November 23
Daniel 5-6
Psalm 129
Proverbs 28:6-7
I Peter 3:13-22
He Continued
“When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10 HCSB
Following the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, today we read about Daniel in the Lion’s Den. This was many years later, and a different king had come to power, but we find Daniel in the same situation that his friends were in earlier. He was being forced to choose between God and his life. Those around Daniel were watching him and they knew he was a man of integrity. They decided that the only way they could bring him down was to attack him on his faith, so they set a trap. And Daniel did exactly what they expected him to do. He continued doing what he had been doing. He continued praying and praising God three times a day. He knew that they would be watching him, but he didn’t shut his window so he could hide what he was doing. He continued in his daily ritual. It is important to note that he continued praying. He didn’t just get into this crisis and realize that he needed to pray. This was something he did every day. Three times a day he was in the regular habit of going to his upper room and praying and praising God. He had an intimate, personal relationship with God. He did not just pray when he needed something or when he had a problem. I don’t think Daniel had any difficulty deciding whether he was going to obey the king’s edict. It wasn’t a tough choice for him. Like his friends, Daniel believed that his God was the Only True God, and he was the only source of hope. Even if God did not rescue him from the lion’s den, Daniel would not worship anyone but God. We can learn a lot from Daniel. If we are spending time in prayer and Bible study daily with God, He gives us the strength and power we need to face any difficulty that comes along. We cannot wait until we get into a crisis to pray. Daily time with Him prepares us for the battle. An athlete or a soldier doesn’t wait till the day of the competition or the battle to begin preparing. They prepare for years so that when the battle comes, they are ready to step in and be victorious. If you wait till you see the enemy approaching to get on your knees, you will not be able to stand under the pressure.
We don’t know anything about religious persecution in America, but I am afraid the day is approaching when we will be forced to take a stand. We cannot wait till then to get prepared. Daniel did not fight the men. He didn’t become indignant or belligerent. He just kept doing the things he had been doing and trusted God to take care of him. We need to prepare to stand firm by developing all the habits now that we will need to be victorious when the battle comes. I think when Daniel was facing the lion’s den, he remembered how his friends had been delivered from the fiery furnace. Remembering God’s faithfulness to us and to others in the past encourages us and gives us strength to face our difficulties today. We need to boldly tell others about our God and what He has done for us so that we can spur each other on to
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