When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. (Daniel 2:14)

Daniel was scheduled to be executed along with all the wise men in Babylon’s court. Daniel was an exiled Jew who had proven himself valuable to the Babylon elite through his wisdom and prowess. Yet, because a few of his Babylonian colleagues couldn’t meet the King’s unrealistic expectations, they were all to be sacked (i.e. executed). Read the entire story in Daniel 2, but here is an outline of Daniel’s strategy to save not only his neck, but that of his colleagues’ as well. Try these steps next time you’re up against a challenge bigger than yourself:

1. Don’t panic.
2. Ask for more information. Get the context.
3. Go directly to the source and respectfully ask to buy time.
4. Ask your friends to pray! (This precludes that you orbit with praying people.)
5. Trust God for a download.
6. When the download arrives, give thanks where thanks is due.
7. Stay humble. Daniel said, “I am not wiser than anyone else.” He explained that he simply had connections with the King of the Universe.
8. Put in a good word for God to your superiors! They need Him as much as you do.
9. Use the pronoun “we” not “I” when explaining how you solved the problem. You asked your friends to pray, and their prayers brought this victory, not just you. It was a team effort.

Father,

I want the kind of access to Your wisdom that Daniel had. Help me to pay the price Daniel paid in prayer, love for you, and study of your Word and your ways. Grant me a willing spirit to walk with you day by day, partnering with you, pursuing godly friends, seeking your wisdom, always giving you glory, and, with your supernatural wisdom, bringing solutions to those in need all around me.

Amen