Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!’ A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet [ . . . ], so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, ‘O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?’ Daniel then said to the king, ‘O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.’

Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. - Daniel 6: 16-17, 19-23

Daniel is a very famous figure in the Bible. He was someone with a lot of problems and a lot of faith. In this passage, we see his problems: as a youth, he was deported from Israel to Babylon, in part of a mass exile that was the result of the Babylonian’s victory over the nation of Israel. Daniel spent his life away from his home, family and all that was familiar. 

While in Babylon, he was trained to serve in the royal court, becoming a highly-placed civil servant. Over the years, his excellence distinguished him. He was  an interpreter of dreams and signs and one who practiced his faith in his God—the God of Israel. The Bible tells us that Daniel trusted God. I believe that he trusted God because he had a relationship with God—and that relationship with God did not begin in the den of lions—Daniel nurtured and cultivated it each day of his life. So, when the lions came, there was no distance between him and God.

How, then, did Daniel end up under penalty of death in a foreign land? This situation reminds us that sometimes, even when we are trying to do everything right, the lions will still show up. Are you like Daniel? Are you staring down lions in your life right now? If we were to look at our lives, we might see lions all around—they look huge!

What are the names of your lions?

• unemployment
• illness and disease
• depression
• violence and war
• poverty
• addictions
• dysfunctional relationships

The lions threaten to devour us. But just like God sent an angel to deliver Daniel from those lions, God sends us Jesus. Not only did Jesus live, minister and die in that distant time, but because of his resurrection—especially in this lion’s den of a world—God sends Jesus into each of our lives. It is our life's’ work to continually nurture and cultivate a strong relationship with Jesus. I have learned and relearned that there’s no night so long that Jesus won’t stand there with us and that there’s no lion so large that Jesus Christ can’t shut it’s mouth.

There is a hymn that says: “Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand; but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.” That is the Good News of the Gospel. So, be encouraged! The Divine Force operating in your behalf. Trust God!