Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting… – Daniel 6:18, Amplified Bible, (AMP)

The door of the lions’ den was shut, and then the wait began. The nighttime hours brought great trial and tribulation of soul, but not for Daniel, the one spending the night with the beasties. The soul in turmoil was that of King Darius, Daniel’s friend.

Although I have to believe that Daniel suffered a little bit of trepidation, the Bible doesn’t record Daniel being terribly stressed about having to stare down a pack of lions. Daniel wasn’t terribly stressed because, by this time in his life, he had seen so many miracles that he had learned to confidently cast all of his cares upon God. Darius, on the other hand, did not know God the way Daniel did, and, as a result, he was in great distress regarding his friend’s life. Interestingly, in the midst of his great distress, Darius did not turn to his idols for comfort and help. He turned to the God whose power he had heard about through the testimony of his friend.

In the morning, when he found Daniel alive, King Darius witnessed with his own two eyes the power and mercy of God Almighty. In that moment, the king made a decision to turn his attention, and the attention of his people, to the one true God, and through Daniel’s trial of persecution, the name of God was lifted up among a heathen people.

There are many reasons why we might suffer trials, tribulations, and persecutions. One of those reasons might have nothing to do with us and everything to do with those around us. Sometimes God allows trials in our lives not to draw US to Him but to draw those around us to Him. How we face those trials will make a huge impact on whether or not others are attracted to God or pushed away from Him, so we need to be mindful of how we handle ourselves when staring down the lions. If we try to retain control of the situation, we will behave poorly, and we will drive others away from God. If we give control over the situation to The Lord, we will behave well, and others will be drawn to Him.

The next time tough times come, pray that God will teach you what you need to learn from the trial. But, ALSO pray that God will help you to behave wisely through the trial so that others can be drawn to Him, not pushed away from Him. At the very least, God will grant you the miracle of peace in the midst of the storm, and both saved and unsaved alike will be drawn to God as you face a natural disaster with supernatural calm.

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