When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Daniel 6:10

Even people who have little knowledge of the Bible have some understanding of the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. The idea of spending the night in a den of lions creates quite an image in most of our minds, right?

I remember a popular Bruce Cockburn song when I was in high school. “Wandering Where the Lions Are” at least referenced the familiar story as he wrote about how “the earth survives into another day and I’m thinking about eternity…. wondering where the lions are.”

So, how did Daniel end up there? Whether his enemies wanted to admit it or not, Daniel had influenced those men. His character was above reproach. He wouldn’t accept a bribe. Literally, the only way to destroy him (they thought) was to make it illegal to pray!

And pray he did. Not to defy the King’s order, but to honor the LORD even if it meant the lion’s den. We know the end of the story, but look at the impact Daniel’s faithfulness had on people outside the King’s courts –

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God, enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Daniel 6:25-27

So, let us be faithful as well in every aspect of our lives so that we can honor the God who saves.