Daniel 2:48 (NKJV) Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
From the above Scripture, we see that instead of being killed, Daniel was promoted to be the ruler over the province of Babylon and the chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylonia. His rewards were due to the revelation that God had given to him. Daniel’s promotion came from God.
God encourages us to seek Him for wisdom when facing trials (James 1:5). There is more than sufficient wisdom from God to help us through every circumstance, but we must begin in faith by believing that this wisdom is available and that we will receive it from Him when we ask. Daniel’s faith and confidence stem from his relationship with God. If we want to be confident that we have heard from God, we must develop the godly habit of seeking His face daily, rather than turning to Him only in emergencies.
The practice of coming before God daily will not only keep us humble, teachable and mouldable by God, but also enable us to have the right attitude before God and men. Do you know what the difference is in our attitude when we are promoted because God has given us the wisdom? It keeps us humble because we know that God is the source of the answer or wisdom and not us. On the contrary, if we think that our own wisdom and abilities, apart from God, have earned us the promotion, we will be proud and full of ourselves instead of giving glory to God.
Psalm 75:6-7 (NKJV) For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.
The above Scripture reveals to us that God will promote or demote us. God judges us. He knows our thoughts and the intent of the heart, which might not always align with God. Most of the time, the purpose of the heart is very self-seeking and self-serving unless it is subjected to the Lordship of Christ.
It is unwise to be promoted before we are ready for the position. One needs to appreciate the preparation, training, and equipping process that precedes the promotion. Sometimes, we may not be prepared for a particular role due to a lack of experience or character, or we may not be ready emotionally to handle the role and lead the team. We will either fail or have to repeat specific experiences if we quicken the process without the necessary preparation. The experience of yesterday is preparation for tomorrow. If the Lord has brought us to be trained and moulded for a greater purpose and plan, we need to be humble and learn as much as we can while we wait for the promotion.
Sermon Series：Promotion Comes From God
等候神的提升
但以理书 2:48 于是王高抬但以理，赏赐他许多上等礼物，派他管理巴比伦全省，又立他为总理，掌管巴比伦的一切哲士。
从这段经文中我们看到，但以理不仅没有被处死，反而被擢升为巴比伦全省的总督，并统管所有哲士。这一切奖赏都源于神赐给他的启示——但以理的提升全然出于神。
神鼓励我们在试炼中向祂寻求智慧（雅各书 1:5）。祂的智慧足够带我们度过任何困境，但我们必须以信心为起点：相信这智慧必为我们存留，只要祈求就必得着。但以理的信心源于他与神亲密的关系。若想确知自己听见神的声音，就必须养成每日寻求神面的敬虔习惯，而非仅在危急时才转向祂。
每日来到神面前的操练，不仅使我们保持谦卑、受教、可被塑造的生命状态，更能帮助我们在神和人面前持守正确态度。你可曾想过，当提升是源于神所赐的智慧时，我们的心态有何不同？这使我们保持谦卑，因为我们深知答案和智慧的源头是神而非自己。相反，若我们认为晋升是凭自己的聪明才干，而非出于神的恩典，就很容易陷入骄傲自满，将荣耀归给自己而非神。
诗篇 75:6-7 因为高举非从东，非从西，也非从南而来；唯有神断定，祂使这人降卑，使那人升高。
以上经文启示我们，升迁或降卑都在神的手中。因为祂是审判我们的主。祂鉴察我们的意念和心中的动机，而这些动机并不总是与神的心意一致。人在未将内心降服于基督的主权之前，内心的动机往往是以自我为中心、自我图利的。
在我们尚未预备好之前就被提升，是一件不明智的事。我们需要珍惜在被提升之前所经历的预备、操练与装备的过程。有时候，我们可能因为缺乏经验或品格尚未成熟，还没有预备好承担某个角色；又或是情绪上仍不够稳健，难以胜任该职分或带领团队。若我们在尚未被充分预备时便急于进入下一阶段，就可能面临失败，或不得不再次经历某些过程以弥补不足。昨日的经历，正是为明天的使命所作的预备若是主带领我们进入被训练与塑造的季节，为着祂更高的计划，我们就当存谦卑受教的心，在等候中竭力学习，好迎接神所命定的提升。
讲章系列：晋升来自神
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