When our children face their own "lions' den" moments, whether it's the first day at a new school, a difficult friendship situation, or standing up for what's right when it feels scary, we have the privilege of pointing them back to the same God who shut the mouths of lions for Daniel. This isn't just an ancient story; it's a living testament to the character of God who remains unchanging, faithful, and powerfully present with His people in every generation, including our children's generation right now.
Daniel's story in Daniel 6 reveals a man who refused to compromise his faith, even when it meant facing death. He prayed three times daily with his windows open toward Jerusalem, making no attempt to hide his devotion to God despite a new law that could cost him everything. But here's what we often miss: Daniel's courage in that moment wasn't suddenly manufactured when the crisis hit. It was the natural overflow of a lifetime of faithful obedience, of choosing God consistently in the small, everyday moments long before the big test arrived. This is the foundation we're building in our children, not just preparing them for one dramatic moment of faith, but cultivating a daily walk with Jesus that shapes who they become.
As parents, we sometimes make the mistake of trying to remove every difficulty from our children's paths. We want to protect them, and that desire comes from love. But what if God's plan isn't to keep our children from ever entering the lions' den, but rather to be so powerfully present with them in it that it becomes an undeniable testimony of His faithfulness? What if the very challenges our children face are opportunities for them to discover that God doesn't just shut the mouths of lions in Bible stories. He still does it today.
Isaiah 40:31 promises that "those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint." Notice the progression: soaring, running, walking. Sometimes we think spiritual strength means constantly soaring at mountain-top heights, but God knows we also need strength for the long run and the daily walk. Our children need to learn all three. They need to know the joy of soaring victories when God comes through in dramatic ways. They need endurance for the longer seasons when challenges persist but God's grace carries them through. And perhaps most importantly, they need the steady faithfulness to just keep walking, one foot in front of the other, trusting God even when nothing spectacular seems to be happening.
How do we practically teach our children this kind of trust? It starts with our own example. When we face our adult-sized lions' dens: financial pressures, health concerns, relational conflicts, do our children see us turning to God first, or do they watch us spiral into worry? When we talk about our struggles, do we also talk about God's faithfulness? Our children are always watching, always learning what real faith looks like by observing how we navigate difficulty. We can't give them something we don't possess ourselves.
We also need to create space for honest conversations about fear and doubt. Daniel wasn't fearless. He was faithful despite his fear. There's a significant difference. When our children come to us afraid, we don't need to immediately fix it or dismiss it. Instead, we can acknowledge their feelings while pointing them to the One who is bigger than anything they face. We can pray with them, not just for them. We can open God's Word together and let them see that the Bible is full of real people who faced real challenges and discovered a real God who never left them.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Daniel's story is found in Daniel 6:23: "The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God." Daniel trusted in his God. Not in his own strength, not in his perfect track record of obedience, not even in the hope that everything would work out the way he wanted. He trusted in God Himself. This is the heart of what we want to cultivate in our children: a deep, personal trust in who God is, not just in what He might do for them.
As we parent with this goal in mind, let's remember that trust is built over time through repeated experiences of God's faithfulness. Each small moment of obedience, each time they choose to pray instead of panic, each instance of standing up for truth even when it's uncomfortable, these are all building blocks of a Daniel-like faith. We celebrate these victories with them, helping them recognize God's hand in their lives so they develop eyes to see His faithfulness everywhere.
Let's also remember that the lions' den wasn't the end of Daniel's story. It was a powerful testimony that pointed an entire kingdom toward the one true God. Our children's faithfulness in their challenges has that same potential. When they trust God through difficulty and He proves faithful, their peers are watching. Their teachers notice. God doesn't waste our children's hard moments; He redeems them for His glory and uses them to draw others to Himself.
