Now
when Daniel learned that the decree
had
been published, he went home to his
upstairs
room where the windows opened
toward
Jerusalem. Three times a day he
got
down on his knees and prayed,
giving
thanks to his God, just as he had
done
before.
Daniel 6:10 NIV
As a young man Daniel became an exile in
Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar’s troops marched into Jerusalem and carried
the Jews away. According to Scripture, Daniel came from a royal lineage, had no
physical defects, and was handsome, intelligent, well informed and quick to
understand. Because of these traits he caught the attention of the court
officials who were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to find and train these young men of
perfection for service to the king.
From the beginning, Daniel determined not
to indulge himself in the riches of the Babylonian kingdom but to remain true
to Jehovah God. Daniel knew the risks of remaining faithful to God as he watched
three of his friends thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down and
worship a golden idol. He also knew that his God could deliver—even from a
fiery furnace.
Decades passed, kings died and others took
the throne as Daniel remained a Babylonian captive. Eventually the Medes and
Persians took hold of the empire and Daniel, now in his eighties, continued to
be faithful to God as he worked among the non-believers of the land. Because of
his exceptional qualities, Daniel distinguished himself among the
administrators of the King's holdings.
As jealousy reared her ugly head, a plan
was set in motion that should have cost Daniel his life. King Darius, through
the prompting of his administrators, issued a decree that over the following thirty
days anyone who prayed to any God or any man other than the king would be
thrown into the lion’s den. King Darius put the decree in writing which meant that
it could not be repealed. The trap was set!
When Daniel heard about the decree, he
went home and continued to pray just as he had done before—on his knees before
an open window three times a day.
The administrators' trap was sprung as
they went before King Darius and explained how Daniel refused to obey the king’s
decree. As they threw Daniel into the lion’s den, the king spoke these words, “May
your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
While King Darius paced the floor during
the night, Daniel must have rested comfortably on the soft mane of the lions as
the angel of the LORD stood guard over him.
Darius was overjoyed when Daniel emerged from the den unharmed. Those who
plotted against Daniel, along with their wives and children, became breakfast
for the hungry lions, and King Darius issued a new decree:
“I issue a decree that in every part of my
kingdom people must
fear and reverence the God of Daniel.” (Daniel
6:26)
Amid the great empires which held him
captive, Daniel could have thrown up his hands and decided not to rock the
boat. Instead, he chose to live a life of obedience and faithfulness to the One
True God Jehovah as with excellence he fulfilled his daily duties for the king.
His prayer life sustained him through decades of captivity as he stayed
connected to the Father.
Daniel’s life should inspire each of us as
we live our lives in this world
knowing that we are not of this
world. We too must obey the laws of our land, unless they conflict with the
laws of our God. We too must live and work among those who do not believe the
truth. We too see daily animosity toward those who believe and follow the One
True God Jehovah.
Like Daniel, we must stay connected with
our God. It is of the utmost importance that we know His Word and commune with
Him through daily prayer. It is not out of the realm of possibility that one
day we may be commanded to bow down or die.
If that happens, I want to be found a faithful
follower of the Good Shepherd who sacrificed His life for mine. I pray my
adversaries will find me on my knees face down before my Heavenly Father
praying a lamb’s prayer in this lion’s world.
©
Joyce Powell
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