I’ve spent the last several days reading through the book of Daniel. I like to read through these shorter books frequently. Each time I see something new.
I had a dream last night that I was teaching a Bible Study on Daniel and his uncompromised stand for the things of the Lord. I pointed out that Daniel stood tall and strong in the face of adversity. Even when his life was threatened he would not compromise.
In that dream I was confronted by several people who had come there to challenge God’s Word and me as a teacher. I spoke to them with a calm, matter-of-fact, voice of authority. God’s word was flowing from my heart and I had no fear. WOW! Great dream of reassurance.
This is what I have learned from Daniel. Daniel lived as a captive in a kingdom that ignored and even detested God but his commitment to the Lord brought him to the king’s court and had him in a high place of leadership.
Being a godly man in a godless nation was no small challenge. He had enemies on every side trying to trip him up and catch him doing something wrong so they could discredit him before the king.
They finally succeeded, so they thought, and Daniel was found guilty of praying and for that horrible crime he was sentenced to what could have been a life sentence in the lions’ den. This really upset the king because he held Daniel in such high regard.
As Daniel was about to be thrown in to the den of lions, the king said
“So Darius ordered Daniel to be brought out and thrown into a pit of lions. But he said to Daniel, “You have been faithful to your God, and I pray that he will rescue you.” Daniel 6:16 CEV
An ungodly king saw something different in Daniel, something that no religion on earth had been able to manufacture. Daniel was confident in his relationship with the living God – not religion, not a set of rules but a true relationship of trust in Almighty God.
The king didn’t sleep that night because he was worried about Daniel and when he went early in the morning to check on Daniel this is what he found.
“At daybreak the king got up and ran to the pit. 20 He was anxious and shouted, “Daniel, you were faithful and served your God. Was he able to save you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! 22 My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me. Your Majesty, I have never done anything to hurt you.”
23 The king was relieved to hear Daniel’s voice, and he gave orders for him to be taken out of the pit. Daniel’s faith in his God had kept him from being harmed.” Daniel 6:19-23 CEV
Most of us will never face a physical lions’ den but we do face the lions of public opinion that would like to devour our reputation, our businesses, our children, our careers.
Is the God we serve able to deliver us from their claws and their jaws? There was no doubt in Daniel’s mind that He was. We can have that same confidence. It comes from relationship with the Father.
“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.
8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 9 But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. I Peter 5:7-9 CEV
I encourage you to grow in your relationship with Almighty God, your Heavenly Father, so you will have the confidence that you can face the lions, real or circumstantial, in your life.