Give Thanks: Daniel & the Lions Part 1! | Daniel 6:1-18

We are starting a new series this week called Give Thanks. Today we’re going to dive into the story of Daniel and the Lions. What put Daniel in those circumstances? We’re about to find out. And a little hint, it involves giving thanks. Boy, this is a powerful story. Are you ready?

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Transcription:

Hi, I’m Erica, and as we kick off a series on gratitude right here on The Bible for Busy People, I want you to know I am super grateful for you. Thank you for being part of this podcast family. I love meeting with you every weekday and just diving into God’s Word and taking Jesus up on his invitation when he says, come to me and I will give you rest. That’s a promise, and you and I stand on it every time we meet together. So we’re gonna kick off a brand new series. It’s called Give Thanks. Today we’re going to dive into the story of Daniel and the Lions. What put Daniel in those circumstances? We’re about to find out. And a little hint, it involves giving thanks. Boy, this is a powerful story. Are you ready? Here we go. 

We’re right in the middle of your Bible in Daniel chapter six, beginning in verse one. “Darius, the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the King’s interests. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn.” A little jealous, you know. “He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.” And I wanna say right here, Lord, make me faithful, make me responsible, and completely trustworthy. Hmm. “So they concluded, ‘Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.'”

So they’re getting ready to sabotage him and his faith. “So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, ‘Long lived King Darius! We are all in agreement, we administrators, officials, high officers, advisors, and governors, that the king should make a law that will strictly be enforced. Give orders that for the next 30 days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human, except to you, your majesty, will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, your majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Meads and Persians that cannot be revoked.’ So King Darius signed the law. But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed,” this is our takeaway verse, verse 10, “He went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”

Boy, that was brave. Boy, that was bold. He could have hidden in a closet where nobody would see, but he did what he had always done because Daniel was faithful. Boy, that is just a powerful story. Okay, “Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.” They set him up, “so they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. ‘Did you not sign a law that for the next 30 days, any person who prays to anyone, divine or human, except to you, your majesty, will be thrown into the den of lions?’ ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘that decision stands; it’s an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.’ Then they told the king, ‘That man Daniel,'” Can you see the fingers pointing? “‘One of the captives from Judah is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.'” Little tattle tales, right? 

“Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening, the men went together to the king and said, ‘Your majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.’ So at last, the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, ‘May your God whom you serve so faithfully rescue you.'” Wow, that’s pretty beautiful. “A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.”

What a story, and next time we’re gonna pick it up in part two, but for right now, how powerful, how inspiring that Daniel prayed in front of his window anyway, and he thanked God. So I issue a challenge today: what is that difficult predicament that you find yourself in? Name it right now. I’ll give you a moment. For most of us, it’s just gonna rise right up to the surface. What’s that predicament? Give thanks inside of it. Pray to God, I wanna be faithful and trustworthy like Daniel. I wanna be responsible and this is a way for you and I to act on what we believe today. So why don’t you pray with me right now. Father, my friend and I come to you in the name of Jesus. And Lord, we stand in the middle of this predicament, the one you know that’s pressing on our hearts right now, and we thank you that you’re God in the midst of it. And we trust you, we confess this out loud today, in Jesus name, Amen. All right, next time we’re gonna see what happens the next morning after Daniel spends the night with the lions. We’ll see how faithful God is. Until then, remember, you are so loved. 

Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life. Find more podcasts that will recharge you at OnPurposely.com.