When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. (Dan. 6:14)
One of my college classmates, Anna, immigrated to the United States from the Middle East. On the day she converted to Christianity, she came home and told her parents. They wept because her decision to leave Islam meant they were duty-bound to kill her. They didn’t want to, but they felt they had to follow the laws of their society. They begged her to renounce her decision so that they wouldn’t have to kill her. Anna refused.
Anna was locked in her room. Her parents called in her grandfather to do the killing for them. Her family dug Anna’s grave in their backyard, but for religious reasons they had to wait until the following day to kill her.
King Darius confirmed that his decree still stood. Daniel would have to die for praying to God. I’m sure Darius realized he had been tricked, but he was bound by his own decree. There was no one on earth who could save Daniel. All of his earthly options had run out. So, reluctantly, Darius ordered for Daniel to be placed in the lions’ den.
While Anna’s family slept, she was awoken by a voice telling her to flee. Her locked door miraculously opened, and no one noticed her leave the house. She ran to the home of the missionaries who had shared the gospel with her, and they helped her escape.
Trust God always; He will save 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.
