The Island-Fish

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  “O ye passengers, whom may God preserve! come up quickly in to the ship, hasten to embark, and leave your merchandise, and flee with your lives, and save yourselves from destruction; for this apparent island, upon which ye are, is not really an island, but it is a great fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the sea, and the sand hath accumulated upon it, so that it hath become like an island, and trees have grown upon it since times of old; and when ye lighted the fire upon it, the fish felt the heat, and put itself in motion, and now it will descend with you into the sea, and ye will all be drowned: then seek for yourselves escape before destruction, and leave the merchandise.—The passengers, therefore, hearing the words of the master of the ship, hastened to go up into the vessel, leaving the merchandise, and their other goods, and their copper cooking-pots, and their fire-pots; and some reached the ship, and others reached it not. The island had moved, and descended...

Daniel: Spiritual Vitality in a Secular Setting

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Daniel is the model of a leader who preserved spiritual integrity within a hostile environment. Here are some principles for strengthening spiritual leadership while serving through unstable and unfavorable circumstances:

TAKE YOUR STAND: Daniel took God’s name on himself, being identified as a child of Israel (1:3). “Daniel purposed in his heart” (1:8) not to misrepresent God. He kept the 1st through 4th commandments forcibly! This is the foundation upon which the rest of his life was built. He knew what he stood for, his convictions.

KNOW YOUR “WHY”: Daniel’s “why” was his love for God. This defined his values. Under pressure, he was able to lean on his “why” and not defile himself. Daniel was among those “in whom there was no blemish . . . gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand” (Daniel 1:4) which indicates he had a solid “why” to think and act as he did--his purity got him noticed.

FIND YOUR PURPOSE: Only after Daniel and his friends had proven themselves with knowledge, skill and wisdom were they brought before the king, “and among them all none was found like Daniel . . .” (1:19) being “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in all his realm” (1:20). Daniel was considered a spiritual leader (2:16)--but which kind would become clear throughout his life.

KEEP YOUR FOCUS: The world has many points of view but Daniel’s focus was from God’s infinite viewing point. Daniel was consistent. He is often found praying and spending time with God was priority. The result was that he spoke clearly, plainly from God’s perspective and addressed matters-at-hand. This focus equipped him with the strength to stand firm in the midst of conflict.

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