Uncommon Courage

Hi, friends. Thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading was written by Jennifer Benson Schult, and she titled it Uncommon Courage. In 1478, Lorenzo de Medici, the ruler of Florence, Italy, escaped an attack on his life. His countrymen sparked a war when they tried to retaliate against the attack on their leader. As the situation worsened, the cruel king Ferrante, the first of Naples, became Lorenzo's enemy. But a courageous act by Lorenzo changed everything. He visited the king unarmed and alone.

This bravery, paired with his charm and brilliance, won Ferrante's admiration and ended the war. Daniel also helped a king experience a change of heart in Daniel chapter 2. No one in Babylon could describe or interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream. This made him so angry that he decided to execute all of his advisors, including Daniel and his friends. But Daniel asked to visit the king who wanted him dead. Standing before Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel gave God all the credit for revealing the mystery of the dream.

When the prophet described and deciphered it, Nebuchadnezzar honored the God of gods and the Lord of kings. Daniel's uncommon courage, which was born of his faith in God, helped him, his friends, and the other advisors avoid death that day. In our lives, there are times when bravery and boldness are needed to communicate important messages.

May God guide our words and give us the wisdom to know what to say and the ability to say it well. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Daniel chapter 2, verses 24 through 30. Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him. Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means. The king asked Daniel, also called Belteshazzar, Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it? Daniel replied, No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.

Your dream and the visions that pass through your mind as you were lying in bed are these. As your majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mystery showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that your majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for the courage you showed during your life on earth. Fill us with your wisdom and power when we face tense situations. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Alisha Reisinger, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.