Posted on 08/19/2024 2:21:40 PM PDT by metmom
“‘Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all’” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).
Trust God, who controls everyone and everything.
In Daniel 6, King Darius chose 120 princes to help him govern his kingdom. Over the princes he appointed three presidents, with Daniel being the first president. The princes and other two presidents were jealous of Daniel, so they devised a scheme against him. They told the king that he should make a law requiring every person to make his requests only to the king for the next thirty days. They said, “Anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you . . . shall be cast into the lions’ den” (v. 7). The king approved the idea and signed it into law. The princes and two presidents were glad because they knew Daniel prayed daily to his God (cf. v. 10).
As soon as Daniel’s opponents found him praying, they reported the matter to the king. Although Darius did not want harm to come to Daniel, the king could not reverse his law. As a result, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. When the king went to the den early the next morning, Daniel said to Darius, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me” (v. 22). “So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” (v. 23). Daniel trusted God because he knew that He was in control of everything.
Since God both owns and controls everyone and everything, don’t put your hope in riches or fear for your needs. God will take care of you. In his book Trusting God, Jerry Bridges wrote, “God . . . so directs and controls all events and all actions of His creatures that they never act outside of His sovereign will. We must believe this and cling to this . . . if we are to glorify God by trusting Him.” Dare to be a Daniel: trust God, who controls all and promises to care for you.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for being in sovereign control of your life.
For Further Study
What does Lamentations 3:37-38 say about God’s control?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Daniel was not a Prince. He was a prisoner of war. Placed with his fellow captive Israelites in training to learn the customs of the land to serve the king. Although not mentioned in the Bible scholars confirm based on tradition of the times Daniel and all the others taken captive would have been made eunuchs as well.
Yes. God richly favored Daniel but his journey was never easy. Dare to be a Daniel is not something we should ever try. We should strive to be who God made us to be. Period.
He was fully determined not to defile himself with the essence of the sinners' culture (Dan. 1:8)Daniel's fellow Hebrew companions followed his lead, and so should we. In the personal activity of this forum, we should be carefully aware of avoiding the habit of scorning other participants, for God will not give us their favor if we immerse ouselves in it, though they might be well deservning.
He did not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor did he stand in the way of sinners, nor was he camping on the role of a scorner (Psalm 1:1).
He was blessed in that he feared the LORD ְהֹוָה and walked in His Ways (Psalm 128:1).
Daniel sought the guidance of the Lord, morning, noon, and night (Psalm 55:16-17).
Daniel was obedient to the king, prayed for him daily, and sought his good, not reviling the king's leadership (Prov. 17:11, 24:21).
The first word of Psalm 37--"Fret"--is an activity one might well keep distance from, because the second word is "not" and the third is "thyself," making this a commandment from The God. Take heed to this Psalm and make the sense of it one's life occupation. We do not see that the record tells of Daniel fretting himself because of evil-doers, do we?
Why not?
Because Daniel and his pals weres keenly alert to Jehovah Elohim's immanence, in control of every aspect.
Jesus saves, never fails one's trust.
McArthur never said he was a prince. He said he was appointed as president over princes.
On a different not, Daniel was part of royalty from Jerusalem, a descendent of Hezekiah’s, as I recall hearing.
John McArthur hasn’t just taught on this passage, he’s lived it out in the godless state of California.
When the government attempted to shut down the church he pastors, he defied the state and kept it open.
He boldly and openly stated he was willing to go to jail for his beliefs.
I know a Pentecostal pastor in the small town where I live who essentially said the same and kept his church open too. Of course, it was a bit safer to do so in Texas than in California, but it still impressed me.
How many American Christians, including pastors, are willing to go to jail for their beliefs?
A lot of them!
Yes. He was a unique individual mightily used by God.
I became a Christian at 9 and Sunday School lesson of Daniel in the lions’ den had an everlasting impact on me - faith can get you through the most challenging times in life.
I have an antique print of Daniel in the lions den in my office. It’s called Daniel’s Answers to the King. There are 2 versions. Mine is the one of him looking up towards the light/ opening where the king called to him.
What I love about that story most is the king didn’t sleep all night, but I believe Daniel did since God allowed him to see there were angels holding the lions back :) So no matter the circumstances we can rest easy knowing the Lord is watching over us.
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