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Daniel - Standing for God
Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?
(Daniel 6:20)
In the 17th century on the island of Japan, a provincial leader, called a shogun, decided that Christians were a threat to Japanese culture. So he placed a picture of Jesus on the street and insisted that all Christians in his province step on the portrait in total rejection of their faith. When the test was finished, twenty-six Christians had refused; each one was then crucified at the water's edge for all to see.
Another time—Five centuries before Christ; in another place-Babylon; a different person-Daniel-was given the same essential test.
Learn It!
When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 605 B.C., Daniel was exiled to Babylon. Trained to serve King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel refused to defile himself with the royal food and wine. To eat it would have honored the idols to which it had been devoted, would have been a violation of God’s command to worship no other god (Exodus 34:14), and would have broken God's dietary laws for Jews (Leviticus 11). Is it any surprise that Daniel has become one of God’s highly honored saints, along with Job and Noah (Ezekiel 14:14)?
After Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Daniel served a new king, Darius. But in shogun fashion, Darius' cabinet convinced the king to sign a decree that made praying to anyone but the king a crime that would land the disobedient in the lion’s den! Would Daniel remain loyal to God? To pray to God would be to sign his own death sentence.
Live It!
Daniel 6:10 says, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home . . . and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." Test passed! Talking about loyalty to God is easy; only living it puts us on God's honor roll. Into the lion's den Daniel went, trusting God for the consequences of his obedience.
Speak It!
After a sleepless night Darius hurried at daybreak to the lion's den. "Daniel," he cried, "Servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" (6:20). Daniel replied, "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths because I was found innocent before Him; and . . . I have done no wrong before you" (v. 21). Because Daniel believed in his God, not even a scratch was found on him. Daniel's loyalty to God exalted God as worth trusting and obeying; it also inspired Darius to honor God with a new decree: "in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel . . . Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (vv. 26a-27b). The story ends with the report: So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (6:28).
Discussion Question: In what situations is your loyalty to God being tested?
Memory Verse: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).
Prayer: "Faithful Father, Protector and Friend, thank You for angels who serve me. Keep me loyal to You, especially when tested, that unbelievers may see Your Glory and become Your followers. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
1Our Daily Bread, Dave Egner, adapted.
2Likely a title, not a name; perhaps a viceroy for Cyrus.
All quotations from Scripture are taken from the New King James Version
Devotional written by Dr. Ron Barnes
Illustration by Jonathan Chong
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