Daniel 6:26 “I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

We would say, nice try, King. We’re sure your heart is in the right place, after all you’ve been through you know the truth of your own words. However, not even the king of the kingdom can force people to fear what they don’t fear or believe what they don’t believe. Once the people see God for themselves they will be able to decide if does or can do what Darius is broadcasting. I guess we should give the king credit for initiating the believing process. He is using his influence, if a little misguided, to bring people to faith.

Are you a believer like Darius? You can’t make a royal decree but you can make a personal statement of belief. You can share your good news. Not everyone has a lion’s den experience but all of the believers have known the riches of His grace. We all have God in our lives in a positive way and why shouldn’t we be as eager as Darius, the Persian King, to let our nation know?

Task for Today: Take stock of your personal encounters with God. How has He rescued you from some personal danger, physical problem, financial disaster, or a life of sin? Share your story with someone else. Be like Joshua who said “…as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Your decree to self will influence others just like Darius’s did.