There May be a Hungry Lion Ahead!

If at all possible try and read Daniel 6: 1-28.  The passage is too long to post for one sitting, but surely, we all can stop for a minute and read this most popular account of the faithful Daniel who stays true to the ways of God and yet has been accused of wrong doing.

Have you ever been falsely accused of something and found yourself in a predicament? I have, more than once. Daniel is not falsely accused but his decision to worship God has been challenged, thus making him appear the enemy of the King.  What an excellent book for young boys and young men to study, memorizing portions for the road ahead which may be full of temptation. Getting to know Daniel is a step closer in getting to know our God because everything Daniel did was a reflection of his God.

Da 6:3-5 “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Even King Darius believed in Daniel, not His God, but in him, as a man and leader. The Bible records this faith in verse 16, "Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”  Daniel had been thrown into the lion’s den. Did you get that? King Darius believed that Daniel’s God would deliver him.

I wonder if people who do not know the Savior have that kind of confidence in us as we live for God working side by side with them, shopping with them, etc.  Do we point people to the cross or are we hypocrites trying to live a double life to please all people. Daniel was a man full of integrity and exemplified the great God. Oh I fear at the judgment that God will look at me and hand me some medicine that I surely fear to swallow. Yes, our sins are forgiven, but so many times we have consequences that follow those forgiven sins.  On this journey to know Him, we must realize that God cannot lie and will not tolerate unrighteous living. He loves us and so desires for us to “be ye Holy as I am Holy” even to being thrown to the lions in full confidence in His will for our lives.

Praise the Lord for Daniel’s faith in God. He could have just done as the decree proclaimed, but he very quietly but not secretly continued to bow and worship God as the Bible records in verse 10, Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Pull over and think about this. Even King Darius stated to Daniel that he believed God would deliver him, but when he sheepishly went to the den the next morning, verse 20 states…..”he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”

People watch us closely sometimes, to falsely accuse us or to trap us but at other times to see what we will actually do when the lions are at our front door! In this journey we face the enemy but we must realize that we serve a real, live God who is greater than that enemy and He controls the mouth of the lion! Never should we address Satan for fear that he may answer us. Tell God because He is the one in control of all, even ole’ slew foot!

One last pit stop to think about…….These jealous, greedy men (you do realize that people may be jealous of you) set out to do evil, but evil came back much more heavily on them than did the damage they sought for Daniel. I cry in my Spirit as I read the account in verse 24, “And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.”

Did you get that?  These precious wives and children had to die at the mouths of the lions because of the sin of their dad and husband! To the Living God that we would live righteously before our husbands, our children, and grandchildren for fear that they will be destroyed by our foolish decisions! Consequences face us, but we must still continue to read, study, learn and reproduce this living Word of our Lord!

Until next time, Lord willing!

Sharon