Serving God in a Hostile Environment. The Example of Daniel and His FriendsSample

God was glorified through Daniel

The evil plans of Daniel’s rivals had succeeded, he was cast into the den of lions. They expected this to be the end of the story. But remarkably, king Darius still had a glimmer of hope that his favorite official would survive this trial, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

And God did.

The next morning, Daniel told the king from the lion’s den: “My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

This was an incredible proof of God’s supremacy. King Darius even made a decree that all his subjects should fear God, for;

“He delivers and rescues;
    he works signs and wonders
    in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
    from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:27, ESV).

The officials planned to do Daniel harm, but God turned their evil plans into something good. He saved his servant and thereby made His supremacy known “to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth”.

Do you see how God worked something good through the evil conspiracy of these high officials?