Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Some events recorded in the Bible stand out and are easily remembered because of the vivid picture they imprint in one’s mind.  Daniel in the Lions den is one of them. 

In Daniel 6, the king who admired Daniel was hoodwinked into a plot to kill Daniel.  He had no choice but to follow through on his command.  But he hoped Daniel’s God would save him.  Daniel 6:16 reads: “The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” 

When God saved Daniel the king issued a decree that “in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”  That’s the power of one life wholly dedicated to and dependent upon God. 

Earlier in chapter 6 it says that those who opposed Daniel “tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so.  They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt or negligent.”  They concluded, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” 

They expected Daniel would not fail in his devotion to God.  They were so convinced they devised a scheme to entrap Daniel because of his faithfulness to God.  Knowing he prayed regularly they coerced the king to decree that anyone who prayed to any god or man except him would be thrown into the lion’s den.  They knew Daniel would not compromise. 

Daniel found strength through prayer to live and serve in an uncompromising way.  We too can find strength the same way.