Tag: Daniel

Because He Trusted In God

Daniel 6:23 NIV, “…And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

Daniel was an exceptional person who stood out from the crowd. He was great at what he did, and his coworkers didn’t like it. They became envious of him because he was up for a promotion. Since there was no fault that they could find with his work ethics, they had to find another way to bring him down. So they basically decided to go after him for having faith in God.

They convinced the king to create an order that would take away Daniel’s right to pray to God. Then when they caught Daniel praying, he ended up being thrown into the lion’s den for punishment. Although Daniel spent the night in the den, God locked the jaws of the lions and Daniel was unharmed. You can read the whole story here: Daniel 6

Daniel’s situation is still so relevant today. There are people who will try and hold you back when they see you getting ahead or doing your best to serve God. They may even lie on you or try and turn others against you.

Sometimes we wonder why certain things happen, or why God is taking so long to bring justice. He always has a perfect plan, and nothing slips past His watchful eye. Daniel trusted in God to deliver him, and He did. God will do the same for you. No situation, no matter how out of control it may seem, is beyond God’s power. He is fully aware of the evil doers and their wicked schemes. He will intervene at the perfect time.

The “lions” that attempt to destroy you are already defeated by the Living God who never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4). Keep trusting in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, has overcome the evil that is in this world (John 16:33).

He’s With You In The Fire

Next to Jesus, Daniel is my favorite person in the Bible. I admire him because “he resolved” to do what was right in God’s eyes. He didn’t lower his standards to try and please others or gain their acceptance. His main interest was in bringing glory to our God. That’s a huge inspiration for us Christians today who are trying to stay true to God.

I’m sure I’ll write more about Daniel in the future, but right now I want to draw your attention to his three good friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It makes perfect sense that Daniel would have chosen them as his close friends. Because like Daniel, they were determined not to defile themselves by worshipping other gods. (Nowadays “other gods” can also be money, jobs, other people, or anything we put before Christ.) They resolved to worship the One True God.

Even though these young men endured a lot, it was evident that in their hearts, they always remembered who God said they were. Because of their loyalty to God, they were thrown into the fiery furnace, BUT GOD was in the furnace with them. Before being thrown into the furnace, these guys had already declared that they didn’t need to defend themselves, because God was able to deliver them. And guess what? He did!

They ended up coming out of the furnace completely unharmed! The Bible says they didn’t even smell like smoke. The evil king, King Nebuchadnezzar, who tried to take their lives ended up giving praise to our God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego….

Daniel 3:28(NIV), “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Reminder #1-Don’t lower your standards for other people. Stay true to who you are in Christ.

Reminder#2-People may say many negative things about you, but never forget who God says you are!

Reminder#3-Be careful of the company you keep. True friends encourage your faith in God and want to see you do well in life.

Remind #4: When people mistreat you, God is able to defend and deliver you.

Reminder#5-When you walk in God’s ways, people will take notice and want to know more about the God you serve.

Last but not least…

Daniel 3:30(NIV), “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”

Reminder#6-When you serve God, His favor rest upon you. So get ready to be promoted to the next level!

When the fires rage in your life, remember these three young Hebrews and don’t give up. God will always stand with you in the fire!!

Reflect: Can you remember a time in your life where God protected you as you walked through the fire?

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