I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Psalm 32:8-9.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. 1 Timothy 6:12-16.

Everything in this life, every battle, every challenge, every trial, every blessing…shows us how much we need Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. And our true journey in this life begins when we trust Him to be with us. And our chapter, Daniel 6, is a beloved story in children’s books and it is so much more. Because trials will come and we will need to know that our God IS and that He will help us as we walk through them together. It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 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 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 for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” v. 1-5. In the notes below it said Daniel at this time is over 80 years old. So these men appealed to the pride of Darius and in the Medo-Persian empire, once a law was written, it could not be negated even by the king. They convince the king to write a decree that for 30 days anyone who prays to any god or human being, except for Darius, should be thrown into the lions’ den. And the king did put the decree in writing. You can just imagine the men on horseback racing throughout the kingdom to give the decree. But Daniel is faithful to God and he continues to go into his upstairs room to pray three times a day to give thanks to God. And knowing Daniel would pray faithfully, they go and find him. And they tell the king. The king is not angry with Daniel. When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. v. 14. He, himself, even a king, couldn’t save Daniel. That wasn’t his job. So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” v. 16. The king is so distraught, he neither eats nor sleeps. Imagine what it’s like for Daniel and those lions! 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, “May the king live forever! My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouth 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, your Majesty.” 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. v. 19-23. Imagine the men getting Daniel out of that den of lions! I would imagine the lions were intently watching as they prowled back and forth just out of range of Daniel. And the men who falsely accused Daniel? They and their families were thrown into the lions’ den at the king’s command. Because of their envy and scheming, their families died with them. Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. v. 25-28.

When we come to know Creator God, He begins a relationship with us that will never end. Daniel was saved from those lions but I am sure that Daniel knew that even if he was killed, Creator God would have been right there with him. Because trusting God helps us see beyond our fear of death. We see God. He is faithful. He is just…and He will be there with us. He was there with those families who died in the lions’ den. He was there with Jesus as He gave His last breath for us. He is there for us. Always. Can you imagine the surprise for those who never knew Creator God before their death? For He is the living God and He endures forever…His Kingdom will not be destroyed…His dominion will never end…He rescues and He saves…He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth!