Today’s Devotion
Topic: Just Thirty Days?
Text: Daniel 6: 7
We are all in agreement — we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors — that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human — except to you, Your Majesty — will be thrown into the den of lions. Amen
When Darius the Mede became king of Babylon, he divided the kingdom into 120 provinces and appointed high officers over each province with administrators to supervise them. Having been chosen as an administrator, Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the others, so the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
Then the other administrators began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy. They therefore concluded that the only grounds upon which they could accuse Daniel would be in relation to his religion.
They got king Darius to decree that nobody was to pray to anyone apart from the king for the next thirty days. But when Daniel heard this, he went home and knelt in prayer with his windows wide open. As was already his custom, he continued to pray three times a day giving thanks to God and asking for His help. This relentlessness is what landed him in the lions’ den from which God rescued him miraculously . (Daniel 6: 1-28)
But the question is, ‘why was the decree to span over only thirty days and not forever?’ First of all, the accusers knew that Darius was no god and could never sustain himself as such. What could he do with and about prayers offered to him? It will be a disaster to nurture in him the idea of a god-king, he will abuse power. Also since he has no power to save, those who pray to him will be perpetually disappointed.
Secondly, the officials were aware that if they could get Daniel to break his divine custom of praying three times everyday for the next thirty days, it would be difficult for him to return to that way of life afterwards. Apart from wanting to find fault with him, the plan was also to get his attention from the One Being who had made him more capable and outstanding in service.
Daniel could have decided to halt his prayer life for ‘just thirty days’ and jump right back to it afterwards. But he knew better; he knew that the devil could do much havoc with even a single moment of a Christian’s relaxation. He knew that the cost of breaking godly habits was more expensive than the fleeting pleasures promised.
Beloved, it’s time to rise up! Decide not to miss your daily appointments with God anymore. It may seem like just a few minutes or hours missed, but make no mistake; it means a lot. Begin to pray now. Ask for the grace and discipline to maintain your fellowship with the Holy Spirit always. Better is a day spent with Him than thousands elsewhere. Don’t compromise on fellowship. IT IS YOUR LIFE LINE! See you at church. Watch and be blessed: https://youtu.be/JdfQ4a0X4to
(www.yonghana.org, Like our Facebook page: Y OUTREACH NETWORK)
