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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Daniel 6:23
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.
Daniel was an old man by then, probably over 80 years old.
The new king, Darius, had also recognised Daniel as someone special but the other administrators were jealous again and plotted against him. They sought to attack his character “but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God’” (Daniel 6:4-5).
So the satraps set their trap. Make the king – god. All kings seem to be vulnerable to that accolade. Darius certainly was too, and it blinded him to the truth and Daniel’s integrity.
So what did Daniel do when he heard that he had to ‘worship’ the king or die? Nothing different. Three times a day he continued to go before the open window, looking towards Jerusalem, and pray in the sight of all those looking on.
“Got him”, the satraps thought and went to the king with their wicked report. The king was caught. The laws couldn’t be changed. Daniel would have to be thrown to the lions. The king tried all day to think of a way out of the mess he had got himself into. However, the order was issued and Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den and a stone placed over the mouth of the den and sealed.
The king had a restless night and ran to the den at first light. “Daniel, servant of the Living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” “My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions... because I was found innocent in His sight” (6:20 & 22). The wicked plotters were then thrown in the den and the lions (even hungrier now) overpowered them and crushed them before they even reached its floor.
As a result, the king issued a new decree that the “people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” (v 26). Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, the Mede, and then too, during that of Cyrus, the Persian.
What sort of man was Daniel? Unique – yes, but he had the character trait we all need and should aspire to. He put God first and even going into exile as a young man didn’t change that. God might have forsaken Israel but he would not forsake God. Most of us will follow God as long as everything goes O.K. but ‘flag it away’ when God doesn’t do what we want or expect. The fact that God may have ‘bigger’ plans doesn’t cross our minds.
Daniel was a man of integrity. What a testimony. There was nothing they could bring against him, unless it had to do with the law of His God. Oh, that every Christian was like Daniel. Oh, that the world could look at you and me and say we are such people of integrity that they would never be able to find fault in us, except our determination to follow Jesus.
Even in the face of severe and inevitable martyrdom – he carried on as before – publicly praying to God. Even the 12 apostles didn’t do that until after Pentecost.
What about you? Is your relationship with Jesus strong enough to withstand opposition? Or will you drop out when it becomes inconvenient?
Take time out for a real check-up on that one.
Then ask the Lord to give you the strength to stand for Him today.
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