Daniel 6:16-17 (KJV)
“Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.”
Daniel drew the curtain closed behind him as he knelt before the window of his home that faced Jerusalem. Over 80 years of kneeling to pray had left his knees calloused and his joints protested at the familiar motion, but it was time for evening prayer, so to his window he came as was his custom for decades. Age had left his ears dim, and so he did not hear the shuffle of foreign feet as he bowed his head to his God.
Suddenly, they were upon him! They were not gentle as they gripped his limbs and tore him from his sanctuary. Their torches illuminated the empty street as they dragged him towards the edge of the city. He needed no explanation; he knew this was the way to that dreaded pit. “My life is yours Adonai”, he thought to himself. “If this is where it ends, I know I have tried my best to serve your purpose. Do not put the quill down now but write the ending as it serves you best.”
His captors clambered up the rocks to the gaping maw of the pit and with one motion they tossed him inside, yelping with delight as he fell. He crashed into the sides of the shaft as the space beneath him seemed to swallow him whole. Nothing about this was pleasant, especially for an old man.
The thud of his body on the bottom of this pit echoed off the stone walls. His aged frame likely winced at the pain from the tumble. The thin shaft of light from their torches soon vanished as the stone was sealed to the entrance. Only the final words of the king came to Daniel. “That God that you have always served, Daniel, I am counting on Him to save you!”
A moment later the darkness covered him like a blanket. Doubtless, he could hear the shuffle of padded paws as hungry beasts surrounded him. By rights, this should be the end for our prophet, but not this time. It soon became apparent that these beasts would be starving yet again today; their mouths sealed shut by forces beyond their control. Now all that remained was to wait, so he might as well get some rest. Deliverance would be here soon enough.
Here we have the familiar story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. Anyone who grew up attending Sunday School likely colored an animation of this very story at some point in their history. We have the benefit of hindsight; we know that the story has a happy ending, at least for Daniel. For Daniel, however, it is all unfolding in real-time. One minute he is minding his own business, and the next he is being dragged to the entrance of what is meant to be his grave and unceremoniously tossed inside.
We are not told much about Daniel’s frame of mind as all of this is going down. Speaking for myself, I suspect I would not have been cool and collected, but we hear no protestations from the prophet. Almost as if he knew what might happen. I can almost hear his thoughts as they throw him inside and his body falls into the darkness. “Hey God, I ended up here because I wanted to please You. I don’t know what the plan is, but I know You have one. I trust You!”
I don’t know what the plan is, but I know You have one. I trust You!”
Dustin Midkiff
Serve God for any length of time and you will find yourself in unexpected trouble. When I was a young man, older folks around me would say, “Well, we’re in a pickle now.” in times when things would unexpectedly go south. I grew up understanding that phrase to mean “unfortunate unforeseen circumstances.” That was Daniel in our story, a prophet in a pickle.
There are a myriad of reasons one can end up in a pickle. I would say that most folks probably end up there because of poor planning or unwise use of resources, but that is not always the case. Sometimes we end up in difficult situations because we want what is right, and our opposition does not, as indicated by the story of Daniel.
If you find yourself in difficulty, the first thing to do is ask yourself why. Did you bring it on yourself? Was it because you acted rashly or perhaps even immorally? If so, the first step is always repentance. Go back to where you made the wrong turn and make the right one. Repair what might have been broken between you and your fellow man in the process. Only then can the restorative work begin.
However, if you ended up in a pickle because you stood for a righteous cause and you were tossed aside as a result, the time has come for you to stand and see the salvation of the Lord. Sometimes He parts your Red Sea. Sometimes He feeds your multitude with practically nothing. Sometimes He vanquishes your foe with little more than a smooth stone launched from the sling of a shepherd boy. Regardless, He always wins.
If you ended up in a pickle because you stood for a righteous cause and you were tossed aside as a result, the time has come for you to stand and see the salvation of the Lord.
Dustin Midkiff
So, you are in a Lion’s Den, Daniel? That is ok, so are His angels. So, that influential family turned on you Pastor? It is going to be alright because God is still paving the way for you. Are they making fun of the way you dress at your school, young Apostolic Woman? Dress right anyway, they need you to shine His light in their dark world. Perhaps your family doesn’t understand why your new life in church matters so much to you, new convert? Do not quit! The best hope they have is to see you succeed at living for God!
Read the rest of the story and you’ll see that Daniel did not stay in the pit. Neither will you. This is not your grave, but the location of God’s next victory in your life. Just wait; the king is coming to roll the stone away tomorrow, so you might as well take this chance to rest on His promise. Your pickle is no problem for a Savior.
This is not your grave, but the location of God’s next victory in your life.
Dustin Midkiff
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