Daily Devotional For Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Good morning Southside! I am following the One Year Chronological Bible reading and any Bible verses you see highlighted in bold (ex. John 3:16), means it is a link to that verse. All you have to do is click on the reference and it will take you to the verse online. Our daily devotional reading for today comes from Daniel 6:1-28. This is one of my favorite stories as a child and as an adult in the Bible – Daniel in the lion’s den. Though a Jewish exile in slavery in Babylon, Daniel had been faithful and obedient to the Lord.
Some scholars think this story took place after Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC and after the exiles had returned to Palestine in 537 BC under Zerubbabel. If this is true, then Daniel would be around 80-years-old. If this is all true, then Persia had appointed a puppet king over Babylon and this puppet king was probably was Darius or Gabaru (Gobryas). What we can say about Daniel is he was faithful to God all the way to the end of his life. Daniel did not try to be spectacular, but just faithful. He reminds me of a story about Don Sutton told by Max Lucado:
“Though a veteran of 21 seasons, in only one did he win more than twenty games. He never pitched a no-hitter and only once in his career did he lead the league in any category. In 1980 he led the National League with a 2.21 earned run average. Yet on June 21, 1986, pitcher Don Sutton rubbed shoulders with the true legends of baseball pitchers when he became only the 30th pitcher in baseball to win 300 games. His own analysis of his success is worth noting. “I am a grinder and a mechanic. I never considered myself flamboyant or exceptional. But all my life I’ve found a way to get the job done.” And get it done he did. Through two decades, six presidential terms, four trades, he consistently did what pitchers are paid to do: win. With tunnel vision, he spent 21 seasons redefining greatness and many of you never heard of his name. In September 1986 Inside Sports Magazine called him the “family sedan” of baseball’s men on the mound. He certainly boasted none of the Ferrari style of the last thirty game winner, Denny McClain, who rose to stardom but faded quickly. He boasted none of the Mercedes sparkle of a Sandy Koufax, but after their types were parked in museums or junk piles, Don Sutton was still on the mound “getting the job done” (Source: Max Liucado, God Came Near: Chronicles of the Christ, pp. 133-134).
Though Daniel kept getting promoted to higher positions of authority, it never went to his head. He saw all of this as by the hand of the Lord to use him in Babylon. I wonder if he ever got frustrated that with each higher position, he could do nothing to free his people so they could return to Israel? When Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC under Cryus, in 537 BC, the Jews were allowed to return to Israel. Most of them stayed in Babylon because they had homes there, jobs there, family and friends there. It was a remnant that returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around it.
Through all those years in captivity, we read nothing of a spiritual revival spreading through Babylon as a result of Danie’s influence. Due to his consistent faith, he had peers who were jealous of him, he was hated by the ungodly, there were multiple plots against his life and for all his wisdom, integrity and faithfulness, he was thrown into the lions’ den. Like Don Sutton, Daniel was the “family sedan.” He didn’t sprint around in luxury to make his fellow Jews jealous. He was just a regular faithful and obedient lover of God. There is always corruption in any government. Lord Action put it well when he said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Old Testament scholar Rodney Stortz found these corruptions in the 100th Congress (1987-1989):
- “29 arrested for spousal abuse;7 convicted of fraud;
- 19 arrested for writing bad checks;
- 117 bankrupted two or more businesses;
- 14 arrested on drug charges;8 arrested on shoplifting charges;
- 21 with lawsuits against them;
- 84 charged with driving while intoxicated” (Source: Rodney Stortz, Preach The Word, “Daniel” The Triumph of God’s Kingdom, p. 91).
Everyone around Daniel knew of his faithfulness to God. This was no secret. So, they knew the only way they could get King Darius to go against Daniel was to convince the king to pass a law about himself that had the death penalty if violated. What better way to stroke the king’s ego than to have a law requiring everyone in the kingdom for 30 days to worship or pray to any other god except the king himself. The enemies of Daniel knew he would not do this.
Daniel returned to his room, opened the windows for everyone to see, and prayed to God instead of King Darius. Not even the fear of a death sentence would or could stop Daniel from praying to the Lord. We read that when news of this was brought to King Darius, he knew he had to throw Daniel in the lion’s den. Five observations stand out here to me:
- The king spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a way to keep Daniel out of the lion’s den (Dan. 6:14). Think about this. This king loved and trusted Daniel so much he was trying to find any legal loophole to keep Daniel safe and live. This reminds me of Proverbs 16:7.
- This king knew Daniel and Daniel’s God. King Darius had faith in Daniel’s God to keep Daniel safe and alive in the lion’s den (Dan. 6:16). Here is King Darius, the Lamborghini of kings having faith in Yahweh along with Daniel the sedan of prophets. In those days, lions were starved in order to make them more hungry and ferocious. In any other situation, these lions would have ripped Daniel apart before he even hit the floor. We learn from Daniel 6:1-5 that it was jealousy and envy that drove these evil men to conspire against Daniel.
- The next day, the Bible says the king ran or rushed to the lion's den and called out to Daniel and found him safe with not even a scratch on his body (Dan. 6:19-23). Kings never rushed anywhere unless they were fleeing for their lives.
- God will vindicate the attempted harm and harm brought against His children. Once the king learned Daniel was alive and not even touched by these hungry lions, he had those who had tricked him into making this law thrown into the lion’s den along with their wives and children. The Bible says the lions ripped them to shreds before their bodies even hit the floor (Dan. 6:24). This reminds me of Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19. Daniel had broken the law and was punished for it. Daniel’s accusers had accused him of being disloyal to the king, even potentially plotting against the king. Darius learned this had been a lie and threw them and their families in the lion’s den. Why wives and children? The Persians had a law that anyone who lied to their king and it was discovered, they and their families would receive the punishment that had been inflicted on the innocent ones punished (Source: Herodotus, Histories, Vol. 3, p. 119).
- Daniel had no prior assurance from the Lord that his life would be spared. So, why did he do what he did? Because he understood the biblical truth found in 1 Samuel 15:22. What we learn about Daniel is that he was consistently obedient to the Lord even when his life was on the line.
Reflection Assignment: In what situations are you vulnerable to not obey the Lord and why? When have you obeyed the Lord and it cost you – either a relationship, a job, a promotion, a friendship, and etc.? How did you respond to this? If you could go back in time and choose to be obedient to the Lord in an area you were not, what is it and why? Has there ever been someone who out of jealousy, plotted against you? If so, how did you handle it?
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord. He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me to be consistently obedient to You in all areas of my life especially when the pressure is on me to be disobedient. Please use this as an opportunity for me to witness to those who do this to me so that they will give You the glory just as King Darius did before Daniel and his court. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly