The Miracle of Daniel (Passage below at bottom)
I wanted to share something God faithfully revealed to me the
other early morning. I love sharing the things God reveals and I love when
others share such wonderful stories too! It is SO encouraging as we all face life: the bumps and hurdles…sharing the joys and woes are part of this team we all call
“fellowship and faithful friends” right? What would we do without each other??
I have been walking through this season of my life truly learning
to walk in faith despite how it feels or how it looks. The other day I was kind
of shaken by some news and what could send a person in a spiral I decided to
seek His message and opportunity for growth in it (not easy!)…so I kept to this motto of walking
by faith (2 Cor 5:7) despite the feelings of uncertainty I wanted to feel. I love asking
God to give me encouragement when I feel this way because HE never lets me
down, not ever, when I seek Him.
When I was putting Lane to bed, my child who loves to be read to…scurried through a variety of children’s books and then she brought me her little kid’s bible. So I randomly opened it to the story of
Daniel. I read it to her and to my surprise she actually sat there and listened
despite being a 1.5 year old busy body. Now I know this story but for some reason I was getting more out of it than her! Like it was on purpose because it just struck a chord. So I figured the next morning I was going to dig in it some. I woke up early, poured
my coffee, and opened to the book of Daniel while my house was silent and all
were asleep. THE BEST feeling right? Quiet house! I prayed for wisdom to see and hear what He wanted to show me. My
faithful Heavenly Father once again revealed in Daniel 6 something I have to share that I hope encourages you if you have anything before you that feels dark or uncertain too…
As you see below when you read the passage, when the decree was
set by the king so that no one could pray to any God except for the him, Daniel remained
faithful to God and continued to pray 3 times a day despite the consequences. Different versions say
different words but in summary he "gave thanks and prayed asking God for help".
God answered his prayers then but He answered them His way. See while we can follow
through the story that Daniel was yet still arrested, still condemned to death
and still thrown into the lion’s den…it could have appeared to Daniel or anyone watching it go down (or reading the story for that matter) that God did NOT answer right away. Oh but He did! While Daniel could have wrestled with the ‘how can you
forsake me' mentality loaded with fear and doubt, especially for a man who was defined as a faithful servant, he remained steadfast in believing God could and was able to rescue him. Man how hard. As it is so widely seen, this answered prayer from God done His way (being condemned to
the lions den) was a divine appointment that our Heavenly Father perfectly planned as a
way to bring Himself to many lost hearts...when He shut
the mouths of the lions He performed a miracle that could only be done by God
Himself.... the story as it goes below still to this day encourages millions
upon millions. Including myself. I know He hears my prayers and my submission to letting Him be my guide reveals my trust in Him. It's hard for me to lay down the pen but oh my gosh He is such a better writer than I ever will be.
So God allowed Daniel to walk the test of faith into the lions’ den and we too are challenged to walk that very path at times ..... and while God wants to hear the desires
of our hearts He also ask us to trust Him that His answer, His way, never lacks
His supply or power. Daniel walked faithfully and God's miracles awaited him…. So
we too can walk faithfully and know that we have a powerful story in us that
glorifies God’s name and brings divine purpose to our lives. God always hears
our prayers and He always answers with an eternal perspective in mind: Yes my
child, Not now my child, or I HAVE SOMETHING BETTER my love just trust me.
Sometimes we can’t see the power of painter’s hand until the beautiful
picture is complete.
Daniel
6New Living Translation (NLT)
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
6 [a]Darius
the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a
high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose
Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and
protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other
administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king
made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4 Then
the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in
the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything
to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely
trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for
accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
6 So the
administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King
Darius! 7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high
officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be
strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who
prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown
into the den of lions. 8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be
changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be
revoked.” 9 So King Darius signed the law.
10 But
when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down
as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He
prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his
God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and
asking for God’s help. 12 So they went
straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law
that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or
human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”
“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands;
it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
13 Then
they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is
ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”
14 Hearing
this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save
Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of
this predicament.
15 In the
evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know
that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king
signs can be changed.”
16 So at
last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of
lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully,
rescue you.”
17 A stone
was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone
with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could
rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting.
He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.
19 Very
early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’
den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of
the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you
from the lions?”
21 Daniel
answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would
not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not
wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23 The
king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a
scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
24 Then
the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He
had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The
lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the
den.
25 Then
King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and
language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you!
26 “I
decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the
God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered
during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.[b]
