Trusting God: Daniel in the Lion's Den

Hey friends, welcome to another episode of Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin, and I have an incredible story to share with you. It's the story of Daniel in the lion's den. This month, we are marching through stories of the Bible that Jesus would have learned when he was a kid. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to trust God, even when things seemed really scary? Well, that's what today's episode is all about. Our Bible verse today comes from Daniel chapter 6 verse 23. This is what it says. When the king came to the den and called to Daniel, he was overjoyed. He ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den, and when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he had trusted in his God. Now that's a powerful verse. Let's find out what it means. So Daniel was one of God's faithful servants living in Babylon. King Darius made him one of his top officials, but the other officials didn't like Daniel. They were jealous of him and wanted to get him in trouble. So they tricked King Darius into making a law that said no one could pray to anyone except the king for 30 days. But Daniel knew that he could never stop praying to God no matter what. The jealous officials saw him praying and they knew they had caught Daniel. They told the king, and the king didn't want to punish him, but he had to because that was the law. Daniel was then thrown into a den of hungry lions as a punishment for breaking the law. But guess what? God protected Daniel. He shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel wasn't hurt at all. The king could barely sleep, and the next morning ran to the lion's den and cried out for Daniel to respond. And he did. Daniel was found safe and sound because Daniel trusted in God. This verse reminds us that when we trust God, he will always be with us no matter how scary the situation. Let me share a story about my son. My son was in a new class at school and there was a group of kids that weren't very nice. They liked making fun of others, and my son worried that if he stood up for a new friend who was getting picked on, that they would make fun of him too. But my son knew what was right. He remembered how Daniel stood up for his faith, even when it was scary. So one day when the kids were picking on his new friend, my son decided to speak up. He said, that's not okay. You should be kind to everyone, not make fun of them. The other kids were surprised, and even though my son felt nervous, he knew it was the right thing to do. And you know what? His bravery made a big difference. Some of the other kids apologized and even started being kinder. My son's story is a reminder for us of Daniel's trust in God. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't easy, and it might even feel scary. But when we trust God, we can have the courage to do what's right, just like my son and Daniel did. That's it for today, everyone. If you've enjoyed today's story, parents share it with some of your parent friends so they can have great conversations too. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Here's something for you to talk about before you move along your day. What's a time when you had to trust God in a scary situation? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.