Friday December 9, 2016
?O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.? God had been watching. ?They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.? -Daniel 6:21
As you serve God openly in your life, other people will be watching. As you serve God openly in your life, God, also, will be watching.
Daniel was dedicated to serving God, and as he served God faithfully and openly in his life, he was being watched.
A man named Darius became ruler, and he set up a new system of government in which Daniel was one of the top administrators under the king.
Daniel served faithfully in that position, and he was so successful that the king was planning to promote him above all the other government officials.
Some of those officials didn?t like it that Daniel, a Jew, would be higher in rank than them. So, they plotted against him. In verse 5 they said, ?We will never find any basis for charges against Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.?
The officials had the king make up a law that no one could pray to any god, except the king. Anyone who prayed to a god, must be thrown into the lion?s den. The king liked this idea and made it into a law.
Everyone knew that Daniel was a man who served his God continually. It was not a secret, and the king acknowledged it too. In verse 16 he said to Daniel, ?May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!?
Daniel was openly worshiping God. It was obvious to everyone, including the people who didn?t like him. Daniel?s enemies knew that the only way to get Daniel, was to do something against his God.
Daniel gets thrown into the lions den for praying to God. When the King comes to check on him he asks, ?Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions??
Daniel answers, ? 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, Your Majesty.?
Remember, as you serve God openly, God is watching over the entire situation.
Things may not seem to go very smoothly. As you openly live your faith, you may find yourself in a place, or in a situation, where things aren?t going well, but The Lord Almighty stands for you in the midst of lions, and He alone determines your destiny.
God honors obedience. Daniel gives us a model picture of faith in the midst of crisis.
Will you openly worship God, honor him, pray to boldly, even when you know that people are watching?
Prayer: “God, thank you for the faith of Daniel. I want to be a follower of you in this way. Help me to boldly live for you. Thank you for fighting for me when I am in the midst of lions. In your name I pray, Amen.”
-Whitney Flach
