Read

Daniel 6:19-24

¹⁹Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. ²⁰When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”

²¹Daniel answered, “Long live the king! ²²My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

²³The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

²⁴Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

Reflect

From yesterday’s reading, we know that the king worried about what he had been forced to do to Daniel. Even as an unbeliever, the king knew that Daniel was faithful to God (’whom you serve so faithfully’). I can almost hear the king praying for God to keep Daniel safe. You can tell that Daniel and the king had respect for each other and Daniel’s faith had impressed the king so much that the king even addressed Daniel as “servant of the living God”! Daniel also knew that the king was tricked into this and acknowledged the respect he had for the king. He knew that this wasn’t the king’s fault. He addressed the king by saying, ‘Long live the king!’.

Daniel had impressed the king by his hard work and his faithfulness to God. Daniel was an awesome witness to the king because of his actions. He was unwavering in his faithfulness to God and his friends. After God had rescued Daniel, those who were responsible for provoking the king into an unjust action received the cruel punishment that was intended for Daniel, in accordance with Persian custom.

Respond

1. How was Daniels actions a witness to the king?
2. Was the king a believer in God prior to Daniel being rescued from the lion’s den?
3. Do you trust God with your life, like Daniel did?

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