"They Are Watching!"

"......For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,  And His dominion shall endure to the end. He rescues, And He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, ..."
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Amazing statement! Tell me, do you know who said this incredible declaration about God? I'll give you a hint- they are the words of someone who's life and times were totally impacted by the actions of a young man who faithfully served God all his days. They are the words that king Darius, a heathen king, wrote in his decree because of the faithfulness of Daniel to continually serve his God no matter what!
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Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Daniel 6:10-11

It says that when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went home, with his wide window open for the world to see, knelt down three times a day, praying and giving thanks to God ...as was his custom since early days. What that tells us is that he didn't change a thing. It was already his witness, his testimony before the decree to pray three times a day for the world to see.  They knew that they would find him praying when they gathered to catch him because they knew that his faithfulness to his God wasn't in question! Daniel 6:5

So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." Then a stone was brought an laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Daniel 6:16-17

Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke saying, to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!" "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."  Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. Daniel 6:19-23

In both of the statements by king Darius he uses this phrase, "your God, whom you serve continually," Both King Darius and the men who were trying to trap Daniel knew that he continually, without fail served God. It was his testimony, his witness. In Proverbs 27:21 it says that 'a man is valued by what others say of him.' In this case what everyone, enemy and friend alike had to say was, that 'Daniel was faithful to serve his God.'

My point is simply this...You DON'T NEED to be threatened with a lion's den before your witness will impact the lives of others. They are watching and they notice all the little the day to day life choices that we make that determine our faithfulness to serve.  They notice if we "continually serve" or not. They notice if we stay faithful or if we compromise.

You'll notice that the king is the one who declared boldly, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." when he was putting Daniel into the lion's den. Daniel's actions were his testimony not his words. The only words that Daniel spoke this whole event were in response to the king asking when, in a lamenting voice he cried, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Daniel faithfulness to serve continually, day by day, was the witness that he took with him into this much larger lion's den event.

I believe Jesus put it this way ...He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10

These amazing words came about because Daniel continually served God in all his ways, both big and small. "......For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,  And His dominion shall endure to the end. He rescues, And He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, ..." Daniel 6:26-27