When God shows Himself in Your Life

 Daniel 6:14-28

 

March 26, 2024

 

 

When God shows Himself in Your Life

Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.  Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also, before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken 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.  And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.  I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”  So, this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

When a leader knows he has been had by those who are to be his counselors.  A Wise leader tries to correct. Can you see the best minds in his kingdom have had this foreigner, a Jew, in charge of them, and they were envious, jealous, and conspired to not just get him fired, but killed.   And I bet once the king signs the document, they claim victory.

But God, yes, Daniel was a man who feared and loved God, and God showed grace to that man.  What looked at the moment as a victory for them not only backfired but caused the loss of life of all of them and their families.

We know God showed up and saved Daniel, but something great happened: Darius became a believer in the God of Daniel.

Do you know the God Daniel served?  Look at Romans 10:9-10. It is about declaring and believing “Jesus is Lord,” and that God raised Him from the dead; you have this promise: you will be saved.  Yes, you will spend eternity with Jesus, and He will send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you.  The old man is dead; you are a new creation in Christ.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice