Scripture Reading: Daniel 6:1-28, 2 Timothy 3:12-15, 1 Peter 5:8-9
I’ve heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. Honestly, we’ve all been there.
A while back, I was on a mission trip to Puerto Rico with some students from church. We were staying in a rental house and discovered that the dishwasher wasn’t working—after we had dirtied most of the cups and plates in the cabinet. Personally, I didn’t want to wash all those dishes by hand, so I vainly kept pushing buttons and hoping for a miracle, to no avail.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes, persistence is what is needed. Instead of just pushing buttons and hoping for magic, a few repeated actions provide purpose and strength that only come through experience. We may not be able to see the effects of the labor at first, but we trust that something is changing that we cannot see.
For example, exercising regularly can be a good thing for our bodies. Reading good books consistently can expand our minds. Showing up at work on time leads to job security and productivity. Even something as small as making your bed each morning can have incredible results.
In a sense, the prophet Daniel was a creature of positive habits. He had lived in Babylon for decades by this point. The young man who had stood before Nebuchadnezzar had grown into an old man serving King Darius. He had seen so many things change over the years. But some things that never changed for him were his commitment to God and to the habits that fostered a strong relationship with Him.
That’s why Daniel never even flinched when he heard about the new law making it illegal to pray to anyone but the king (Daniel 6:10). In his heart, he probably knew about the jealousy of the other leaders, and he probably recognized that he was their target. He certainly understood the consequences of disobeying the king’s command.
Yet he prayed anyway. Instead of fretting or compromising, he took the matter straight to God—and left the results in His hands.
We can’t overlook the fact that Daniel did spend a night in the lion’s den because of his “crime.” We know the rest of the story, so it’s easy to forget that he obeyed God with no guarantees for deliverance. But he believed that facing death was a better option than living with compromise.
Thankfully, for the vast majority of us, no one is scheming to kill us for our faith. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face opportunities to deny our faith and compromise our convictions. In those moments, we can look to Daniel’s example and commit to absolute obedience to God.
When it comes to serving Him, practicing the same spiritual disciplines over and over again isn’t insanity. It’s the wisest step we can take.
Written by Bob Bunn
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60 thoughts on "Daniel in the Lions’ Den"
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Amen ❤️
Reading Daniel again has been so encouraging to me- just observing a man of integrity- it calls me higher! Shows us the importance of living with a humble and servant heart. A picture of Jesus.
The one phrase that continues to be a through line is that “His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed.” Each king has an encounter with God through the witness of Daniel (or his friends) – all verbalizing that His kingdom is the one that will remain (not theirs)!
Thank you Jesus for the book of Daniel. What a testimony Daniel has – it is beautiful we are able to peek into the past and read about his life.
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“Facing death was a better option than living with compromise.” This stuck out to me!
May we have this kind of faith as we develop the habits that foster our relationship with God so we will be able to stand firm when persecution comes!
Praying for all!
Amen!
Same for me!
Lord help me to remain disciplined today. Help me to remain in God today.
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Insanity. Yep, I heard this said during my time in CR and so true. It’s until we “surrender” that we can and will experience change. LOVED this devo this morning! AND agree with our writer this morning, “practicing the same spiritual disciplines over n over again isn’t insanity. It’s the “wisest step” we can take. Thank you JESUS! Let’s us not give up. Even when it gets hard, Our JESUS has us and always will! Happy Wednesday! Didn’t sleep to well, my brain was “on”
We may not be thrown into a real lion’s den these days, yet it can feel like that plenty of times as we go through life. Those feelings of being overwhelmed with fear in certain situations. Where it feels like we will certainly be devoured, either by people, the situation, or even by a health diagnosis or sickness.
That’s why being rooted and grounded in our faith is a game changer. And remembering what God has done for us in our past. Declaring His goodness for his children. We will go through trials and persecutions, valleys and pits- But that doesn’t mean he has abandoned us, the opposite, he is there and giving us strength to grow and trust in him.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but there are times when we can just feel God is strengthening us and preparing us. I felt that so strongly earlier this year. And I have to say this has been a very challenging year with so many trials and sufferings that are close to me. But we can’t bury our head and hope they go away, we just have to trust God is carrying it through it and helping, strengthening, fortifying us, and of course comforting us! We are also learning and putting another victory under our belt. We write it down so we have proof for the future when they hit again! lol. Our memories are short.
