When
in your life have you experienced God in the midst of a “lions’
den” of skeptics, critics, etc.? How has God alone been your
lifeline? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page
1232).
Story
of Daniel in the Lion’s Den: Daniel Chapter 6
Many
of us remember from childhood the story of Daniel in the lion’s
den. Then I saw it pretty much as a “good guy” versus “bad guy”
kind of thing. Daniel was the good guy and the King was the bad guy.
On reading the story now as an adult a striking thing becomes clear –
King Darius when he gave the order to throw Daniel into the lion’s
den did it with a reluctant heart because he had been trapped by
circumstances – by what was politically correct at the time. On
throwing Daniel into the lion’s den King Darius said sincerely “May
your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” King Darius
spent the night in anguish and misery. “At the first light of
dawn” Darius went to the lion’s den and called out 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?”
In truth, the King fervently hoped that his “official position”
mandated by the power structure would fail.
I
imagine that many teachers or managers have at times privately hoped
that their students or employees would prevail despite official
policy, rules and procedures that hindered them in in their pursuit
of destiny. The brutal fact is that the leadings of conscience can be
frustrated by various forms of organizational accretions that mandate
what is professionally or politically correct. Let us pray fervently
that God will have his way despite our poor attempts to fabricate
effective human structures that too often result in shortchanging
human conscience and divine will.
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