If anyone needed help in time of trouble, it was Daniel. These verses find him sentenced to a pit of lions for praying to and worshiping God as the bible tells us in Daniel 6:13-18.
The administrators set to serve under the reign of King Darius were bent on removing Daniel from his seat. Daniel had found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar prior to King Darius’ reign through his interpretation of dreams and godly wisdom. So, they convinced the king to issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, “O king, shall be thrown into the lion’s den” (Daniel 6:7). The king, unaware that the “royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed", did not include Daniel, consented.
The rest is history. We read the infamous story of Daniel’s bravery in the face of his choice to worship the Lord over the law, as 6:10 tells us. Then, in Daniel 6:14 the king is distraught over the decree he was tricked into issuing, nevertheless sealed Daniel into the lion’s den as verse 17 informs us. In verse 6:18 the king was unable to eat or sleep, and rushed to the den at dawn. “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” (V. 19, 20). “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions,” came Daniel’s reply from the den (V. 22). The decree was reversed, requiring all in the land to worship God, and those who had conspired against Daniel were themselves tossed into the lion’s den.
When we are pressed up against troubling times, let us look to Daniel’s example of how to gather strength in times of distress. Turning to God for justice and answers was not new territory for Daniel. It was habit. He prayed habitually. He looked to the Lord routinely. If we establish a daily habit of turning to God in our lives, it’s more likely to be our immediate reaction in times of trouble. There is no way around spending time with God: we must have a relationship with Him in order to experience His peace.
We must spend time in the Word. We must spend time in prayer. Pausing to look at our current situation in the light of His perspective is the essential path to taking hold of His peace. Christ died to give us full access to our great God. We can look to His Word, look up to Him in prayer, and embrace the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us.
The societal misconception is that we possess the strength to pull ourselves out of trouble. But, if we rely on our own strength, we’ll surely fail. It’s His strength that makes our salvation possible. Walking with Christ isn’t about striving for perfection, but straining towards submission.
Lord, may the story of Your angel, who shut the mouths of the lions, help us to remember Your power and promise. When we are in trouble, help us to remember the cross. In the most dire situation of all, Christ conquered death. In a quickly crumbling world, let us be shards of light. May we be peacekeepers, and extensions of Your love. We were not promised this world would be easy or fair, but You guarantee Your presence and Your love. Grant us courage to stick to Your standards. You are good, all the time.
As we work through what we are presently in, my hope is we explore the word unity. Hopefully, we put it into action during this time, by contacting a brother or sister at NBCC to see how they are doing, maybe pray with them, or just check on them. Let’s stay in Unity. God bless you and keep you. We love you.
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