Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den. Daniel 6:23-24 WEB.

They took Daniel to the edge of the lions' den and let him see all of the half-starved lions prowling below them. The stench drifting upwards had to have been horrible. I am sure the soldiers stood back a little as they pushed Daniel to the pit's edge. Then with a final shove, Daniel was falling through the air, right into the hungry mouths below.

On the way down, Daniel could hardly believe that after serving God and the kings uncompromisingly for over eighty years, they were now feeding him to the lions. What a retirement plan this was… They sealed the pit with a stone, and it grew dark. He could hear the sounds of panting hungry lions as they restlessly paced the floor. Finally, after a long dark stress-filled night, the dawn came and found Daniel unharmed. He was taken up out of the pit, and his enemies were thrown in and devoured instead.

Tomorrow will be a better day. The dawn will come, and no matter how bad it looks during the night, you will get through it unscathed. As Daniel did in his darkest hour, continue to trust in God. Even though you may fall into the pit, He will deliver you from the half-starved lions.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask that You deliver me from the enemy. Please protect my family and me. Right the wrongs in my life and give me a fresh vision for the future. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.