"My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." Daniel 6:22 (Read chapter 6)
The Bible tells us: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). But it also tells us: "Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or [as] a thief, or [as] an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (1 Pet. 4:15-16).
The world dislikes and hates followers of Jesus Christ. They seek opportunity to discredit them and destroy their witness to the truth. Somehow, if a Christian falls, it delights the world because the Christian witness against the sinful ways of this world is destroyed and people can feel good about themselves and excuse their need for repentance and faith in Christ Jesus.
The enemies of Daniel were jealous of God's blessings upon him but could find no fault in him, nothing they could use against him to bring him down. Thus, they devised a plan to legislate his demise with a temporary law against prayer.
Rather than compromise his faith, Daniel chose to obey God rather than men (cf. Acts 5:29) even though he knew it could bring about death. Daniel, trusting in the LORD God and looking forward to the everlasting blessings of God's eternal kingdom in the Messiah and Savior, chose to continue to pray even if it meant punishment and death in this life.
And Daniel's faith was rewarded. God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and preserved Daniel from the death that was decreed for him. But even if God had let Daniel die, Daniel looked forward to the resurrection and to eternal life in God's everlasting kingdom.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we can expect the world to hate us and to seek to silence our witness to the truth. People don't want to be reminded of their sinfulness or of God's coming judgment. They don't want to repent of their evil ways or to walk in the ways of the LORD. They don't want Christians or Christian principles in high places and seek to use man-made laws to silence us.
Are we ready to face the lions? To obey God rather than men even if it means suffering or death? We can expect to be hated and persecuted for the truth!
What's at stake? If we compromise and turn away from Christ, we may save our lives in this world but will lose them eternally. If we hold fast to Christ, we have in Him forgiveness for all our sins for the sake of His shed blood and a place in His everlasting kingdom (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Rev. 2:10b)!
Dear LORD Jesus, keep us faithful to You unto death for in You and for the sake of Your cross we have the eternal blessings of heaven. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible. More devotions at www.goodshepherdrogers.org.]
Editorial on 08/13/2014