THE LION TAMER

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”  – Daniel 6:21-22

REFERENCE
Daniel 6:6-23

The circus often presents its vast spectators with a wonder – Lions, the king of the jungle, made to jump through hoops, step dance, do balancing acts and even play with rubber balls. Although strong, ferocious, wild and a predator by instinct, the Lion can be and has been tamed by man. I Peter 5:8 says, the devil is LIKE a ‘roaring lion,’ aggressively seeking whom he may devour. But the circus has shown us that even lions can be tamed…so is the devil.

Daniel had just found himself in a pit of a trouble. He had blamelessly and unashamedly stood for God in a time of persecution and when it was unpopular. He had refused to compromise his trust and faith in God; neither was he willing to participate in the corruption of the government in which he served. His stand for righteousness did not go unnoticed – it irked some of his colleagues, whose corrupt practices were highlighted by Daniel’s sterling qualities. They soon came up with some false allegation against him, roped him in a mess of a scandal and reported him to his boss – the King. The verdict: “Throw him into the pit filled with hungry lions.” You may not know it, but that ‘copycat’ lion, Satan, is behind all this.

Next morning, to everyone’s surprise, Daniel was alive – not a bite or a scratch on his body. At night, God’s angels entered the pit and shut the mouth of the lions from devouring him; they simply became like house pets; and in spite of their innate qualities to hunt and kill, they played dumb with Daniel. God tamed the lions so that they became docile and couldn’t hurt Daniel.

Why? Because Daniel was a man who lived right and pleased God in all he did. In Daniel 10:11, God’s angel referred to him as “O Daniel, man greatly beloved…” God had a stake in his life.

Proverbs 13:6 reveals that, “Righteousness guards the person whose way is blameless.” Standing up for God and living daily for His truth will secure you His protection; it will tame ‘ferocious lions’ of life from devouring or hurting you. Like Daniel, you will win battles without sustaining injuries because what is meant to harm you will comfort you, arrows fired at you will not hit you and those who intend to hurt you will be put to shame. KNOW THIS: “Those who stand up for God when it is unpopular will find God stand up for them in precarious times.”

Stand up for God in the time of trial, troubles or temptations. Don’t lose faith! Our God, the Lion Tamer will ultimately vindicate you and lift your head above many waters.

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Isaiah 33:15-16, Jeremiah 17:7-8, & I Peter 3:10-17.

PRAYER POINTS

+ Ask God for grace to overcome temptations and to stand on His side – the side of truth, regardless of life’s circumstances.

+ Pray that you will not be weary in doing what is right, even if you are the only one