DANIEL - Man of Integrity

We seem to live in a world void of integrity. I over heard two man talking in a restaurant one day. The one man sad to the younger man, "Integrity is everything. Once you have learned to fake it, everything else is easy."

The lack of integrity seems to permeate our world. We hear politicians promise us everything and deliver us nothing. We see integrity in the media when we see truths stretched and facts distorted in order to sell more air time. We see TV news create stories to get better ratings and newspaper plagiarizing articles and inventing stories in order to sell more copies. Haddon Robinson, pastor, preacher and professor of Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary recently wrote, "In our culture integrity seems as scarce as polar bears in the Sahara Desert."

You don't have to be a cynic to doubt the claims made to us every day by sincere voices with a straight face. During dinner at home the phone rings, "I'm calling on behalf of the telephone company to tell you about a new calling plan designed only to save you money." Right. "I'm calling to tell you about the new merger of two great banks that will cut costs, expand productivity, and provide our customers with even better service." Right. On a TV sports Chanel we hear, "You can be sure that this university has never offered a star high school athlete anything more than room and board." Right. In the TV commercial the young woman says, "Use our exercise machine just 10 minutes a day and you will lose twenty pounds in a month without dieting!" Right.

The lack of integrity really does seem to abound everywhere. While we face it here and now, the Prophet Daniel thousands of years ago faced it as well. Yet, despite all of the corruption surrounding him, he remained a man of integrity.

When you look at Daniel chapter six you quickly discover that Daniel displays four marks of integrity:

1. Excellent Attitude

2. Faithful Worker

3. Person of Purity

4. Walks with GOD

We see Daniel "distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps (governors) by his exceptional qualities. . . " verse 3. Then in verse 4 shows us that Daniel "was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent." These verses clearly point out that Daniel held an excellent attitude. It shows that he was a faithful and honest employee who was a hard worker. It shows he was a man of of purity. Daniel was suppose to be a man of 80 years old and yet the people who were trying to take Daniel down "could find no corruption in him" V.4. He had no skeletons hanging in his closet.

A read a story of a couple who went to a fast food chicken restaurant. The man ran in, while the woman waited in the car. He went in, ordered a bucket of chicken, paid cash for it, and

walked out to the car. Since the woman was driving he sat holding the bucket of chicken that they were taking for their intimate picnic in the park. Only a few blocks into the drive the man realized the bucket was not warm. He didn't smell the freshly fried chicken. Curious, he pried open the lid. And it was empty of chicken, but filled with a zipped money bag. The couple didn't know what to do. Instead of a bucket of chicken they got a bucket of cash. Pulled over against the curb they thought of all their options, liking keeping it. No one knew who they were and they could buy so many things with this cash. But they realized that this is dishonest so they turned the car around and went back to the restaurant.

The couple walked in and the man asked to see the manager. Looking rather haggard, the manager nonetheless met with the couple beside the counter. The man announced that instead of getting a bucket of chicken they got a bucket of cash and he opened the lid. The manager threw his arms around the couple thanking them. He thanked them repeatedly for was bringing the money back The manger explained that they had an exceptionally good day. They had been swamp all afternoon and he never had the opportunity to deposit the receipts. So he hid it in a chicken bucket until he could get to the bank. When he realized it was gone he was sick over it.

The manager was so elated that he told the young man, "Stick around, I want to call the newspaper and have them take your picture. You're the most honest guy in town!"

"Oh, don't bother.

"It's no bother - it's my pleasure", the manager said as he reached for the phone.

"Really don't bother - you don't understand - you see I'm married and the woman I'm with is not my wife."

We may look like honest people with great integrity. But it is not unusual to find a lot of corruption. Look hard enough, search long enough, dig deep enough and usually some dirt is discovered.

But not in Daniel. They found no corruption, no lack of integrity in this man. They discovered a man with an excellent attitude who was faithfully doing his job. They found an honest man with nothing to hide.

