Read: Daniel 6:19-28 and Luke 16:10-13
SOAP: Daniel 6:26-27
“I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God;
he endures forever.
His kingdom will not be destroyed;
his authority is forever.
He rescues and delivers
and performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”
Into the Text
As early as he could, Darius went to the lion’s den. With a trembling heart, he called out, “Daniel, was your God able to rescue you?” The king was overjoyed, and punishment was given to the malicious men.
Just as King Nebuchadnezzar had done before him, King Darius wrote to everyone in his kingdom to revere and fear the God of Daniel. Darius recognized God as living, eternal, and undefeatable. He rescues, delivers, and is even more powerful than lions.
We don’t know if Darius became a believer in God, or if he was just in awe of what He had done. But we see Daniel prosper under Darius and Cyrus. No one who spent time with Daniel missed that he was serving the living God.
If a selection of people who you’ve spent a lot of time with in recent months and years were interviewed about you, how many of them would know you are a follower of Jesus? How many would be surprised to hear you are a Christian?
We have the opportunity to live out our faith in the ups and downs of life. God is always faithful. We live alongside people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences. We are God’s witnesses in what we do and say but also in what we don’t do or say. Our lives can point people to the living God or just blend in with the world around us.
Being faithful to God in the little decisions of life makes it easier to be faithful when the big challenges come. We have seen in the first 6 chapters of Daniel some of his decisions, which built up his faith in the living God. Daniel and his friends were faithful witnesses.
Prayer
Dear Lord, you know all about me and all about those I see daily and weekly. May I be a faithful witness to you. You have rescued and saved my soul. I thank you for transforming my life. If I can be useful, here I am Lord. In Jesus’ wonderful name, I pray. Amen.