The only thing Daniel could be found “guilty” of, is loving God.
What a conviction.. There are many things that I have done wrong. I’m not proud of that, but in a pagan nation, would anyone be able to convict me of loving God like crazy?
Because I’m not confident the answer would be yes, it’s saddening. I read Daniel and I say well why didn’t he just pray with the windows closed? But if Daniel were to hear that, he’d probably say, why would I do that? Why would I change my right routine because I’m being threatened by what’s wrong?
Daniel was bold. It says that when he learned about the law, he went home as usual, with his windows open towards Jerusalem and prayed three times a day. This isn’t like Daniel maybe didn’t hear about it and didn’t know he was breaking the law. Daniel new exactly what happened, and intentionally went to praise God.
Then, it says that Daniel gave thanks to God. Wow.. He knows that likely he’s going to be persecuted, maybe killed for this, and he goes to give God thanks? Tell me that isn’t amazing?
How amazing is it for people to know that you love God so much, that you’re so obedient to Him, that the only way to trip you up, is to try to keep you from Him? The beauty in this, is that others who didn’t know God, didn’t know that there was no way to keep Him away. But, Daniel knew that. I think that Daniel knew something that Paul knew, maybe he knew that in his absence, he would be present elsewhere. And that’s what mattered.
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Are we in this place Daniel was in? After all is said and done, are we there as Christians today? Are you there? Do you want to be? Is God the only way people can get to you? How can we get to Daniel status?
Daniel 6:10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.