A WORD FOR TODAY, March 9, 2023
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, March 9, 2023
“Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: ‘Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed. His dominion will be even to the end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:25-27, WEB
“Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: ‘Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed. His dominion will be even to the end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” Daniel 6:23-28, WEB
I have been fascinated with the life of Daniel ever since I wrote a Bible study on the book of Revelation. We study Daniel because of his prophecies pointing toward the end time. Plus, his book is filled with exciting stories that teach valuable lessons to children. The prophecies fit together to teach us how to face the end times. The stories give us keys to the character of one who lives in hope and peace when facing difficulty. The stories teach us how to be faithful people of prayer. In his 80 plus years, Daniel was a wise man, an example of faith, a prophet, and an encourager. Daniel was a prayer warrior. Faith was always part of his life and work, even in his work as a public official of Babylon; he served God even in a pagan, secular position. Daniel’s story was dramatic: he was taken captive and exiled to a foreign land. The stories are incredible: near death, a fiery furnace, a lion’s den. Yet, he lived a simple life. He trusted God, did his job and in the end was greatly rewarded by God and by the kings of Babylon.
Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.” This is providence, God’s hand guiding people according to His good and perfect will. Our stories are not as dramatic as Daniel’s, but we face difficulties as we journey through life just like him, and we can trust that God knows exactly where He is leading us as Daniel did. Ultimately, our destination is home with our Father, but the path seems to twist and turn. Despite the difficulties, we can, and must, walk according to His will and purpose for our lives.
Daniel’s life was certainly not smooth sailing. He was among the Israelites that were taken in a siege on Jerusalem. He was selected to serve in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He and his friends were treated well, but life in a foreign land in the shadow of foreign gods could not have been easy. God used Daniel mightily during his time in Babylon, revealing the power of God and glorifying Him even when he risked his life to do so. God spoke through Daniel when all the wise men in the kingdom could not understand the signs and dreams. He rose to great power in the kingdom.
The other officials were jealous of Daniel’s success. They convinced King Darius to issue and edict that said for thirty days no one could worship any god or man but the king. The king greatly respected Daniel and if he thought such a law would have harmed him, he would never have agreed. But the group who went to the king claimed that all the officials agreed. The edict fed the king’s ego, so he quickly signed it. Though it could mean death, Daniel continued to worship God three times a day. Darius was distressed when the officials reported Daniel, but in that land even the king could not repeal and edict. So, Daniel was sent to the lion’s den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” He did not sleep all night and at first light he ran to the den. He called out to Daniel, “Has your God saved you?”
King Darius reacted with such joy and commanded the people to fear and reverence Daniel’s God and Daniel continued to prosper in the kingdom where God had put him. To Daniel, life away from Jerusalem was difficult, but he trusted in God and knew that God had a greater purpose than what he could see. This incident might have been frightening, but through Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den God was glorified.
Daniel lived for more than seventy years as a captive in a foreign land. Despite the struggles, Daniel remained faithful. It is important for us to note that he also succeeded in the Babylonian government. He remained hopeful over the years because he knew God’s promises and he had experienced God’s power over his life. He remained faithful because he knew that God would return His people to Jerusalem. Just as God used King Darius to spread the news of His sovereignty, God fulfilled His promises through King Cyrus of Persia who allowed the people to go home and rebuild. Daniel died in Babylon as an old man, but he lived to see God’s faithfulness, blessed because he was never willing to go against God’s will and purpose for his life.
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