Daniel in the Lions' Den (11/3-11/5)

Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good. (Psalms 136:1). Here we are already in November and what better story to illustrate thankfulness than that of Daniel in the lion's den? Daniel was one of the Lord's most devoted servants. He was one of the good guys; disciplined, faithful and obedient in all areas of his life. Despite King Darius's order that everyone pray only to him, Daniel continued to pray to our Lord, the one, true, living God. So how was he rewarded? For all his obedience to God, Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. But, you see, I think this WAS the reward! What our enemies mean for evil, God can turn around and use it for good. An angel was sent to close the mouths of the lions so Daniel's life could be spared. It was through this frightening episode, when Daniel had nothing else but His faith on which to cling, he was able to truly be in the presence of God, feeling His love, mercy, and protection. Although God doesn't promise to take all our troubles away, He promises something much better. He vows to be right there beside us the whole time throughout our ordeals, carrying us through to the end. When Daniel emerged from his night with the lions, he showed no scratches, no tooth marks, not even a slobber! What Daniel knew from the beginning was that because of his faith, God would remain true to him. What an amazing witness this was and still is today to the power and the faithfulness of our Lord! After listening to our story, the boys and girls will get to play "Feed the Lion" by tossing play fruit into the mouth of our giant lion. After that we will sing and dance to God is Always with Us and King of the Jungle. I pray that just like Daniel, you, too will feel God's peaceful presence this week. Blessings! Melinda