Monday, 27 December 2021

Daniel's answer to the king


In a powerpoint presentation about the book Revelation for both adults and children, I used a picture of a painting of Daniel in the lion’s den painted by Briton Riviére, purely because it appealed to me - it is a beautiful picture of Daniel’s answer to the king.

Looking at it again the other day, I realized two things:  that Daniel is depicted as standing with his back to the lions number one, and secondly that there are seven lions, one for each day of the week!

By not facing those lions, Daniel is conveying the fact that he trusts God completely, he really believed that God had shut their mouths and that they could not hurt him in any possible way. He is physically portraying 1 John 4:4 which says that greater is He Who lives in us than he who is in the world!

The fact that there is a lion for every day of the week should not surprise us, as 1 Pet 5:8 warns us that the devil roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour.  We are very often spending our lives in a lion’s den!

Let this painting inspire us – what are the lions in your life?  Is it worry, or doubt, hopelessness, addiction, illness, financial problems or insecurity about the future?  Are you facing them, seeing their fiery eyes and huge teeth and great big claws, letting fear grow inside you because you really don’t see any way out?  Do you know the Heavenly Tamer of Lions, the One Who can be trusted to rescue you out of totally impossible-looking situations?  If He can be trusted to also keep Daniel’s friends from harm in a fiery furnace, think what He can do for you!

Begin by trusting Him for the little things.  Turn your attention from gazing at the lions to fixing your eyes on your Saviour,  then your faith will start growing to trust Him in the lion’s den also.

13 December 2021

©2021Copyright All rights reserved P. Koegelenberg



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