Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Daniel trusted God. He trusted God when he was carried into captivity in Babylon . He trusted God every time his life was threatened by one of Babylon ’s kings. He trusted God, even when faced with a den of hungry lions. Daniel did much more than give lip service to trusting God… Daniel trusted God with his life.
How much do you trust the chair you’re sitting in right now? Quite a lot, I’d say. When you sat down in it, did you even stop to think whether it was going to hold you up? When you get in your car, do you perform a thorough check of the vehicle before starting up? What makes you so sure it won’t blow up when you start the engine? Or that a wheel won’t fly off when you’re speeding down the highway? Or that the brakes won’t fail? Or that the steering column won’t suddenly break loose and make it impossible to steer the car? You never think about all that? Well, actually, neither do I. Nor do most people. But that’s because most of us have more faith in a bunch of wood and stuffing or a big hunk of metal made by men in an automobile factory than we do in the God who created all of us. We’re more likely to trust our fishing boats not to sink than we are to trust God with our lives.
How much do you really trust God? Are you willing to trust Him with your life, like Daniel? It’s only through trusting Him that we can achieve the peace that Daniel experienced, that peace we talked about before. Remember, whether you trust Him or not, it’s up to His discretion whether your heart beats one more time. Wouldn’t you like to have the peace He can give you? Are you ready to really trust Him – to trust Him so much that you never even think about whether you trust Him, just as you don’t think about whether you trust things like your chair, your car, or your fishing boat. Are you truly ready to trust Him with your life?
Think about it.
Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Imagine yourself in Daniel’s shoes. You’ve defied the law. You’ve stood up for your belief. You’ve refused to stop praying to your God. You’ve refused to pray to a man. You’ve refused to hide your faith. Now you’re faced with a den of hungry lions. Look into those lions’ eyes. Take a gander at their fangs and claws. They are huge! And they are mean! And you are what has been catered for their lunch! Now, how peaceful do you feel? Most of us wouldn’t have to worry about the lions killing us - we’d die of a heart attack the minute we were thrown into the den!
But Daniel had peace about the whole situation. He was not afraid. He knew he’d done nothing to offend God. He knew he’d done nothing - in reality - to offend Darius. Above all, he knew that God was capable of saving him if He chose to do so. If not, Daniel also knew where he was going if it was time for his life to end. Even more than all this, Daniel was so close to God that he could receive the wonderful peace that God will give all of us - if we’ll just allow it.
Several years ago, I was faced with the possibility of a brain tumor. When the doctor first dropped that bomb on me, I was terrified. I was so shaken by the doctor’s announcement I couldn’t talk, and could barely drive. After I told my family, they were all shaken, too, so much so that many tears were being shed as we waited for time to leave to have the CT scan done that same evening. The fact that the doctor was in such a hurry to get the CT scan made the situation all the scarier. We stopped to pray, and during that prayer, a peace poured over me that was so strong and so serene that I instantly stopped shaking, both physically and emotionally. It was almost as though a stream of calming water was pouring over me, inside and out. When we lifted our heads at the end of the prayer, I smiled at my family and said, "I’m all right." They didn’t understand, thinking I’d just calmed down and would be able to handle whatever came. But I said, "No, I mean, I’m all right. There is no tumor." Skeptical questions flew back at me as to how I knew, since I hadn’t had the tests yet. All I could say was, "I know. There is no tumor." "But what if there is?" the question flew at me from several directions. Overwhelmed with God’s peace, I said, "Even if there is - and I know there’s not - I’m all right." God had filled me with the assurance that there was no tumor… And later that evening, we learned from the CT technician that there wasn’t.
The peace that I experienced was impossible by human terms. But it’s the same impossible peace Daniel had when thrown into the lion’s den. And it’s the same impossible peace we can all have if we allow God to give it to us. Do you need impossible peace? Allow God to give it to you now.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"
Darius was a unbeliever. In fact, he was the king of the unbelievers. He was such a great unbeliever, he even wrote a law and made himself god for a month, totally unconcerned with the fact that there is only ONE God in existence – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, Darius had been around Daniel - a lot. He had watched Daniel and how he practiced his faith. He had seen over and over again how God had helped Daniel in one circumstance after another. So when Darius was faced with having to follow through on the law he himself had written, even Darius, the king of the unbelievers, knew that Daniel’s only hope was Daniel’s God.
