The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Daniel 6:15, “Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”

King Darius had been tricked. Evil men in his administration had persuaded him to sign a senseless decree saying that anyone who made a petition (offered a prayer) to any god other than to the king, for forty days, would be destroyed in a den of raging, hungry lions.

If you are a Christian, you can virtually count on being “set up” for some ignominious act by some who claim to be your friends. Thus, Daniel appeared to be in deep, life-threatening trouble! What could he do to avoid death by the lions? He could do absolutely nothing! His only hope was in knowing the One who could.

Daniel had already pled his case before the Supreme Ruler of the Universe:

Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house

(now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he

continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks

before his God, as he had been doing previously (Dan. 6:10).

You know. we say that we believe in prayer, but we all-too-often elect to use everything at our disposal except prayer as a means of deliverance from difficulties. King Darius tried with all his might to deliver Daniel, but there was nothing he could do. The law he had signed sealed Daniel’s fate. Yet, he spoke encouragingly to Daniel when he said, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”

I suppose there a thousand things the LORD could have done to spare Daniel. Perhaps He was testing Daniel’s faith. Remember those three friends, Shadrack, Meshack and Abed-nego, who were delivered from that excessively-heated fiery furnace? Perhaps Daniel was looking back at their deliverence and gaining faith to believe he would be delivered. What-ever might be said, the LORD is always in control. He controls the timing of the events. He had created the lions, so even they were under His control.

You know who was miserable beyond words? King Darius! He didn’t sleep! Daniel did!

Rose Marie used to sing a little song when things went wrong and I was worried:

Cheer up, ye saints of God,

There’s nothing to worry about;

Nothing to make you feel afraid,

Nothing to make you doubt.

Remember Jesus never fails,

So, why not trust Him and shout?

You’ll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning.

It was true for Daniel, and it was true for me. It’s true for you, too. But you have to trust Him.

I have had surgery on my eyes, surgery on my hand, surgery on my neck –and each time I trusted the surgeon. How could I not trust the Great Physician? How can you not, also?

I love you all and pray for you daily.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”