Words such as injunctions, dictates, mandates and demands leave a bitter taste in one’s mouth. Especially when it infringes on the rights of the people. Daniel was no stranger to such words. He was taken as a captive to Babylon when just a teen. He faced a myriad of situations that was counterculture to his upbringing. Each directive that he faced he placed against the standard of his God. Daily decisions had to be made with determination.
Daily Decisions to Trust
From the beginning Daniel chose to live by God’s standard. Each choice he made to do it God’s way fortified his spiritual foundation. Decisions for God and right brought Daniel through the Babylonian world of decrees and demands.
His life was underpinned by his praise to the God of Heaven and bolstered by his faithfulness in prayer. Between those two life choices Daniel walked with wisdom and acted honorably in all that he did.
Within the whirling change from prince to captive Daniel honored God. When faced with a change in power and the fall of Babylon, Daniel stayed true. Though tested by different scenarios in each phase of his life, Daniel revered the God of heaven. Those daily decisions solidified his trust in his God.
A Dictate for Daniel’s Death
It was during the fall of Babylon and the change of power that we find Daniel as an older man. King Darius realized that Daniel had great ability to rule. In addition, Daniel exemplified an excellent spirit that was noticed by the king. Furthermore, the king prepared to place him over the kingdom.
It was here that a conspiracy against Daniel showed up alongside the jealousy found in Daniel’s colleagues. With death as their end purpose for Daniel, the administrators and high officials schemed and conspired until a law was signed. They were sure that this law would have Daniel dispatched to the lion’s den in no time at all.
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.”
Daniel 6:10-11
Petition Presented to the Court of Heaven
When Daniel knew….he prayed. Daniel knew that the injunction was a death sentence, but he prayed and he praised. The choices and habits he had established so long ago held him steady in the storm. He knew that God was a refuge for him no matter the dictates of the king. It was with a thankful heart that Daniel entered the throne room of the Most High assured of finding access into the highest court of heaven.
Even as the men were assembling outside his home to gain evidence against Daniel, he praised. Furthermore, he petitioned the God of Heaven. Daniel presented his plea for deliverance to the God He had served continually throughout his life.
A Different Kind of Deliverance
When evening had come and his prayer of deliverance seemed to have went unanswered, Daniel was thrown into the lions den. I would imagine, it was with much trepidation that King Darius spoke to Daniel before his descent into the jaws of death. The King had no previous experience to anchor his faith. On the other hand, the king had perceived God at work through Daniel’s life. Consequently, he reached out with a tenuous faith to the God of Daniel.
“Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”
Daniel 6:16
The night was long and dark. It was filled with anxious thoughts for the king. Moreover, much sorrow and remorse filled his heart. In those dark hours, he met the living God. At the first light of day, King Darius rushed to the den of lions. As the sun splashed its warm rays across the Babylonian empire, the King could be heard addressing Daniel as the servant of the living God. The God who had met him in the night. The kings’ question filled the morning air with hope and expectation.
“O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”
Daniel 6:20
Daniel’s voice of God’s deliverance rang out to meet the hope and expectation of the king. Daniel was removed from the lions den and no hurt was found on him, because he believed in his God. Daniel’s stance against the injunction of the king was measured against God’s standard. A decision to stand against the decree brought a seemingly unanswered prayer. Yet with confidence and belief in God, Daniel faced the ramifications of his decision. Even in this, Daniel found that God walked through the valley with him.
To Honor the God of Heaven
A new day dawned across the Babylonian realm. There was a different kind of decree sent out to all the people on the earth. It was decree honoring and uplifting the God of heaven.
“I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”
Daniel 6:26 & 27
There is no decree in our day telling us to honor the living God. On the other hand, we must each make that choice to do so if we are to find the strength to withstand the evil in our day. The decision you make today to serve the living God can become the anchor to hold you steady in the years to come. Furthermore, our daily choices must be measured by God’s standard and how he wants our lives to be governed. Consider these questions and use them to propel you into a deeper walk with God.
Questions to Help Determine Your Decisions
- Have you made the decision to surrender your life to the God of heaven?
- Are your decisions God-centered?
- When you know of the problems and situations facing our nation, do you pray as Daniel prayed?
- Have you bolstered your life with faithful prayer?
- Do you praise in the face of certain defeat?
- Have you walked through the night with an anxious heart and found God to be faithful?
- Is your life a testimony to the living God that you serve?
- Will you still walk with confidence in the Most High even when you cannot understand his ways?
- How are you honoring God in your life?
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