"O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" ~ Daniel 6:20
As we are almost a month in quarantine, I've spent a lot of time thinking on biblical characters who were also stuck in place and how their stories still proclaim the Gospel. Today, we turn to Daniel, to one of the more famous stories of the Old Testament.
Daniel the prophet is put through many trials during his ministry. He and his fellow Israelites are pressured to leave their God and convert to Baalism, the religion of Babylon during the exile. One of these instances, Daniel is thrown into a den of lions for praying to God and not to king Darius.
In a way, I think we're facing similar times. Not that our government is throwing us into zoos for believing in Christ. We face a different kind of lion. Peter says in his letter,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." ~1 Peter 5:8
Through means outside of our control, we were thrown into our own dens; isolated from the world, some of us alone. Daniel was thrown away in hopes that he would stop serving his God. The kings servants hoped that the lions would kill him, ending his ministry that got in their way.
I cannot help but feel the devil is after the same. He may not be physically attacking us, but he is distracting us, keeping us stressed and focused on anything other than our vocations. It's easy to feel like we cannot continue ministry. After all, it requires people, relationships. Yet it's the story when Daniel is alone, sealed away in the lion's den, that resounds most to this day.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 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?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 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.”
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. ~Daniel 6:19-23
No harm was found on him because he trusted in his God. Peter says the same when he cautions those in the dispersion.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ~1 Peter 5:8-11
We can still proclaim the Gospel where we are. Whether it's the den of lions or quarantined in our houses, we are able to continue our ministry. The devil will try to use this time to flatten our vocation and to take our eyes off Jesus, but if we hold firm in the faith, we'll survive. And live to serve another day.
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