Friday, May 6, 2011

A Room With No Way Out!

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem.
Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before" - (Daniel 6:10, NIV). 


We know about the story of Daniel in the lion's den,
how several hundred years B.C. he was taken captive along with most of the ancient Israelites to Babylon—the city of which is reported to be about 60 miles south of the Baghdad in Iraq.


Because Daniel was a very able and trusted servant, King Darius
planned to make him the second highest in command in Babylon.
However, jealous lesser leaders, knowing that Daniel could not be
faulted in any way, set a trap to have him destroyed by persuading
the king to make a law "that anyone who prays to any god or man
during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown
into the lions' den" (verse 7).


Daniel refused to stop praying to God. King Darius was greatly
distressed but, because of the law, Daniel was thrown to the hungry
lions with the king's words: "May your God, whom you serve
continually, rescue you!"


"Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without
eating …. 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, 'O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and
he shut the mouths of the lions….'


"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.


At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones" (verses 6-24).


Had Daniel gone "kicking and screaming" into the lion's den because
of this gross injustice, chances are he would have been torn to
pieces before he hit bottom. But he didn't. He trusted God fully in
the midst of this frightening situation. However, before Daniel was
delivered out of the lions' den, he was delivered in it—a lesson that
God wants each of us to learn in whatever situation we find ourselves.

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