving world while remaining faithful to God. Because they were steadfast in the small things, God blessed them with bigger things.

God also gave Daniel an extraordinary and supernatural gift of understanding visions and dreams. This gift would serve not only his captor king and this Gentile nation but also God’s faithful people of all generations, as the rest of this prophetic book of Daniel confirms. Through Daniel’s prophetic voice, God would speak His truth to His people about His eternal plans. God gives strength and encouragement to His exiled people through Daniel and his three friends. At the conclusion of their training with Chaldean language and culture, they excelled and entered the king’s service. There they unfailingly testified to king and the dark Gentile world that their God is the One and only true God deserving all the worship and glory.