Is being thrown to the lions your idea of a reward for good behavior?

Does doing good always produce happy results right away?
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9 (NASB)

Daniel in Daniel 6 is faced with a choice to obey the law of Persia or to obey the Law of God. He was about 83 at this time and had seen kings come and go and seen the mighty Babylonian empire fall to the Persians and had remained faithful to God through it all as was his habit. One of the benefits of time walking with God is developing good habits so that when a trial or test comes you respond in faith. Daniel was such a faithful witness to his God that his enemies were able to know he would not worship another god even for 30 days. When he didn’t obey the new Persian law he was thrown into the Lion’s Den and most of you are familiar with the story of how God sent His angel to shut the mouth of the lions.

Daniel did good, he was faithful to God and to his testimony but the result was a Lion’s Den. Sometime when you obey it results in good things happening to you and sometime it results in things that look like they are going to be terrible.

Fortunately we serve the same God as Daniel and we even have advantages because we have God dwelling inside us and the entire Bible. It isn’t easy to believe and trust God when we know the result will be something that can lead to death, but most of us don’t have to make that decision. We do have to choose to obey things we don’t feel like obeying. No matter what you are headed into God is in you and will go with you through it. He will comfort you in any painful results and your eternity in Heaven is certain as God’s child.

God was with Daniel and He shut the mouth of the lions and He is able to take you through your “lion’s den” and use it as a witness to others who watch you walk with God through it. Learn to build up trust time and a correct response reflex so you will respond to God correctly and obey. No matter how things look or the outcome, your future as His child is a certain one; most trials are temporary but sometime they are not.

In Christ you are a new creature and can choose to love and obey God so practice and study. God loves you enough to die in your place and He has a ‘done deal’ future for you in Heaven. Be the new creation with, a new heart and love, trust and obey and you will be a faithful witness wherever you are; on a dream trip or in a lion’s den circumstance. No matter how scary, God is able and He will do what He promises; “what God had promised, He was able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). He is God and has saved you if you are His child. He loves you enough to come to earth and live as a man and pay for your sin, and is working things according to His purpose and conforming you to the image of His Son & He can easily accomplish it.

Change your thinking and choose to trust God and believe that Romans 8:28 is true for those who love God; “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. Be in love with God now, because persecution is coming. You see it often in this country and it is time to choose to trust and obey God now even if it may lead to your own personal ‘lion’s den’. Since God is in you, He is always with you to protect you and work things to the outcome He wants. Obey Him and leave the outcome up to Him and perhaps you will see a ‘mouth shutting’ miracle. If not, you know that whatever happens is the right thing if you are one who loves God, so don’t grow weary.

May you grow in your love for God and by grace walk in obedience to Him!