Contemplative Bible Reading

Daniel 6:16 (New Living Translation)

16 So at last the king (Darius the Mede) gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

Here we have King Darius the Mede. He was tricked into declaring that no one seek after any greater authority than himself. Those who tricked the King knew that Daniel would be sentenced to death by the jaws of hungry lions. The King, once he learned of his own arrogant folly, was grief stricken.

The King violates his own decree. He calls on God for mercy on Daniel. He recognizes there are higher powers than himself.

It always comes back to God. Human rulers—and those of us who think we are authoritative or occupy some higher ground than others—one day realize that we are just us and God is above all. We fall to our knees and ask God to help us out of the deep hole we dug for ourselves.

Please God, push a ladder down into this hole so I can climb back up to nothing.