Read Daniel 6:19-28
Daniel trusted God with his life. God showed up and closed the mouths of the lions. Those lions had to be hungry because our passage tells us, in descriptive fashion, how the people thrown in the den right after Daniel were devoured. Isn’t our God amazing?
We’re told the king went to the lion’s den “very early” the next morning to check on Daniel. We were told in our last reading that the king couldn’t sleep and spent the night fasting. Clearly, he was distraught with having to place his asset, Daniel, in harm’s way.
Can you imagine the king’s relief when he heard Daniel’s voice and saw him without even a scratch! Deep down, I believe the king knew Daniel’s God would protect Daniel. But because he wasn’t a true believer, he wouldn’t understand or comprehend Daniel’s devotion or God’s power.
Do we really understand how powerful God is? We can declare with our mouths that he is the creator of all that exists, that his power raised Jesus from the dead, that he is all-knowing and omnipotent. Are we able to wrap our minds around God’s mightiness? Our own human minds are limited in our understanding, and that’s okay. God knows our limitations and loves us anyway.
God simply wants our devotion. That means we will seek him, listen to him, and obey. That can be hard when God’s desires run contrary to popular thought of our day. Sometimes it’s hard to find God with all the distractions crowding in around us.
Even when we cannot see, God is always working. We can’t even fathom the entire majesty of God. Our awe could not be contained if we had a more complete understanding. In times of despair and uncertainty, clinging to God’s power and our faith and trust in his love for us can help sustain us. That’s what Daniel did during his overnight stay with the lions. He was clinging to his trust in God because his life depended on it!
We don’t have to wait until a life-or-death crisis overtakes us to rely on God. We can put our trust in him as we face each new day. Our happy ending will be just as sweet. Our perfect reward is eternity with God one day.
God sent his son, Jesus, to bring our salvation and promise of an eternal kingdom. King Darius proclaimed it centuries before. Such a beautiful tribute to God, don’t you agree?
“For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
I couldn’t help but remember how King Nebuchadnezzar had similarly gushed over Daniel’s God a couple chapters back. Isn’t it wonderful that non-believers recognize the power of God? This king even proclaimed that everyone in his kingdom should recognize God’s power. How cool is that?
Imagine if a world leader today made such a declaration! That thought almost blows my mind a little. I can’t fathom it, but boy would it be great. If everyone was following God, we’d see unity like what Paul describes in Ephesians 4:3-4. “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.” Someday we’ll be living out our glorious hope.
Let’s pray. Lord, I look forward to the day when everyone is united together; the body of Christ will be complete. Until that day, Lord, fill me and sustain me through whatever comes my way. In the good and bad, I want to be focused on your majesty and my happy ending with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
