5-25-15. Daniel 6:16-28. GOD RESCUES DANIEL – my devotional

Daniel 6:16-28                                    Kevin E. Jesmer                                              5-25-14

Key Verse: 6:22

 “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”(ESV)

Dear Lord, thank you for this Memorial Day weekend and all of the happy memories with friends and family. I pray that a spirit of thankfulness may be in our hearts for all the freedoms and safety that we experience in our land. We can go for a walk, live in our homes, raise our kids and pursue life, liberty and happiness without much fear. (compared with other parts of the world.)  We can live under the rule of law. All this is because of the sacrifice of others and also because of your grace and sovereign rule. Thank you Lord for your love and blessing. Thank you for granting people strength, when needed, to engage in combat and even lay down their lives for others in war and conflicts. What a hard calling. Help us to have a spirit of thanksgiving in our hearts each day. Grant me your word in my heart.  I pray in the name of the one who laid down his life for us to bring us the forgiveness of sins, the peace of God and eternal life…Jesus Christ.

Part 1: May Your God Rescue You (16-18).

The king prayed for Daniel and his friends. Look at verses 16-18 reads, “Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.”

King Darius did not want to order that Daniel be thrown to the lions, but he was bound by his decree and did so. Still, he hoped against hope that the God of Daniel would somehow rescue him. The king could not believe what had just happened. He longed in his deep heart that the situation had turned our differently. The king could not eat or sleep that night, and was not in a mood for entertainment. He was most likely uttering heartfelt prayers for the men in the lion’s den. He turned to the one who could change the whole, terrible situation to good, to the God of Daniel, the God of the Bible.

There are times when we think that a situation is too awful, too terrible to deal with. We feel helpless. We feel like there is no where to turn to. But there is somewhere to turn. It is to God. God can change any situation to good. God can make any circumstance into a very fruitful one.

There is a purpose for impossible situations in our lives. One reason is to drive us to prayer. When we pray to God, we can experience his wonderful deliverance. We can experience the living God. God is no longer abstract, but real. He is with us, hearing and answering our prayers. Have you experienced such a situation lately?

Part 2: He Has Rescued Daniel From The Power Of The Lions (19-28).

God delivered Daniel and his friends and God was glorified across the land. Verses 19-28 reads, “19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 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. 27 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.” 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

At sunrise the king hurried to the den of lions and called out to Daniel. Daniel’s voice was the testimony that God has power to rescue. The king punished the conspirators, but praised the God of Daniel. Instead of Daniel being eaten by lions, he was used by God as a testimony to Darius, and through Darius to all people and nations. The king issued a decree that all people fear the Lord, the living God who rescues and saves.

God delivers. Our God saves. Daniel tells us the reason why he was saved. Look at verse 22b, “…because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”  There is only one way to be found blameless. It is by becoming clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) God saves us from death and ushers us into eternal life based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. Does this mean that we will not experience suffering and death in this life? No. But it does mean that we have eternal life in the kingdom of God. We will be resurrected by God and no one can take that hope away from us. As for this life, God will keep us alive on earth for a reason. He has a purpose for us and we will not be taken out of this world, even one day before we are meant to leave. With this faith we can boldly embrace the mission God has for us, without fear. God will deliver us from the mouth of our “lions den.”

When God delivers us his glory is revealed and proclaimed throughout the land. God has delivered me and my family in such a miraculous way over the last two years. I was locked into depressed feelings and anger. Our situation was hopeless. Things were going from bad to worse in our family relationships. But Jesus stopped us and turned us around. We have a new mission in life. Our family is growing in more loving relationships. There has been deliverance in our family and I know that God’s wonderful grace and his incredible power to save is revealing his glory across the land.

God not only delivers, but he also prospers. This is complete salvation. Look at verse 28, “So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” God delivered our family and now he is prospering us in so many ways…in our relationships, in providing for our needs, in our family missions, (Art of Marriage, The Mission to the North, support work at KBC). We look forward to the day when we see Jesus face to face. We thank God for his complete salvation work in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, you alone have power to rescue and save and then prosper. Help me to overcome fear and trust in you. Make my life experiences a testimony to all nations.

One Word: The Lord has power to rescue, and prosper.