As we covered chapter 4 in Daniel this week, I was struck by the kindness Daniel displayed to such a wicked king. Just a few chapters ago, this king had thrown Daniel’s three best friends in a fiery furnace! This king had also previously threatened to kill all the wise men, including Daniel himself!
All in all, we don’t see the best track record of kindness toward Daniel from King Nebuchadnezzar. But, we do see a striking kindness coming from Daniel as he delivers this bad news about the king’s dream.
Daniel spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar out of love. And as we see in chapter 4, speaking what this dream meant was not easy for Daniel.
All of this made me think about the call Jesus gave to “love our enemies” (Matthew 5:44), and what that looks like. In a way, Daniel was living that out. King Nebuchadnezzar, even after being warned, chose to deliberately turn his back on God and take all the credit for the might of his kingdom. At that point, he was an enemy.
But through it all, Daniel remained compassionate and empathetic - showing extraordinary love to someone that was not so easy to love in the first place.
Who in your life do you consider “hard to love?”
No doubt you have spent time and energy trying to convince this person of their wrongs or to point them to truth…but more often than not, they just won’t hear it.
Look how much proof was given to King Nebuchadnezzar of the existence and supremacy of God…yet he still chose to turn his back on the Creator of it all. He watched three men walk out of a fiery furnace unharmed, yet he continued prideful boasting of his abilities.
Maybe that person in your life will never truly acknowledge the wrong they’ve done or say they’re sorry for the hurt they’ve caused…but could you love them anyway?
Could you show care, kindness and compassion like Daniel?
That kind of love - for our enemies - is the hardest of all to live out in our walk with Christ. But nonetheless, we are called to it.
In facing one of my own “enemies,” a person who had hurt me to the depths of my heart…I remember the first thing God asked me to do was pray. He knew that my wound was so deep, I wouldn’t necessarily be able to forgive right on the spot. But He asked me to pray. He said, “would you pray for her?” And once I opened my heart to that, He began to heal me more and more until the forgiveness came, only because I had experienced His great grace.
As you think of the person who has hurt you this week, open your heart to the idea of prayer and heartfelt compassion. Ask God what that might look like for you. Remember that God is gentle with our broken hearts, and He knows the wounds we still carry. Lean into His compassionate grace as you turn around and show that compassion to others. If Daniel could do it, so can we.
All in all, we don’t see the best track record of kindness toward Daniel from King Nebuchadnezzar. But, we do see a striking kindness coming from Daniel as he delivers this bad news about the king’s dream.
Daniel spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar out of love. And as we see in chapter 4, speaking what this dream meant was not easy for Daniel.
All of this made me think about the call Jesus gave to “love our enemies” (Matthew 5:44), and what that looks like. In a way, Daniel was living that out. King Nebuchadnezzar, even after being warned, chose to deliberately turn his back on God and take all the credit for the might of his kingdom. At that point, he was an enemy.
But through it all, Daniel remained compassionate and empathetic - showing extraordinary love to someone that was not so easy to love in the first place.
Who in your life do you consider “hard to love?”
No doubt you have spent time and energy trying to convince this person of their wrongs or to point them to truth…but more often than not, they just won’t hear it.
Look how much proof was given to King Nebuchadnezzar of the existence and supremacy of God…yet he still chose to turn his back on the Creator of it all. He watched three men walk out of a fiery furnace unharmed, yet he continued prideful boasting of his abilities.
Maybe that person in your life will never truly acknowledge the wrong they’ve done or say they’re sorry for the hurt they’ve caused…but could you love them anyway?
Could you show care, kindness and compassion like Daniel?
That kind of love - for our enemies - is the hardest of all to live out in our walk with Christ. But nonetheless, we are called to it.
In facing one of my own “enemies,” a person who had hurt me to the depths of my heart…I remember the first thing God asked me to do was pray. He knew that my wound was so deep, I wouldn’t necessarily be able to forgive right on the spot. But He asked me to pray. He said, “would you pray for her?” And once I opened my heart to that, He began to heal me more and more until the forgiveness came, only because I had experienced His great grace.
As you think of the person who has hurt you this week, open your heart to the idea of prayer and heartfelt compassion. Ask God what that might look like for you. Remember that God is gentle with our broken hearts, and He knows the wounds we still carry. Lean into His compassionate grace as you turn around and show that compassion to others. If Daniel could do it, so can we.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.