Bible characters like Daniel encourage us and show us how to live. We still need "Daniels" today--men and women who have convictions and the courage to stand for them even when it involves sacrifice or unpopularity.

My father, Dr. M. R. De Haan, was just such a man. Oh, he wasn't perfect. He was human. He had his faults. Some people even thought of him as stubborn. But he was a man of the Book. He was a man of conviction. And he was a man of courage.

It was 30 years ago, on December 13, 1965, that my father went home to be with the Lord. Yet I can recall his words to me on one occasion as if he said them only yesterday. Accenting his statement by pounding his fist on his desk, he said, "Richard, I don't care if the whole world differs with me. I must do what's right. I must act according to my convictions!"

Of course, we must be careful to make sure our beliefs are properly grounded. But once we are certain of that, we should be like Daniel, who not only had convictions but the courage to stand for them.

Today, when you are tempted to compromise your principles, don't give in. Dare to be a Daniel!  — Richard De Haan