The book of Daniel paints a portrait of a man throughout his entire life. It is a snapshot of how to trust and serve God faithfully even when ripped away from all you have known and loved. He is the example of how to honor God even in the middle of a corrupt world and how to persevere in hope even with no immediate solutions to the problems that normally drag people down, and cause despair and depression. Daniel was neither depressed nor in despair. He was steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord—never forsaking His roots or His God. Faithful in all His ways.

Daniel was among those young men of the royal family (probably 10-18 years old) removed from their homes when King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. The King took them with him to serve him in his court. The young men were chosen because of their physical appearance, wisdom and intelligence. Each of the captives had to pass a 3-year course in Babylonian language and literature. Amazingly, Daniel and his friends were found to be 10 times wiser than the most experienced wise men and magicians in that kingdom. Daniel was especially well known for his wisdom.

Daniel is know for his faithful purity

From the very beginning of the exile, Daniel chose not to defile himself with the king’s food. It would have made him ceremonially UNclean. He also defied the orders to worship the king. Daniel and his friends had ample opportunity to fall into error, yet there is nothing recorded that they did so. Daniel stood firm in his faith in dietary regulations and worship practices. He was faithful to God Most High. The entire time in captivity, he continued his regular practice of praying to God. His political opponents tried to find something wrong with Daniel, but they could NOT. So all they could think of was to make it illegal for him to obey His God. They were successful with that edict from the king and Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den.

The Lion’s Den

Daniel’s ministry spanned the entire 70 years of captivity. King #4 (King Cyrus) then decreed the Israelite exiles could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. So we can figure that Daniel was probably in his 80’s when he was thrown into the Lion’s Den. There are many twists and turns in the story of Daniel as he served under 4 different kings in Babylon. Even today, he continues to be a great role model.

Characteristics of a Golden Retriever
And how it applies to Daniel in particular

He is a godly young man. Loyal to only ONE GOD and does not compromise. He has only one MASTER and he seeks him out regularly, spending time in devoted worship and prayer throughout the day. He is a good listener and responds with wisdom to what is spoken. He seeks for ways to feel secure and also please those around him, without compromising his values. He finds ways to manage change, which took great people-skills as he ended up serving 4 different kings.

• Dependable – He proved that in every way in his captivity.
• Not driven by emotion – He was calm and deliberate. Predictable.
• Faithful – He was trustworthy and loyal to his God even in a decadent society.
• Fears loss of security – He created routine, and he knew his God was predictable. He finds his security in his God.
• People person – He was very good with people, even those he disagreed with.
• “How Can I please you?” – From interpreting dreams to accepting responsibilities in a foreign land, he seeks to do an excellent job.
• He is uncompromising —trusting God in all things – even in the lions den.
• He was greatly loved and had influence over his captives, to the point that they trusted him.

What about you? I’m only guessing about Daniel, but I believe him to be a Golden Retriever. Studying personality types can be a great way to understand each other and help us each realize why we do the things we do…why we see things so differently and how we can be in the exact same situation as someone else and each of us walk away with an entirely different interpretation of what happened.

Have you wondered why you do what you do? Do you ever find yourself wishing you were different? Perhaps you would benefit from exploring which personality type God has given you. So you can KNOW, EMBRACE AND ENJOY your life to all the fullness God intended.
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Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

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Awaiting His shout,


Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com