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"DANIEL DARED TO DO RIGHT." "Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; FORASMUCH AS HE WAS FAITHFUL, neither was there any error or fault found in him." (Daniel 6:3-4) (caps mine)The great truth we learn from this whole chapter is how one's unwavering faith, coupled with righteous living will be victorious over deceit and danger. Amidst adversity, Daniel's devotion to God does not waver, demonstrating that when faced with trials, a steadfast faith can lead to God's intervention and justice. It reaffirms the surety of our Lord's power and His protective hand over those who serve Him with an undivided heart.Throughout the pages of the Bible, the Lord gives all of us a glimpse of some of His Giants of the Faith who stayed the course of dependability, and this man Daniel certainly stood head and shoulders tall when it came to reliability in his testimony.Now, we learn from the Book that bears his name, how Daniel, the servant of God, was being criticized day in and day out for his words, his works, his worship, and his wisdom. Yet, he remained faithful and true every moment even though that bunch of unfaithful political phonies kept nipping at his heels with criticism.Oh, how we need more people with a Daniel-like faithfulness and steadfastness. Daniel never budged one inch while those overly zealous and obviously jealous thugs criticized him. And yes, that decree those phonies cooked up because of their jealously which gave birth to their criticism of Daniel, was signed by king Darius. He later regretfully signed it, but it ultimately led to Daniel's overnight stay in the lion's den. And there he is praying anyway, and no doubt I believe was followed by a good night's sleep.You know folks, far too many Christians today are fearful of criticism from those close to them. They remind me of Esau. They would rather give in to the world and give up their born again birthright instead of hungering to do right and stay right. They're the ones found trading in their convictions for a bowl filled with that self-satisfying soup of compromise, which is salted with deceit, stirred with a big spoon of criticism, and served up from a giant pot of jealously.There are only three ways to avoid criticism, and that's to say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing! But not Daniel. By faith Daniel dared to do all, say all, and be all for the Glory of God.Friends, as we continue along on that straight and narrow road, may we ever be on the lookout for those various enemies of God we will indeed encounter. As it was for Daniel, their number one desire for Christians these days is to silence us, sideline us, and yes, even slay us because of our stand for Jesus Christ.