They people out to get Daniel also found a man who walked with GOD. Daily Daniel paused and prayed. And it was this very act that ultimately got him thrown into the lion's den.

Sometimes living a life of integrity gets us thrown into the lion's den. Short term we may face some problems. But in the long haul, we gain so much from GOD.

Daniel after spending the night in the lion's den was lifted out without a scratch. After we have been thrown to the lions we don't always escape unscathed. But always the final result is the greatest reward.

It seems we live in a world not too unlike Daniel's. It is corrupt. It lacks integrity. It is absent of honesty. But there is hope and it is the church. The church must be a place of integrity. The church, as individuals and as a community must display a life of integrity as we develop excellent attitudes, become faithful workers, live a pure and honest life, continually walk with GOD.

But I'm Tired

We grow tired of work and working. We get tired and bored of being at work. We get tired of being in school of doing home work and preparing for those weekly tests. We get tired of the monotonous job of doing house; of dusting, vacuuming and cleaning up. And we get sick and tired of being sick and tired. In our fatigue, we have a choice - give in to the exhaustion and quit - or dig in and keep going. We have a choice.

Noah had a choice - sort of. At age 500 GOD asked him to build an ark. Build at boat the Lord told him - not just any boat, a huge ship. So in the desert, Noah and his family began building the boat. Year round they worked together building the boat. For about 100 years they worked on building that ark. I'm sure, during all those years, they must have gotten tired of building that boat. I'm sure there were days when Noah said, "I quit - I've had enough!" But his family encouraged him to press on. And I'm sure his family must have felt like quiting also. And when they got tired of the project, when they felt like giving up, Noah was there encouraging them to continue. And give up they didn't. An impossible task, building a massive ship in the desert was successfully accomplished despite the many obstacles that got in their way.

There were probably times when Nehemiah was tired and fed up with the project and felt like giving up. Jerusalem had been conquered. The walled city had been penetrated. The walls, the massive defense system for the city was destroyed. Now, walking around the rubbled walls Nehemiah had a plan to rebuild the city's walls. And the plan succeeded. In 58 days the city walls were rebuilt! But during those days he ran into severe opposition. Nehemiah faced opposition from outside and in the city. The opposition was fierce. It would have been easy to give in to the critics, the nah sayers, the resistance. But he didn't give in when he was tired - he kept going and in less than 2 months time, something that was seen as being impossible was made possible and the glorious city walls were rebuilt.

During the days of Isaiah, the people Israel felt tired. They felt beaten down and discouraged. Weary, they were giving up; on life, on work, on GOD. Then Isaiah reminded them that GOD loved them. He reminded them that GOD gives strength to the weary. GOD increases power to the weak. Isaiah said, "GOD gives strength to the weary, and increases power to the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah encouraged the people, reminding them that GOD will truly give new strength and power to those who seek it. DO you need a little extra strength to get you through the day? Do you need added power to finish a difficult task? Do you need new strength to conquer the obstacles in your path to success?

Ernest Malinowski faced a challenge - build the highest railroad in the world. Many people tried building the railroad through the Andes Mountains of Peru. And all failed. Then the 60 year old Polish engineer, Ernest Malinowski was consulted. He examined the project and the obstacles and assured the representatives that the job could be done. When Malinowski turned 70 years old, he began overseeing the building of the highest railroad in the world.

The railroad wound its way through the Andes, through 62 tunnels and across 30 bridges. One tunnel was 4,000 feet long and 15,000 feet above sea level (Denver is about 5,000'). Beside the obvious construction difficulties one would have experienced building some thing this massive at these altitudes during the late 1800's Malinowski faced other obstacles, such as revolutions which held up construction twice. One time Malinowski had to flee the country for his own safety. So many obstacles. So many times he could have said, "I quit." So many days he could have said, "I'm tired" and given up on the project. After all he was in his 70's. But he didn't. In spite of all the obstacles, the feat was accomplished and is today considered one of the great engineering marvels of the world. Obstacles are meant to be hurdled over because GOD is giving us the strength to conquer and succeed.