Daniel 6

Hope in a hostile world

Part 6

The drama in this passage is not simply about the lions - it's about how to put God first.

As Christians are we willing to put God above all else? Would we be willing to defy the law of our land to continue doing God's will?

Daniel's promotion

Daniel was set to rule the entire kingdom. Yet his integrity, Jewish heritage, and faith attracted hatred from his governmental peers.

Daniel is a huge encouragement to the Jews back then and us now. It is possible to rise to a position of influence and still maintain your values and beliefs. You don't need to be a missionary or minister to fully serve God in your job. Do your job well, and do it for God and your life will have the maximum impact. But be aware of opposition from this way of living, just like Daniel faced. (although I doubt you will end up in a cave full of lions.)

An egotistic rule

The rule that Daniel's enemies came up with was specifically crafted to cater to King Darius' ego. It was a trap he fell for immediately. But this didn't stop Daniel. His prayer life remained consistent. He didn't compromise his faith - even for 30 days. He even remained public about it to make the point clear. The change of law was not going to make any difference to his spiritual habits.

Spiritual routines are things that hold great importance to a Christian life. They are by no means required or strict. They are unique to the individual and should remain that way. But if you find the exercise that caters to your walk with Christ, then you should hold to it and keep it at a high priority in your daily routine.

Spirituality in lockdown

This rings a familiar bell for those of us living in COVID lockdowns. But remember this:

We may not be able to meet together, but that will not stop us worshipping our God.

All anyone needs to know about this can be summed up by paraphrasing Daniel's words:

"My God shuts the mouth of lions"

The lesson of Daniel in the den is not that God will always change our circumstances - but regardless He will always be with us in them, even if they do not have a happy ending.