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. (Dan. 6:23)
THE STORY OF DANIEL in the lions’ den is one of the most dramatic stories of the Old Testament. The lesson is clear: When facing conflict and persecution, we are to remain faithful to God. Daniel was a faithful worker who rose to a place of prominence. Evil men became jealous and devised a plan to trap Daniel. Their plan depended on Daniel being faithful. Even his enemies knew that the only way they could trap him was by making a law that made his faithfulness illegal.
Daniel spent the night in a den with lions, and God saved him. That moment changed a kingdom. King Darius issued a new law stating not only that Jews would be allowed to pray to God, but everyone in the kingdom must fear and revere the God of Daniel.
Being faithful to God is one of the hardest things you will have to do. Having faith that God is totally in control of our lives and things are happening according to His plan is difficult. When our situations fall apart, it is easy to feel as though God has abandoned us, so we lose faith in Him. Instead, we need to keep faith and trust that He is still the sovereign God over all of the earth. We need to trust that through trials and troubles, He is trying to accomplish something in us. If we miss the opportunity to be faithful, we may never get the chance to repeat it.
Have faith, God is working in you!
Jeff Hughes lives in Nebraska with his wife, Sarah, and their three kids. They spend weekends outdoors, hiking, camping, and skiing.
© 2017 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
