Lion's Den

³ Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord.   Trust him, and He will help you.
⁶ He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

– Psalms 37:3-7

About 2 ½ weeks ago, I was having to go to the FSU Stadium and coordinate the power turnover from a temporary 5kV system to the new 5kV system.  This work included programming relays and verifying the testing of the new equipment prior to making it live.  It was exhausting, but mainly because the general contractor had created an adversarial relationship with everyone against everyone.  There was no arm-in-arm we’re going to get this done comradery.  It was the worst I have ever seen. 

I sat in a Panera Bread on that Tuesday about to go to the job site.  I told Julie it was like going into the lion’s den and I fully expected a great fight and possibly being torn to pieces.  Anything was possible.  Julie prayed for me (this is a common theme in my life, without her prayers I’d be nothing). 

When I told her that, my thoughts wandered to what it must have been like for Daniel being put into the lion’s den.  How must he have felt?  He had to be scared for his life, didn’t he?  It is a natural response even when we try to overcome it with faith.  Our physical body has an instinct of survival and doesn’t want to die.  An example is the fear of heights which is a natural reaction we have when we are born.  I have to believe it would be natural for him to be physically afraid of the ferociousness of how the lions would eat him, that pain and terror, even if he wasn’t afraid to die and trusting faithfully in God for his eternal future. 

I also wonder if he had the temptation to be angry.  He had done nothing but be faithful to God and yet here he was about to be put into a lion’s den.  Those who lie and blasphemy against the one true living God would watch as the lion’s destroyed him, God’s witness.  Why would God allow those who oppose Him succeed?  Yes, I can see how he could be angry and how that would be a tremendous conflict inside his heart as he wrestled with God’s authority over all life and circumstance, including his. 

Then, moment-by-moment, he stood silently in the lion’s den expecting the lion’s to wake up at any time.  I can only imagine the beads of sweat and stillness of breath as he stood there, the heightened senses listening carefully, looking intently, the quickly beating heartbeat.  More moments pass, then minutes, then hours.  Maybe just maybe, they won’t strike.  Does he dare hope?  More hours into the dark of night.  Is God here?  Is His hand on the lions? 

Finally, he is removed from the lion’s den.  He is alive with no injuries.  In fact, except for his own anxiety, it was a comfortable night.  God walked before Him, all around Him, and with Him in what certainly was by all human eyes, ears, and logic, a certain death. 

I experienced a similar outcome.  Once there, everyone worked diligently and respectfully to get the job done.  Problems were encountered and overcome.  There were no dedicated enemies.  God made a way to deliver me.  Why don’t I always know that He will do that?  Why do I ever walk in doubt?