November 14th | Daniel 6

When I was in High School, I was trying to bulk up, so I was going to the gym. However, to achieve the results I wanted, I began making instant mashed potatoes. I would heat some milk and butter, mix in the potato mix, and within a minute, voila! Instant mashed potatoes. I could easily whip them up quickly, and this was my snack between meals. While the mashed potatoes were instant, my muscles didn’t come instantly! I had to keep going to the gym, keep eating mashed potatoes, and finally, after months of hard work, I began to see some progress. 

In our spiritual journey, we often seek instant faith. We want God to work quickly and efficiently, and we don’t wish to struggle, work, or experience any difficulty. We might read a passage like Daniel in the lion’s den and think, “Why am I not seeing God work like this in my own life?” While the story of Daniel in the lion’s den is incredible, it didn’t happen instantly. Instead, Daniel’s faith over the years led to his boldness and the power of God in his life. 

When an edict was issued by the king stating that no one would be allowed to worship any gods except the king, Darius, we see that Daniel is unbothered by this command. 

Daniel 6:10,”10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

Daniel was bold to continue worshiping God, but he had been cultivating that relationship with God for years! He had a habit of going to God three times a day. He knew God and God knew him. This was not done on a whim, but out of a deep love and a long-established relationship with Almighty God. 

We want God to work mightily in our lives, but we don’t seek God in any meaningful way. We want God to show up in a miracle without us truly pursuing a relationship with God. Daniel had cultivated that relationship with God, so when the time came to act in bold faith, Daniel was ready. 

Daniel 6:16, “16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

Daniel’s relationship with God wasn’t a secret. It also wasn’t a show every so often. No, Daniel served God continually. Have you been cultivating your relationship with God? Your relationship with Him isn’t instant; it's not like mashed potatoes. It takes time, work, and effort just like any other relationship. The more you seek him in the regular, mundane, and normal days, the more you’ll be ready when the time comes for God to work a miracle in your life!