CAN MY GOD DELIVER ME?
Daniel 6:1-10
INTRODUCTION: We are talking tonight on the subject “Can My God Deliver Me?” and we find the answer in Daniel 6. Through many different governmental leaders what we find out about Daniel is that Daniel continued on faithfully. 1 John 2:17. Daniel, God’s man moved right along faithfully through each new King and Kingdoms. In Daniel 6:20 we find the questioned asked: “Is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” that is the great question for our time as well: “Is the God we serve able to deliver us?”
I. KING DARIUS’ DECREE!
King Darius had a good understanding of the basic principles of administrative organization: Daniel 6:1-3. By this time Daniel is about 90 years old and should be retiring but he is still leading with integrity. Promotions can bring their own problems: Daniel 6:4. Since they could find no flaw in Daniel they thought maybe they could find a flaw in his faith: Daniel 6:5. The God of Daniel was not the gods of the Babylonians. These leaders come up with a way to come up with charges against Daniel: Daniel 6:6-9.
II. DANIEL’S DEVOTION TO HIS GOD!
The decree of Darius did not change Daniel’s devotion to his God one bit: Daniel 6:10. Here is Daniel’s choice: Will he obey Darius or his God? Daniel’s practice had always been an open window type of prayer life. Would he change it now that he knew the decree of the king? Now why did Daniel pray out of a window pointed toward Jerusalem? 2 Chronicles 6:36-39. Daniel was simply claiming the promise of his God! Daniel had a posture of prayer: on his knees. Daniel had a place of prayer and Daniel had periods of prayer: Three times a day! Psalm 55:17. Daniel was persistent in prayer. Daniel was caught praying: Daniel 6:13. King Darius realizes for the first time that his assigned leaders have now led him astray: Daniel 6:14. Darius was deceived into thinking he was a god. Now he realizes he is not a god: Daniel 6:15-16. King Darius becomes a preacher and a comforter for Daniel: Daniel 6:17. Many today are in similar troubles as Daniel of old: 1 Peter 5:8-11. If you are in a lion’s den today your question is still “can God deliver me?”
III. THE LORD’S DELIVERANCE OF DANIEL!
The attention of the narrative now moves from Daniel back to the king: Daniel 6:18. King Darius did not eat. No instruments were brought for him to listen to. Sleep went from Kind Darius: Daniel 6:19; Daniel 6:20. Can your God deliver you, Daniel? Daniel 6:21-22. The same God who walked with Daniel’s three friends is the same God that was in the lion’s den with Daniel: Psalm 34:7. Our God is still able to deliver us today from any lion’s den we might findourselves in: 1 Corinthians 10:13. Daniel 6:23. When we trust our God He is able to deliver us as well: Hebrews 11:33-35. Now what happened to Daniel’s accusers? Daniel 6:24. Our God went beyond just deliverance for Daniel. Because Daniel obey God rather than man God greatly honored Daniel and Daniel’s God: Daniel 6:25-28. Our God can deliver us from any lion’s den we are in but at times He chooses not to deliver us from our immediate lion’s den and to deliver us permanently. What really matters is not if God delivers us from our lion’s den, but that we remain faithful either way. Daniel 3:15-18. When you find yourself in a lion’s den don’t look at the lions: look at the light! We need to keep our eyes on the Lion of the tribe of Judah: our Lord Jesus Christ: Revelation 5:5. 2 Peter 2:9. If it is the Lord’s will to deliver us from our trials in this life He will. If not we must remember: Colossians 1:12-14.