Every day, in everything we do - grocery shopping, driving our cars, working at our jobs, spending time in recreation - you and I are being watched. Especially if those around us are not Christian. Especially if those unbelievers know that you and I are followers of Jesus. Why? Whether it’s conscious or not, they are waiting for us to slip up. Deep inside, they want to see us fall. They want us to prove by our actions and our words and our attitudes that what we claim to believe is a lie. They want us to show them that Christianity is a hoax… that Jesus’ death on the cross was meaningless… that we’re all idiots who are just looking for a crutch and a way to cop out.
Some years ago, I worked with a man who became a good friend. However, this man was not a Christian, and he was fully aware of my dedication to Jesus. One day something happened in my personal life to which I reacted in a not-very-Christian way. His immediate and sarcastic comment was, "That’s a pretty unchristian attitude for someone like you to have!" I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t say anything. Later that day, however, after praying about it, I did what the Lord prompted me to do… I went to my friend’s office and said, "I want to thank you for making me realize how un-Christlike my attitude was earlier. Thanks… I needed that!" Needless to say, he was stunned. Rather than getting angry, as he expected me to, I thanked him for upbraiding me. And that incident, he said, had a lasting impact on him. So even when we mess up, God provides the way to repair the damage.
What do unbelievers see when they see you? Do they see a living testimony of Jesus? Or do they see someone who is no different from themselves - an individual who has no hope, just like the rest of the world? And when you do mess up, do you make an effort to repair the damage… or do you just make things worse by ignoring your own sin and continuing in the world’s ways?
Think about it.
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem . Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel could easily have hid the fact that he was continuing his prayer life. It would have been an easy thing to hide. Then he would have been safe from the threat of the lions’ den. But Daniel received all of his strength and his wisdom from God. He was more afraid of being out of contact with God than of any den of lions. So Daniel went to his upper room three times a day, as usual, stood before the open window where he always stood, and continued to pray in plain view of his enemies. He was totally unconcerned with the consequences. Instead, he was totally concerned about his relationship with God.
How about you and me? How many of us take time to bless our food in restaurants? Is it because we’re in a hurry, or because we’re embarrassed to be seen praying in public? How many of us are willing to stand up for our faith in a room full of non-believers? How many of us are willing to take a stand for Jesus, no matter what the consequences?
For instance, if your boss tells you to do something that is totally against God’s Word, what will you do? Do you have the courage to say no? Do you have the faith to explain to your boss why you can’t do that particular thing? What are you afraid of? Losing your job? Is that anywhere close to being faced with a den of lions? Who is your Supplier? Your boss? Your job? Or Jesus?
Remember, hiding your faith is a very great sin. Hiding your faith is like saying to Jesus that you are ashamed of Him. Hiding your faith is the same is turning your back on the One who refused to turn His back on you when faced with the cross.
Think about it.
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes to His Father’s glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:38 NIV
So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should 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 lions’ den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered - in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." So King Darius put the decree in writing.
The administrators and the satraps had a problem. Daniel was so incredibly good at his job that Darius planned to set Daniel “over the whole kingdom.” This infuriated the officials, and they set out to discredit Daniel in some way. But Daniel was such an exceptional person, they could find nothing corrupt or negligent about Daniel. He was squeaky clean!
There’s one important thing to know about the Babylonians. When it came to lawmaking, nobody had anything on them. In that ancient empire, when the king made a law, it was permanent - even the king couldn’t change it. Finally, the officials realized that they would never find any basis for charges against Daniel unless it had something to do with the law of his God. So, using the Babylonian “gift” of lawmaking to their supposed advantage, they came up with a law – a law that effectively made Darius a god for the next thirty days. Darius, being the egomaniac that he was, allowed the officials to appeal to his vanity and enacted the law, not thinking of the possible consequences to his favored official, Daniel. So enthralled was he with getting to be a god for thirty days, Darius didn’t consider what would happen because of the unwavering faith of Daniel.
And that’s what Daniel’s faith was - absolutely unwavering. For his entire life, through all of the many trials to which he’d been subjected, Daniel always put God first. He had an active prayer life, praying three times a day, without fail… praying to the Lord God Almighty, the only God in existence. When told that for the next thirty days, he had to pray to Darius or else be thrown into the lion’s den, Daniel didn’t even consider following the new law. He could have just not prayed at all. That would have been the easy way out. He wouldn’t have been breaking the law, since people weren’t ordered to pray to Darius. They were only ordered not to pray to any other god during that time period. But Daniel wasn’t going to let anything stop his daily contact with his God. Even with the threat of being thrown into a den of lions, Daniel was determined to keep praying to God Almighty three times a day, no matter what.