Please continue to pray for Brayden. He got a Bible there in jail and has gone to Bible study twice!! He said he loved the teacher that has been where he is. Isn’t that amazing! I’m thankful that there is a volunteer THERE for my loved one, which makes me so happy and thankful that I can be HERE for someone’s loved one! He things he may be able to get out next week. Please pray he will have someone to live with. He cannot return home. I pray that will let him get some of his stuff. I pray that this “lion’s den episode” will change his trajectory and he will not forget who was there for him- God! I will send him today’s scriptures to read!
Continued prayers for Brayden, and that he will come to the saving knowledge of Christ while he is in jail. I will also be praying that God opens a place for him to live when he gets out…this must be such a burden on your heart. ❤️
Yes, I have so many burdens on my heart for the situations and circumstances of so many loved ones. My dad, too, is in so much pain and can’t sleep, can’t sit, can’t stand. And my sister of course with her loss and her oldest lost a petition for them to look at his court case again, so now must serve the complete 4 years in prison. And yesterday, a dear friend, has to go through a brutal mouth surgery with a new found cancer. She served with me a Jail ministry. Her name is Sherry.
They say when it rains it pours! Thank you for listening! :) Praising that my own chronic pain gets “less” thinking of others burdens!
Prayers for each of these needs, Rhonda! ❤❤❤
Oh Rhonda! May Christ’s love shine in each of these difficult situations.
Praying for these requests, Rhonda ❤️
Praying for Brayden
Prayers Rhonda❤️
Rhonda, I have a cousin who has been in prison for a long time, and has many years to go for a horrific crime he committed. When he was first arrested and the news hit of what he had done, everyone in our very large extended family turned their back on him and pretended he no longer exists. God spoke clearly to me that I was to reach out to him and let him know he is still a Child of God, and still loved. While he was still being held in a small county jail, I wrote to him and sent him a nice study Bible. My husband and I drove several hours to visit him. He, too, went to a Bible study, and came to believe in Jesus as his savior. It’s been harder for him to find a Bible study in state prison, but we’ve stayed in touch and have traded letters about what we’re reading in God’s Word. We’ve visited him a few times there, which is quite an eye-opening experience.
I have a great deal of respect for you and others who bring God’s Word to those in jails and prisons. Sometimes, people truly do need to be at the very bottom of their lives to realize their need for Christ. I’m thank for those who take God’s Word to them in their darkest hours and deepest needs.
Praying for Brayden to come to know Jesus, and to find somewhere to live that provides a supportive, safe Christian environment.
Praying for Brayden. I am glad that he is attending Bible studies, that is encouraging. My nephew Brandon is still in and out of jail and homeless, and it’s so hard on my sister.
“But he believed that facing death was a better option than living with compromise.”
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Oh that I might have this kind of faith – that when I am put to the test & tried, I will not waver in my faithfulness and obedience to God.
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Daniel getting on his knees and praying to God wasn’t something he did as an “I’ll show you” attitude, but he did it because that was what he did each day.
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The time to get into to habit of praying isn’t when we are in the heat of a trial or testing, the time is now – long before that because, that is what will prepare us for what we are about to face. May prayer be a habit that each one of us make the time for each day.
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Happy Wednesday She’s!
“The time to get into to habit of praying isn’t when we are in the heat of a trial or testing, the time is now – long before that because, that is what will prepare us for what we are about to face. May prayer be a habit that each one of us make the time for each day.”- Amen! ❤
Daniel’s faith made me think about the study we did not too long ago called, Faith in Practice. Daniel practiced all these disciplines. He faithfully prayed, he gave thanks, he studied the scriptures, he was in fellowship with Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah, (I like remembering their Hebrew names), he was obedient, he fasted. He developed the practices that increased his faith and allowed him to face the lion’s den. His life is an encouragement to me to make all these practices a part of my life.
Great observation, Jane. Thank you for pointing out that connection.
In this passage I thought about the parallels between Jesus and Daniel.
Jesus was in a voluntary exile. He put on an earth suit to be human to be with us.
The passage starting in Daniel as having an extraordinary spirit, no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
There was no corruption. He was blameless!
This also reminds me of Queen Esther.
I had the same thoughts, Tanya. ❤
David Platt talks about “the evil of compromise and complacency.” He has great words on that topic if you’re interested in Googling to read such.
I LOVED his book Radical!! It sets the fire back under your britches!! It talks about how complacent American Christians have become!
How easy to forget Daniel did have to pay for the “crime”. He never compromised. What do I compromise on?
❤️Amen
Good morning, She’s.
