Year 3, Day 340: Daniel 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Obedience

• Covenant Triangle: The Father gives us identity because He loves us, not because we earn it.  Once we know our identity, we can be obedient in confidence knowing that it comes to us from God through His love, not our work.  Father -> Identity -> Obedience.

Again I find myself coming back to the Covenant Triangle as I read the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den.  This is an incredible story of obedience from Daniel’s perspective.

• First, we see Daniel obedient to prayer in spite of the decree against prayer that he hears from the king.  I wonder, how can Daniel be obedient knowing the consequences?  Would I pray where others could see me if I knew that anyone caught praying would be killed?  Yet, Daniel is obedient because he understands his identity is from God.  He is God’s follower; God's will shall be done with respect to Daniel as long as Daniel is living out his calling, or identity.
• Second, we see obedience in Daniel in actually going into the lion’s den.  Again, I have to ask myself if I would voluntarily go to the slaughter.  Might I not try to run and escape the punishment?  Yet, Because Daniel’s identity is from God, He knows God is in control.  God can deliver Daniel if God so chooses.  Because his identity comes from God, Daniel grows strong in his obedience to God.

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