26/06/2026
June 26, 2026
I Believe in You
"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" (Daniel 6:16).
While a right fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, Steve Souza Jr. shared in an interview how one coach never stopped believing in him, even as the young baseball player was being cut from various teams. "When you have one last person [who] really believes in you," he said, "it can drive you and make you really believe in yourself."
In today's text, after the king reluctantly gives the command to cast Daniel into the den of lions, he tells his beloved statesman something more encouraging than what Souza probably heard: "Your God ... will deliver you." Yes, the king believed in Daniel, but he believed in Daniel's God as well. After all, no one entering a lions' den could survive without divine help.
But indirectly, the king does express his belief in Daniel when he says, "Your God, whom you serve continually" (emphasis added). To serve God "continually" leaves absolutely no time to serve sin (Romans 6:16, 17). The Bible calls this experience "perfection"-when we "continually" respond to trial and temptation as mature Christians. While the idea of perfection can be intimidating, the Bible describes it as a journey more than a destination. The idea is to be heading "continually" in the right direction (Philippians 3:12).
There's a contrast between Darius' statement at the lions' den and Nebuchadnezzar's statement at the fiery furnace. While one king acknowledged the power of Daniel's God, the other said to Daniel's friends, "If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" (Daniel 3:15). A miracle would soon change Nebuchadnezzar's mind-yet Darius believed in Jehovah's power without witnessing such a miracle!
Most of us would appreciate being told, "I believe in you." But how it must have warmed Daniel's heart to hear his royal master say, "I believe in your God." May that be the response of all who observe our lives.
Reflect: Has anyone ever asked me, "Are you a Christian?" If so, what was the situation?
