Fri.’s Devo - Good Wins in the End!

Read: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22
The story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is one of our favorites. It is right up there with David and Goliath. It is the perfect story. The hero is so worthy of being a hero and everything turns out good in the end. I can’t help comparing this to what is happening in our government right now. They keep trying to find some offense to bring down our president and it is not going to work because God has placed him where he is for our good.
Daniel was an exceptional man. He had served faithfully under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. Belshazzar had elevated Daniel to third in his kingdom the night Darius rode into town and took over. But, Belshazzar also recognized his qualities of being trustworthy and diligent and had plans to set Daniel over his whole kingdom. Belshazzar had 120 satraps that ruled throughout his kingdom and Daniel was one of them. The other satraps got wind that Daniel was going to be promoted above them and came up with a plan to put him out of the running. They wanted him dead.
The only thing they could pin him on was his faith in God so they flattered the king into making a law that if anyone prayed to any god but him for the next thirty days, they would be thrown into the lion’s den.
Daniel prayed three times a day in his own house bowing towards Jerusalem. The ones who wanted to frame him knew this and caught him. They brought him before the king and reminded the king of his decree. The king was distraught and tried to think of any way to save Daniel but couldn’t find a loop hole. When he escorted Daniel to the lion’s den he told him he hoped that his god could rescue him. The king spent the night in agony and unrest.
The next morning the king ran to the lion’s den and called out to Daniel, asking him if his god had been able to rescue him. Daniel responded that God had sent his angel to shut their mouths. The king was elated and had him brought out of the den and threw his accusers and their families in instead. The hungry lions ate them before they touched the ground. Then King Darius wrote a new decree that everyone must fear and reverence Daniel’s God because he was the eternal living God. This is quite a statement coming from a king who was believed to be a god himself!
Daniel prospered during his reign and during Cyrus’ reign.
Peter wrote to believers to encourage them to not lose hope in Jesus’ return. He is coming back and it will be right on time. He gives us a clue: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. We will be here for six days and the seventh will be the millennial of rest. According to the Hebrew calendar we are at 5880 so we still have 120 years if their calendar is right. The thing we have to remember is that Jesus will not come as a thief to us (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Those looking for his returning will go in the rapture, those left behind will go through tribulation. To the ones that don’t repent, Jesus will come as a thief.
Lord, stimulate us to wholesome thinking and give us your thoughts. Help us to see our lives from your perspective and not our own. Your ways are higher!