Blessed2Bless by Steve Klusmeyer
Chasing Rabbits With Daniel
by Steve Klusmeyer - 9/29/2002
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When Prayer is All You've Got
The sermon this morning was from the sixth chapter of Daniel. The pastor was speaking on the subject, "When Prayer is All You've Got". He talked about lessons learned about Daniel and lessons learned about prayer. I don't want to take anything away from the message; but I found myself "chasing several rabbits" during the service. I would like to catch three or four of those and share them with you.
Business as Usual
Rabbit #1 - from Daniel 6:10, "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." The pastor talked about the fact that nothing changed in Daniel's routine. He continued his prayer life "just as he had done before" even though he was faced with certain death.No Change Needed
I took this one step further in that Daniel did not need to change anything in his routine. After the attacks of September 11, there were many reports of people turning to God, spending more time in prayer, and attending church services. Now it is being reported that most people have gone back to "just as they had done before" September 11. It is my desire that, like Daniel, in times of trouble that I would not need to change anything. May I develop the type of prayer life and relationship with God that when those "911" events come into my life, I will be able to go on "just as I had done before".Sleepless Night
Rabbit #2 - from Daniel 6:18-19 and 24, "Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. ... ... At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children." Actually there were two rabbits running around here:
Response Warranted
First, in verses 18-19, I thought about the type of person the King was and the type of person that Daniel was to bring this response. I think that Daniel not only worked for King, but that he and Darius were friends. These types of friends are not easy to find. It's my desire that I would be a friend that cannot eat or sleep when another is in trouble and will go as soon as possible to their aid. May I also be a person with the character of Daniel to generate the same response from my friends as Darius showed toward Daniel. One other thought ... the King of all Kings desires and offers this type of friendship to each of us (John 15:13-17).Best Laid Plans . . .
Second, in verse 24, I can just imagine Daniel's enemies that morning, still at home, sleeping soundly in bed. After all, yesterday had been a rough day. The fruition of all of their work over the last few weeks of making sure that their problems were solved and that their little worlds were still intact had finally come. Now they could just lay back, get a little rest, and then get on with their big plans. How shocked they must have been when the soldiers broke down their doors and began to drag them toward the lion's den. Can you see the look on their faces as they came around the corner and saw Daniel standing there with the King? While this may not have been the outcome that they expected, we can rest in the assurance that our friend, the King of all Kings, knows our situation. He can and will take care of not only us, but our enemies as well.Daniel Prospered
Rabbit #3 - from Daniel 6:25-28, "Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men
of every language throughout the land: 'May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every
part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God
and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He
rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.' So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius
and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."