Daniel 6:16
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

Daniel served God continually, not sporadically, not when he felt like it, not every other day, but continually. Serving God was his way of life and could not be separated from anything else that he did. What a testimony Daniel had. He rose to the top in the kingdom because of the kind of person he was, not necessarily what he had done—”Because an excellent spirit was in him”—so much so that others around him noticed. And sadly, they sought to destroy him because he was righteous and they were not.

Daniel was open about his faith, not ashamed of it, not trying to hide it even when the king’s decree was signed. He prayed with his window open, and everyone knew he prayed three times a day. In fact, they were counting on Daniel’s faithfulness to his prayer times in order to catch him worshiping God instead of the king. Let’s not hide our faith from those around us. We can bow our heads in prayer in restaurants or bring our Bibles to read during a break at work—not with an attitude of being “holier than thou,” but simply doing what we should even if others are watching.

Daniel was faithful to God no matter what those around him were doing. He was living in a society that wanted nothing to do with his God. He went to work every day in a godless environment. But that did not deter him from staying faithful and true to God, simply living his faith in the face of active opposition. We cannot let the people around us dictate anything about our relationship with God. Our society is progressively more anti-God every day. It may not always be easy, but we must strive to be faithful to God despite those around us.

Daniel was delivered. God saved Daniel from the mouths of lions as a testimony of His faithfulness. It seemed Daniel was doing all the right things, and still he was attacked. They wanted him to be killed for worshiping God. But through Daniel’s faithfulness, God’s power and mercy were on display for all the kingdom to see that He is the one true God. Just as Daniel’s faithfulness did not mean he was free from trouble, there may be times when trouble comes our way. But we can trust God to deliver us in His way and in His time.

Let’s strive to follow Daniel’s example in our own lives. He served God faithfully, openly, and even in the midst of trials would not turn from doing what he knew was right to do. His life gave honor and glory to God and was a testimony to everyone he came across. We, too, can live rightly before the world in a way that honors God and may lead others to Him.