Daniel

July 31

Daniel 6:13-24

The den of lions

King Darius had been talked into signing a law which said that anyone caught praying would be thrown to the lions.

However, Daniel still prayed three times a day—as he had done before. When Daniel’s enemies saw him praying, they immediately went to tell King Darius. The king was very upset because he liked Daniel and because he couldn’t change the law he had signed. So Daniel was arrested and thrown into a den of hungry lions. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve so faithfully keep you safe from the lions.” Then the den was sealed with a huge stone.

King Darius went back to his palace, but he couldn’t eat or sleep the whole night. Very early the next morning, he hurried to the den and called, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God been able to keep you safe?”

To the king’s great relief, Daniel answered; “O king! My God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so they wouldn’t hurt me because I had done no wrong.”

Was Daniel afraid of the lions?

God has made us with emotions, which include the feeling of joy, love, anger… and fear! If God let us have these emotions, they cannot be bad. Each emotion has a purpose. Yet, we must be careful that our feelings don’t keep us from honouring and obeying God.

Fear becomes a problem when it keeps us from doing what is right. However, the Bible tells us that love drives out fear. When we love God, we trust Him, and when we trust Him, we are sure of His protection (see 1 John 4:18). Yes, Daniel may have been afraid of the lions, and if he was, his fear made his faith in God stronger than ever! Even David, who seemed fearless, wrote in a psalm, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you” Psalm 56:3.

What makes us brave is not the danger we face, but the choice we make not to run and hide.

Verse for today 

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. Psalm 22:21