He is the living God . . . . He rescues and he saves. Daniel 6:26-27
Looking at my high school yearbook, my grandchildren marveled at outdated hairstyles, clothing, and “old-fashioned” cars in the photos. I saw something different—first the smiles of longtime buddies, some still friends. More than that, however, I saw the keeping power of God. His gentle presence surrounded me in a school where I struggled to fit in. His keeping goodness watched over me—a kindness He grants to all who seek Him.
Daniel knew of God’s keeping presence. In his exile in Babylon, he prayed in “his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem” (Daniel 6:10) despite the king’s decree not to do so (vv. 7-9). From his prayerful vantage point, Daniel would remember God whose keeping presence sustained him—hearing and answering his prayers. Thus, God would hear, answer, and sustain him again.
Yet, despite the new law, Daniel would still seek God’s presence regardless of what might happen to him. And so he prayed just as he had done so many times before (v. 10). While in the lions’ den, an angel of the Lord kept Daniel safe as his faithful God rescued him (v. 22).
Looking to our past during present trials may help us recall God’s faithfulness. As even King Darius said of God, “He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth” (v. 27). God was good then, and He’s good now. His presence will keep you.
What past trial tested you? How did God kindly sustain you?
Looking back, dear Father, I see Your kind sustaining presence. Thank You for keeping me now too.
INSIGHT
Scripture doesn’t give any details about what Daniel’s time was like when he was surrounded by the lions in their den. But we’re told what the king’s night was like: “The king . . . spent the night without eating . . . . And he could not sleep” (Daniel 6:18). The next morning, the king declared, “I issue a decree that . . . people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. ‘For he is the living God and he endures forever’ ” (v. 26). The focus is on the movement of God in the heart of the pagan king rather than on his faithful servant.