Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the other administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally, these men said, “We will never find any basis against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God. The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lion’s den. 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. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, “Remember, O king, that according to the law…no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lion’s den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually rescue you!” At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lion’s den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has you 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. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.” 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 his God.
– Daniel 6:3-5, 7, 10-11, 15-16, 19-23
Devotion
After the passing of Nebuchadnezzar and the defeat of his son Belshazzar, Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. Those jealous of Daniel tricked king Darius into signing a law that they knew Daniel would not honor. The punishment for not keeping this law was to be thrown into a lion’s den where death was certain and painful. Daniel remained faithful and obeyed God rather than man. Once again his strength of character would earn him favor with Darius and the future king Cyrus.
The Big Question
Samuel said, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Daniel is an example of why pleasing God is more important than pleasing man. Do you find it difficult to obey God? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I have commanded you.” How is your love relationship with Jesus doing?