Some of you may remember my friend Joann who was shaking out her rug, tripped, and broke her neck last October. She is now a quad. She has allowed no visitors all this time, but she finally agreed to let her husband take her out to see us all at our Pickleball group which she was a part of. We got to talk one on one (thank you, Lord!) and I told her all about the She’s around the world praying for her and she was astounded. She had the biggest smile. She asked me to thank you all and please continue to pray for her. Jo has a lot of medical needs and is working on a better facility and Medicare. Thank you all for your faithfulness in always praying the needs of this community. I may not post much, but always praying for you. Love and prayers to all.
❤️ you are a great friend to have this community cover your friend in prayer.
How quickly life can change, that would be so, so hard. I can’t imagine. Praying for her to stay strong and to stay close to Jesus.
Continued prayers for your friend, Joann. What an unexpected life change. Praying she comes to faith if she’s not already there, and if she is that her faith grows and God uses her story to help others.
Continuing prayers for Joann! So glad you were able to visit with her and encourage her!
Agreeing with the previous comments and prayers! How brave for Joann to agree to watch her friends enjoying something that was a big part of her life knowing she has been told that will never again be pissible. God is the God if the impossible! Prayers for a breakthrough/procedure to turn things around. ❤
I’m so thankful you were able to meet with Joann and share that time and encourage her. Praying for her needs during this time of transition.❤️
I remember this story of your friend. Like Rhonda said life can turn on a dime. I feel down a couple steps yesterday. My left leg went behind me. Thank God it wasn’t worse. Praying for you friend Joann.
Amen
We went through a “Sunday School” sermon series over the summer and I loved the message about Daniel! I think the most eye opening thing for me is the fact that he was older when cast into the lion’s den. In Sunday school, I was under the assumption that he was a young man. Daniel got to this level of confidence in God through years of prayer and faith!
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We tend to feel like if we are serving God we shouldn’t experience persecutions, trials, difficulties; our readings today remind us that we should expect them! Lord, help us to be faithful and give in to compromise when we are facing any of these things. Help us to be faithful and true to You no matter what, just like Daniel shows us and Jesus did also!
Two songs come to mind this morning. One is mentioned here often, Trust and Obey. Simple and straightforward, yet how often do I fail at doing one or both??
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The second is Trust in God, which is credited to Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance, 1873) with additional words and music by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Mitch Wong, and Steven Furtick. The message never changes, trusting in God is always the right decision. He will be with us each day and for every tomorrow.
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MERCY ❤️ praying for today’s procedure ❤️
B ❤️
TRACI GENDRON ❤️
CEE GEE ❤️
SHARON JERSEY GIRL ❤️
ROCHELLE DUNN ❤️ We were all baby Christians at one point, welcome to the family! Unsure what to say? You can’t go wrong by praising Him and sharing what’s on your heart and mind. There are times when my prayer is simply, Oh God, I need You. Wandering mind? Just rein yourself in when you realize it’s happened. Nothing professional or scripted is needed, only our willingness to talk with our Father. So glad you are here with us!
It’s funny that you should list “Trust In God” as one of your songs – I was singing that song while I was in the shower this morning, not knowing what today’s reading was on!
Love those songs! Thanks for sharing’
Two great songs! ❤
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The last several chapters themes show pride, which is brought down and humble, unwavering faith that is blessed. May we be of the humble unwavering faith.
I totally agree with you, Danielle! It seems the whole book of Daniel is about the danger of arrogance and pride. And Daniel, who was humble and honored God, even though he was in captivity, he continued to be blessed and exalted.
King Darius proclaimed, “people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
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Amen and amen!
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What a mighty God we serve! Is there anything too hard for Him? Is He worthy of our unwavering love and devotion? Will He not be with us in every trial, temptation, and dark valley?
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Lord increase my faith to trust you no.matter.what!
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TAMI – were you able to get things moving with the probate court?
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MERCY – praying all goes well with your medical procedure today.
HI thank you for following up Kelly! I wasn’t able to get anywhere with younger court. I have decided to “let go and let God”. I cannot stress over that which I have no control. And I second your prayer!
Yes, amen and amen!
Amen!
Praying!
Amen, Kelly! Yes, MERCY’S procedure (on top of everything else!) has been on my mind, too. ❤❤❤
Praying❤️
This account of Daniel’s unwaivering faith never gets old.
Oh Father, help me to so shine Your light before men that no ground for complaint or any fault may be found in me, so that You may be glorified!
Amen!
Trusting God, is indeed the wisest step we can take.
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