Daniel 6

Bible Passage:  Daniel 6

We have come to one of the most memorable and all time favorite story of the Bible – Daniel in the Lions Den! This is one story that most children will be familiar with, even if they don’t remember Abraham or Jacob. It has a lot of similar characteristics of a classic fairy tale, sans the fairy godmother. It has the good guy (Daniel), the bad guys, the king, the drama, then the magical touch of the lions that wouldn’t eat Daniel, and finally the happy ending with the bad guys killed in their own plot.

But do our children know that this story is not fantasy but that it actually happened in history? Do we actually believe in this real life story?

Do we see this story as a children story only or do we find it applicable for us today while we work in society?

Daniel is truly impeccable in his service to the king, that the people around him were so jealous they would come together just to get him out, just like those reality TV show competitions where the weaker combine forces to try to take out the best so that they would have a better chance. But there was nothing for them to find fault with Daniel.

When pondering over it, it reminds me of those Taiwanese dramas full of plotting within the family or the company. The characters are always trying to get a foothold of each other to cause their downfall at the right moment so that they can succeed in the others failure. The good guys will always have enemies because they stand in the way of the bad guys reaching their goals.

We have read in the news several high profile sex scandals and there has been many people passing different judgments on whether these people ought to be taken off their work and shamed in public when their extramarital affairs are supposed to be private affairs which is not against Singapore law and has nothing to do with their work performance. There are also conspiracy theories saying that such sex scandals are just ploys of their enemies to take them out as they have stepped onto some people’s toes. But whether the conspiracy theory is true, these people have given to their weakness, and thus a foothold to their enemies to bring them down.

Do we leave a foothold for anyone to catch us?

The book of Job reminds us that the Devil is always looking for a charge to bring against the children of God. The Bible warns us never to leave a foothold for the Devil. (cf Eph 4:6-7)

But holding on to God will never work against us if we have faith, for the story clearly tells us that even when it seems hopeless, God is in charge and will never let harm come upon His children who obeys Him.

We adults have much more complicated minds and sometimes we fear a lot more things than we should, rather than God. May God give us faith to become more like Daniel, confident to serve in our work while honoring God in the highest, and not worry for anything for or against us as long as we have a clear conscience before God.