I love the miraculous stories in the Old Testament. The stories of the splitting of the Red Sea, the fiery furnace and the Egypt plagues always make me sit up and pay attention. One of my favorite ones is Daniel in the lions den. The reason Daniel got put in the lions den is, surprisingly, because he was FAITHFUL. You see, Daniel was about to be promoted and his peers were jealous, so they quickly devised a plan to get him out of the way. The only problem? Daniel was squeeky clean. “The only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with his religion,” the said. So, they presented the King with an idea that for thirty days people should only pray to him – no one else, divine or human. Anyone who did otherwise would be thrown into the lions’ den. The King gladly signed it into an irreversible law.
Daniel did not cringe in fear, or change his behavior. He continued to do as he had always done: immediately went home and knelt down with his windows open facing Jerusalem and prayed to God. Daniel’s enemies hurried to fib on Daniel. The King was heartbroken! His best and most trusted manager was now set to die. He spent the rest of the day personally looking for a way to get Daniel out of this sentence, to no avail. That night the men had Daniel put into the lions’ den. Before he went, the King actually prayed to God, saying, “May your God whom you worship continually, rescue you.” The King then fasted from food and entertainment, worrying about Daniel all night.
When the King rushed down to the lions’ den the next morning, he was overjoyed to find Daniel alive. Then we are told something important: “Not a scratch was found on Daniel because he had TRUSTED in his God.” Today we might call it “faith.” He had active, continual faith all night that God could and would protect him. And he did.’
The world scoffs at faith. The devil throws arrows of doubt to make you doubt faith. But here we see it, in large part, stayed the mouths of the lions and saved Daniel. Trust is not a “little thing,” no. Trust matters.
Sweet Mimosa 