Daniel and the Lions' Den
Chloe had just left the local parking lot where all of
her
high school friends
like to hang out at night. They were all going to spend the rest
of
their night driving around the country back roads around her small town
drinking beer and staying out way past her curfew. When she told
them
that she was uncomfortable with the plan, they made her feel
horrible.
"You
never let loose and have fun, Chloe! Come on, its just one
night. Plus you never go out with us anymore," her friends kept
pressuring her.
"Guys, my parents will freak out if I'm late.
I don't think that driving around while drinking is such a great idea
anyway. I'm not going to do something I know could hurt me.
I'll see
you all tomorrow at school. Don't forget about our history exam
too,"
Chloe responded before getting in her car and driving away as fast as
possible.
Chloe hated feeling like the loner and preferred to
hang out with her friends, but she knew staying out past her curfew
drinking was wrong. After she
tried
her hardest to study for her exam, she finally gave up and crawled in
bed. "They
probably
aren't having that much fun anyway," she told herself. She said
her
prayers and drifted into restless sleep.
That night Chloe was
visited in her dreams by her guardian angel. Her angel had been
watching over her that night and was very proud of Chloe's decision to
do
what was right for herself, despite her friends' pressure. Her
angel
planted in her dreams a story very similar to her own.
Chloe
dreamed of a man named Daniel who was very well liked by the king of
Babylon. King Darius enjoyed Daniel because Daniel was the only
man
alive with the ability to envision and interpret the king's dreams for
him. Daniel was also faithful, trustworthy, and honest, all
things that the
king admired. Daniel had always attributed his gifts and
qualities to
God and prayed to Him every day.
Respecting and
trusting Daniel as he did, King Darius selected Daniel out of the
many princes of Babylon to be the head ruler over his kingdom.
The
other princes were enraged at his decision and jealous of Daniel's
position, so they
conjured a plan to ruin him in the eyes of the king. The other princes
of Babylon created a beautiful statue in honor of King Darius.
They
presented it to him saying, "This is in honor of you, great king.
For
thirty days, anyone who praises any God but you must be punished by
being thrown into a den of lions."
King Darius affirmed the
decree by signing it and announcing to all of Babylon that for thirty
days they must praise only himself. Daniel, even while knowing
about the new law
in
place, opened his windows toward Jerusalem and continued to pray to God
three times a day. This is exactly what the princes had hoped
for. They were spying on Daniel so they could catch him in the
act of disobeying the
decree.
They ran to King Darius as soon as they had proof of
Daniel's betrayal and the king had no choice but to follow through with
the punishment. He demanded that Daniel be thrown into a lions'
den. When the guards came to arrest Daniel and take him to his
death, he continued to praise God and prayed for protection.
Miraculously, when Daniel entered the lions' den he was not
alone. His guardian angel sent by God to protect him was waiting
for Daniel in the den. The angel tied up the lions' mouth so that
they
could not harm Daniel.
The next day when King Darius came to
confirm that Daniel was in fact dead he called into the den, "Oh
Daniel, has your God delivered you from the savage lion?" When
Daniel
replied, "King, I will forever praise my God who sent his angel to
protect me," Darius nearly fainted. The king declared Daniel's
God the
God of gods and created a new decree demanding that all Babylonians
praise God forever.
When Chloe awoke the next morning, she
was inspired by Daniel's strength and determination to not submit to
the pressure of the king and princes. His success in the end gave
Chloe a sense of satisfaction, and she knew that her decision to stay
true to herself and do what she knew was right was the best
decision.
She thanked her guardian angel for the guidance and encouraging dream
before getting dressed and heading to school to take her exam.
Author's Note: Chloe's
dream is one of the most well known stories of
Daniel. His miraculous rescue from the lion by his guardian angel
is
an inspiring story for all people to hear. I began my storybook
with
it because it has been my favorite story from the Bible since I was a
little girl. Growing up I had many struggles similar to Chloe's
in the
story as I am sure many of you have had. Peer pressure can be
very
hard to overcome, but next time you face it I hope that you remember
Daniel's story and follow his example. Your guardian angel will
be
there to guide you and encourage you along the way just like Chloe's.
I have altered Daniel's story
from the original found the in
Bible only slightly by creating dialogue between the characters and
simplifying the language a great deal. Most versions of the Bible
are
difficult to interpret so I have made it easier to read by interpreting
it into my own words and conveying them in a way that I hope makes the
story more enjoyable to read.
The
following stories will each involve a new character struggling with a
different problem. However, each character will be given a dream
by
their guardian angel that guides them through their struggle. My
next
story is also from the book of Daniel from the Bible. Continue
reading
to discover what happens to Kelly...
Bibliography information: King
James Bible. Daniel
Chapter 6. University of
Virgina Library.
Image information: Sir Peter Paul Rubens: Daniel
in the Lions' Den. 1614/1616. Weblink.