4 minute read
“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!” (Daniel 6:16 NIV)
God is our protector.
In the case of Daniel and his Lion’s den, God sent an angel to close the mouths of the beasts (Daniel 6:22 NIV). God’s protection comes in various forms today. Cars keep us safe in accidents. Our homes offer shelter from the storms. People protect us. Unexplained mishaps stop us from more significant harm. We all live in the lion’s den:
“Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 GNT)
Satan looks to devour; God wants us to trust. When the soldiers threw Daniel into the lion’s den, he didn’t know how God would save him. What Daniel did was trust God, no matter what his situation. Daniel’s punishment came because he wouldn’t worship the king. When Daniel first found out about the new law, his response was prayer:
“Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10b NIV)
Battle lions with prayer.
Notice, Daniel prayed and then got thrown into the lion’s den. Following Christ doesn’t mean we’ll never run into hardship. Jesus tells us plainly, in this world we will have trouble, but take heart, He’s overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV). When we pray, we’re lifting our concerns to God. His answers are up to Him, not us. Accepting His Sovereignty in our lives means acknowledging He is in control. God does know what He is doing if even we don’t.
Daniel’s obedience, his acceptance for his lot, glorified God before the king. As a result, the king changed the decree:
“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.” (Daniel 6:26 NIV)
Lights don’t shine in the light, only in the dark. The tiniest spark pierces the darkness. Even faith the size of a mustard seed moves mountains (Matthew 17:20 NIV). We’re in the den, but God in us is bigger than any lion:
“You, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NIV)
We are living in the den of the lion. Our world is in chaos with the pandemic. But the God of Daniel is our God. When we lean into Him, He protects us from the lions.
Question of the Day:
What lion do you need God’s protection from today?
Further Reading: Daniel 6:1-28 NIV, 2 Peter 3:1-18 NIV, Psalm 119:129-152 NIV, Proverbs 28:21-22 NIV
