Daniel 6:24

Daniel 6:24 says, And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.  These were the men who had plotted against Daniel, and in effect against God.  They had wanted to silence Daniel because he had prospered under God's blessing.  Instead of looking to God for this same type blessing, they wanted to silence Daniel and remain true to their gods.  There are people today who will do everything they can to silence those who truly follow and speak for the only true God.  We might think it extreme that the wives and children were thrown into the lion's den as well, but it was a common practice to punish the family along with the guilty in that day.  They were all devoured by the lions, but if there were those who had acknowledged God as their God, they were still delivered to everlasting life.  Verse twenty-five adds, Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.  Darius was once again writing to all people, but this time he was wishing them peace.  He really could not dictate peace though, because only God can bring peace to the world. Verse twenty-six continues, I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.  Though it was better that Darius decree that everyone worship the God of Daniel than that they worship some other God, that did not mean that everyone was suddenly saved.  The only way that we can acknowledge God as our God is individually.  A right relationship with God can only come from a person accepting Christ as Savior and Lord themself.  Darius could not, nor can we, force people to acknowledge God for Who He is.  Verse twenty-seven states, He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.  Darius was correct about Who God is.  God does indeed deliver and rescue us from the power of sin, and by the very order of the universe He works signs and wonders.  In our own lives, though it may not be from the lion's den, we as followers of Christ should be able to see where God has delivered us from bad situations.  Most importantly, we can see where God, through our faith in Christ, has delivered us from the power of sin and death.  Verse twenty-eight adds, So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.  Daniel continued to prosper, even during another reign change.  Kingdoms on earth may change but, if we are followers of Christ, we know that we shall prosper forever, no matter what happens in this life.  We should simply remain true to God, whether we are in the lion's den or are one of the most powerful people in the country.