So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 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.”
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
– Daniel 6:16-23
The Story of Daniel
Miraculous survivals make compelling stories. Take Vesna Vulovic, who holds the world record for surviving the highest ever free fall without a parachute at 33,333 feet! After she recovered from her terrible injuries, her story became famous all around the world. While her story was an accident, Daniel’s story is one of targeted persecution. Daniel was persecuted for his uncompromising prayer life.
One often-missed detail about this story is that Daniel is 80 years old here, and he was simply continuing in his habit of prayer that he had practiced his whole life. He had a long history of obedience and miraculous deliverance from God, and every trial we face asks us the same question: will God deliver me this time? Maybe your history with God is long, or maybe it’s short. Whatever the case, every difficulty we face forces us to answer for ourselves, will I trust God again?
Daniel did, and maybe the reason God showed up for him so powerfully was his disposition. Every time Daniel faced difficulty, he glorified God and gave him all the credit.
Reflect
In what circumstance do I need to trust God today and give him the credit?
Pray
God, give me the humble disposition of Daniel. Give me the courage to face the difficult circumstances of my life and glorify yourself through my situation.