What To Do When Everyone Is Against You?

What do you do when everyone is against you?

Daniel 6:1-10

This week is the week that the United States has set aside to have a Thanksgiving holiday. A day set aside to thank our Lord for His goodness toward us. A day to thank God for the food on the table, clothes on the back, and more blessings that we ever even realize.

But, would you celebrate a day of Thanksgiving if you were in this situation:

You were in a position of great importance and responsibility. You were very conscientious about your job and performed it to the best of your ability. The individual that you reported to was pleased with your efforts.

However, the ones under you, hated you because of your performance. They conspired against you to destroy your reputation, career, and life.

Because of their efforts, you had to make a choice being doing what you normally do or alter your pattern for life. Realizing that the choice could mean that you would lose your life. What would you do? Who you thank God for a day likes this or would you refrain from thanking Him?

In today passage, we see a man who endured this kind of day. He had to make a choice, which could determine how long he would be allowed to live. He made the choice and thanked the Lord for it.

What would you do? How would you handle it? Would you change your life to prevent damage? Would you alter your lifestyle? Would you crawl into a shell and hide? What or how would you handle it?

Let look at what Daniel endured. Lets examine his options. And, then lets see what and why he did what he did.

The Scriptures were written in order for us to learn and apply things to our lives so we might live for Christ. What can we learn from this experience of Daniel.

I. Government Makeup

In this passage, Darius, the king established the government order. He appointed three presidents to oversee 120 princes. The princes had a specific task in government as well as the presidents.

The princes were the individuals who ran the government on a day by day basis. They were the backbone of the government.

The presidents were over the princes for one particular reason. The president¡¦s job was to make sure that the princes did exactly what they were supposed to do so the King came to no losses. King Darius understood that a check system was necessary to keep people honest.

Daniel was one of the three presidents. However, Daniel enjoyed a special place because Darius considered him over all the other presidents and princes. Daniel had the primary place which carried the greatest influence with the King.

Unfortunately, Daniel¡¦s position with the king caused jealousy and envy with the other princes which conspired to remove him. Daniel was not liked by the princes because he was a man of integrity which kept the king from losing financial or otherwise.

Jealousy is a dangerous emotion, which brings harm to all that is involved. The princes and other presidents were jealous of Daniel¡¦s position.

Jealousy is when a person is envious of what God has blessed another individual with. Their desire is to have the same thing or get the thing that the other person has. The princes were jealous of the position and performance of Daniel.

KJV 1 Kings 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. 4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. 15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.