Daniel 6:16–22 ‘My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’ (v22)
Doing the right thing can become a habit not always appreciated by others. The young man who refused to defile himself with the king’s food is now an experienced civil servant within the king’s palace, possibly in his early eighties!
Indeed, by chapter 6 verse 3 we find the king plans to set him over the whole kingdom. His competence causes jealousy, and plans are made to bring him death.
By making the decree that no one should be worshipped except King Darius, it is known that, of course, Daniel would remain faithful in his worship of God and face the punishment of being thrown to the lions.
It seems it never occurs to Daniel to do anything different. It is said that our habits define our character.
And we all know the wonderful outcome of this story and the amazing influence that Daniel had within the pagan Babylonian nation, whose king becomes convinced of the goodness of God.
Sadly, there is no formula that can be followed whereby our faithfulness leads directly to kingdom advancement!
However, there are plenty of examples of when Christian virtue has challenged the enemies of Christ, especially in nations where the Christian faith is not tolerated or valued. Following Christ does mean dying daily to our own preferences, and the apostle Paul reminds us that ‘anyone who seeks to live a godly life will be persecuted’ (2 Tim. 3:12).
God will not leave us alone in these situations. He will draw near, giving us courage to do the right thing and the grace to deal with the consequences.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, as You helped Daniel, please draw near to me as I take a stand for you in the situations in which You have placed me. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Look to cultivate the habits that will help when the going is tough so that you can be faithful to stand if you need to.
Scripture To Consider:
2 Sam. 12:1–6; Prov. 3:1–4; 2 Tim. 2:8–13; 3 John 1–8
