CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

The last account we will look at was recorded in Daniel 3. Now we will look at the events of Daniel 6.

“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

These men then devised a plan to capture Daniel as he faithfully prayed to God. They tricked King Darius into issuing an edict requiring that prayer only be directed to him. The edict could not be repealed. King Darius put the decree in writing.

Daniel 6 tells us how Daniel responded to this decree: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Daniel’s enemies found Daniel praying and asking God for help. They couldn’t report their findings quickly enough to the king. The king upheld his decree. He regretted his action, but could do nothing to rescue Daniel. The king found himself with no alternative but to order Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den. As the king was doing so, he even said these words to Daniel “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

Daniel was thrown into and then sealed in the lions’ den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles. In the Biblical account, we are told that “Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

As you consider these four accounts, whom do you think had the greatest trust in God? 

In the accounts of the three young men and Daniel, they stood on the foundation of God’s truth. The three guys could have bowed, and tried to convince themselves it didn’t matter because their hearts were for God. Daniel could have left his window covered when he went to pray. But God had these men stand firm for truth. 

In the four accounts included in these writings, God’s victory was evident. There are many reasons to praise Him for His protection and power for these women and men who feared God.  

Daniel and his friends did not allow fear to motivate them to be deceptive in any manner. Instead, they trusted God with the truth. “Even if” it meant death. 

I can find nothing in Scripture that indicates we need to help God deliver us from the hands of evil by lying. In fact, I find the opposite to be true. 

Exodus 20:16 in the Amplified Version states: “You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).”

Jesus stated in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I don’t see anything in Scripture that honors deceitfulness. Jesus used truth when He was in the wilderness being tested by Satan. Since Jesus is truth and was always truthful, His people should always be honest. Being truthful doesn’t always mean we have to share everything we know. We must be attuned to the Lord so that we know what, if anything, we are to share.

How can we say we love God and trust God, but lie? 

Why do people lie? It is a form of manipulation. It is a way to get what we want. Shouldn’t we be fully dependent upon God for what we want? It comes when we are afraid. Why do we think a lie will protect us more than God will protect us? Lies complicate life. They are divisive.

“God helps those who help themselves” is a lie. There is no basis for that belief in the Bible. 

Where did all of this start? 

TO BE CONTINUED – PART 3 NEXT WEEK

If Jesus is not the central Person in your life, why not commit to Him today? Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com so we can talk about a relationship with the Living God.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.