Now… what about you and me? What kinds of things do we let get in between us and our prayer life? What petty things do we allow to stop us from communicating with our Lord? Let’s see, there’s work… there’s family… there’s recreation… there’s television… there’s just about anything that can be named. Most of us are more than willing to allow something to stop us from praying. And then we wonder why things keep getting all fouled up in our lives. Then we wonder why none of our prayers seem to be answered.
Look at this situation from a parent’s perspective. Let’s say you have a child who very rarely wants to spend time with you, if at all. But when you do see that child, all the child does is ask you for money or things. How ready are you to respond? But if you have a child who wants to spend as much time as possible with you, just because that child likes being with you, when that child asks for something, how ready are you to respond?
Remember, Jesus wants to spend time with you, no matter what. He loves your company. That’s why you were created. Don’t let anything stand between you and spending time with Him.
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV
At this, the administrators and the satraps 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 nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
The only thing the other officials could find about Daniel to attack was his faith. They tried to catch him doing something wrong, and couldn’t. They tried to undermine him, and they couldn’t. All they had left to attack was his faith in God. What a compliment!
Are you being attacked in some way because of your faith? Has anyone called you a "goody-goody" or a "Jesus freak" or a “Right Wing fundamentalist?” Are you ridiculed for not participating in office gossip? Have you refused to participate in minor office theft and been mocked by others? Good for you! That means that you, like Daniel, are living your life beyond reproach. You are a walking example of what a Christian should be, and all your enemies have left to attack is your faith.
Remember, Jesus said that when you are attacked because of your faith in Him, you are blessed. He’s sitting at the right hand of God the Father, cheering you on! Every time you get a "Jesus freak" jeer from the enemy, you’re getting a great big "Atta boy!" from the best cheering section you could have – from Jesus Himself! Which one are you going to let motivate you? Will you give in to the jeers and back off from what you know is the right way to live and work, or will you listen to the accolades coming from heaven and stay committed to doing things the Lord’s way?
Think about it.
“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps 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 nor negligent.”
Because Daniel was doing such a good job, he was receiving recognition from Darius. Because Daniel was receiving recognition, his co-workers were jealous. Because his co-workers were jealous, they were determined to find some way to undermine him, to catch him doing something - anything - wrong. They did everything they could to get him in trouble.
Doing a good job always creates enemies. Why? Because those people who become your enemies are not working hard. They’re not honest. They have no integrity. They’re working hard only at getting by. They want something for nothing. They want the rewards without the sacrifices. When they see you receiving rewards for your efforts, it angers them. So, if you are using the "Daniel approach" at work, and you begin to receive recognition for your efforts, there will most likely be someone who will try his best to undermine you in some way. He will do everything he can to tear you down when you are being built up. How should you handle such a situation? Should you go straight to your supervisor and complain? Should you "give him some of his own medicine?" Should you talk about him behind his back, complaining to your co-workers about how he’s treating you? A resounding “NO!” to all of the above.
What you should do is this… first of all, pray for the person. That may be the most difficult thing of all to do. Our natural, human tendency is to think ugly thoughts about someone who is treating us unkindly. But what Jesus told us to do is to pray for our enemies. Second, you should be kind to that person, even kinder than you have been in the past. Scripture tells us that if we are kind to our enemies, we heap burning coals upon their heads. Brother Dave Gardner, a comedian who was popular in the fifties, changed this a little and said, "Be kind to your enemies, and drive them nuts!" Funny as that is, you should not be kind in order to hurt your enemies, but be kind, truly kind from your heart. Remember, the person is acting that way because he does not understand Jesus. Your goal is to help him understand. You can only do so by demonstrating the same kindness, love and grace that has been given to you by Jesus. Remember, Jesus loves you, in spite of all the evil you have done. You must do the same for those who try to hurt you. And third, conduct yourself in a manner that is beyond reproach. Continue your diligence with your job. Continue to display nothing but Christian actions and attitudes in everything you do.
If you do all of the above, your enemies will say the same thing that was said of Daniel - "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."