Daniel 6:24, "At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones." Proverbs 14:30, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

Think

Daniel was one of 123 government officials appointed by King Darius. Impressed by Daniel's exceptional qualities, Darius boasted to everyone that Dan was the man and he was promoting him to be the top dog over the entire kingdom. Jolted by jealousy, the other officials plotted out a scheme for Daniel's demise. Their plan worked. Daniel was thrown into the lion's den while they gave each other high fives and fist bumps. But, the celebration was short-lived. Imagine their jaws dropping and the blood draining from their faces as Daniel emerged from the lion's den well-rested and unscathed. Uh-oh! They messed with the wrong dude. God was for Daniel, and they were enemies of God. What comes around goes around! And as we read in today's verse, an envy-filled heart - literally in this case - will come back to bite us in the end. Jealousy dishonors God by saying, "I don't trust You, because I deserve more than You've given me." By focusing on what we don't have, we're missing out on God's best for our lives. But we don't have to. Jealousy ends where love begins. So let's set our sights on pleasing God by thanking Him for what we have, celebrating others, and learning contentment through the joy and peace that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.

Act

Do something special for someone today. Even something as simple as an encouraging text, a compliment, or a random act of kindness can turn your heart around.

Pray

Father God, I am so grateful for the countless blessings You have poured out upon my life. Forgive me when I complain about what I don't have or compare myself to others. Today help me to put the needs of others first and to extend Your love and grace to all I encounter.