Advent: Join the TriumphSample

The Scripture:

"My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me at all. That’s because I haven’t done anything wrong in God’s sight. I’ve never done anything wrong to you either, Your Majesty" (Daniel 6:22, NIRV).

The Story:

What is the weirdest animal you have ever seen? Have you seen a lion, a tiger, or a platypus? Now what is the wildest animal you have ever seen? Not an animal you saw in the zoo, but an animal you’ve seen in the wild. One time, I saw a peacock just out in the open living life. I’ll be honest – big birds kind of freak me out (yes, even the one on Sesame Street. He’s just a little too big).

The Scripture today continues in the book of Daniel where some of God’s people are in an enemy nation. This story is not about our three friends from yesterday, but about the guy the book is named after, Daniel. Daniel experiences something similar to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel obeys God, follows Him, and puts his hope in Him, and he gets in trouble with the enemy nation.

Why does this keep happening? Well, Jesus promised us this would happen. Jesus tells us if we truly live like Jesus, we will face trouble. The world didn’t like Jesus, so the world won’t like you. That is why some people make fun of you for going to church or not saying the words everyone else says.

So Daniel gets in trouble for praying, and he gets thrown into a den of lions. These are wild, hungry lions. But our Scripture tells us that God brought victory. God sent Angels to shut the mouths of lions and save Daniel’s life. That is the Power of God. He takes care of us even when the world is against us. This doesn’t mean God will get rid of every hard thing, but it does mean that God has brought victory. Even when we are made fun of for our beliefs or even when we lose, we can hope that God has prepared a place for us in Heaven. No one can take that away from God’s people.

The Triumph:

Maybe you are going through a hard time right now. Maybe Christmas brings up bad memories or reminds you of people you’ve lost. I am sorry if that is you. I want to offer you the Good News of Christmas: Jesus is alive. Jesus was born, He died, but He rose again. Jesus is preparing a place for anyone who would place their hope and faith in Him. No matter how hard it is right now, Jesus is with you and He is preparing a place for you.