No 26

(Decisiveness, the Shrew, Daniel)

Decisiveness is a character trait that we should all strive to possess. In nature, the shrew, that is only 3 inches long, shows this trait well just by doing the normal things that God has endowed it with. It is highly active and has a voracious appetite in that it will eat almost anything – from mice to carrion of the worst condition. It eats twice its own weight in a 24-hour period and it could starve if it goes without eating for 7 hours. Its very survival depends on its decisiveness! From the day it is born, the shrew engages decisively in a race to maintain life.

The beloved Daniel in the Bible had much decisiveness when he was taken captive to the land of Babylon and he was probably only a teenager at the time. There are 4 distinct occasions where he showed decisiveness in his life in this foreign country. 1) Choice of food. He didn’t eat the food that was given him. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat” Dan 1:8. 2) Interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Even if the outcome of the dream was extremely pessimistic, Daniel did not back down from telling the king that he would lose his kingdom for seven years “That they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field” Dan 4: 25. 3) Interpretation at King Belchazzar’s feast. The end result of the explanation of the writing on the wall was a forecast of danger; yet, Daniel did not hesitate to give the meaning of the words “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” Dan 5:25. Within 24 hours of the interpretation, King Belchazzar was killed by the Medes and the Persians. 4) Prayer to God. Even though Daniel was many miles from Jerusalem, he still prayed to the Lord three times a day “found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.” Dan 6:11. King Darius was tricked into signing a decree that no one was to ask anything of any other god but the king himself. Daniel prayed even though he knew the consequences. He was thrown into a lion’s den and as we know, the Lord preserved him. May we all have decisiveness in our daily lives.