Thrown to the Lions
Thrown to the Lions
They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. (Dan. 6:16)
When Bad Things Happen
From everything we understand about Daniel, he was doing everything right, was utterly pleasing to God, and yet was thrown to the lions nevertheless. Every man who loves and serves God can learn a lesson from Daniel. Too many guys assume God is punishing them or has abandoned them when the storms of life hit. We rail at God or simply withdraw from Him in pain and confusion. We so easily forget we have an enemy who is out to “steal and to kill and to destroy” us (John 10:10). We forget we live in a fallen world where bad things do happen to “good” people. We forget that most of life is waged on a battlefield, not wasted in a man cave.
Faith Builders
God wants to build a muscular faith in us, and He often does it by allowing us to be thrust into dire straits. He is not toying with us or punishing us. He is making us deeper and better and stronger, and we need to stop resenting Him because of it.
Ever have a coach work you really hard to improve you? Ever have a drill sergeant push you to the limit to turn you into a competent soldier? That’s what God is up to on a far larger and more important scale. Believe that He loves you and has your best interests at heart when He puts you through spiritual boot camp. If we trusted our coach, we can certainly trust our God.
Bottom Line
You gain spiritual strength when your faith is given a workout through life’s trials.