When it came to the order of Darius to pray to no one but him for 30 days, Daniel had several options he could have taken. As a government employee…
- He could have obeyed the order and not prayed to God.
- He could have prayed silently, to himself, and no one would have known.
- He could have closed his shutters and prayed in the dark.
- He could have changed the times of his prayers so that his enemies would not catch him praying.
- He could have changed the place of his prayers, hiding somewhere where he would not be caught.
Daniel did none of these things. Instead, he took the hard road and kept to his longtime practice of opening his shutters where others could see and prayed aloud, as he had always done. His actions confronted the system and he gave no ground.
The story of Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den is a remarkable one. But that’s not why Daniel was a hero. Daniel was a hero because he refused the legal government order, held fast to his convictions, and was willing to pay the price. That’s why Daniel was a hero. And from the Middle East, to China, and even to Kentucky, there are still heroes like Daniel today.
Someone you know may need to read this. Please share.
