LEARNING DAILY

 

Daniel 6:10, Now when Daniel knew the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his window open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

 

Okay, I bet you are wondering about this verse today! Good! It comes after reading a devotional I get every morning and it just fit what I have been thinking about. This is Daniel praying, giving thanks and making his requests know to God. Daniel was in his eighties at this time for he had been in Babylon for some time now. The writing that had been signed was to prevent everyone from praying to God or any man for thirty days. This was specifically about the king’s advisors being jealous toward Daniel and to catch him being disobedient; they knew Daniel would not stop praying to God.

 

Daniel was not timid nor did he not hide from his prayer time with God. He knew the danger. He did not let anything keep him from presenting his petitions to God. The danger was real and Daniel found himself placed in a den of lions as his penalty.

 

What am I getting at? I’m glad you are interested. For one thing you and I are not to let anyone or anything prevent us from our daily prayer and study of God’s Word. Is this a possibility? We have seen the persecution of pastors over their stand against covid mandates in their church. We have seen the Bible restricted in public schools and other political areas. And we have seen Christians mocked more and more over their beliefs. Anything is possible.

 

The other thought I have is that age does not ease the testing we experience. Daniel was certainly a man of God who was greatly used in Babylon. Daniel’s uncompromising loyalty to God and His Word is a wonderful example for all Believers. I pray for you and I to be able to demonstrate integrity in all we do when faced with trials and temptations that just continue to come our way. You and I must face difficult situations without compromising our Biblical convictions as Daniel did. His faithfulness did not change when crisis came; Daniel continued to do what he had always done.

 

I know this. Satan hates you because of your discipline to God’s Word and to prayer. Because he does, the world hates you. So, the temptation and trials come regardless of how old one is and regardless of how long one has walked with the Lord. Temptations and testing will not end until Jesus returns for His church or when we die in Christ. We live by doing everything to live committed to walking on the narrow way to eternal life and God’s kingdom. There is no other way to face the trials that come our way.