See Psalm 119:161–168
Daniel was exceptional in every respect. King Nebuchadnezzar found Daniel and his three companions to be “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom” (Daniel 1:20). If Daniel had only been a man of outstanding achievement, we would never have heard of him. Though he started out as a slave in exile and though he rose to the highest ranks of power in Babylon, he never forgot the God who guided and loved him. His enemies thought they could destroy him by issuing a decree that forced all to worship the king only.
But Daniel never wavered: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the window opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10). He prayed to the living God who saves, knowing the danger he faced.
His enemies seem to prevail—and Daniel is cast into a den of lions. It is at this moment that God intervenes miraculously. Daniel’s prayer in his time of great peril could easily have been the words of this psalm: “Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word. . . . Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”
—Eric Kampmann, Signposts
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