Scripture: Daniel 6:23
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, decease no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Thought for the Day: Would you have enough faith in God to trust that you would emerge from an encounter with a Lion unscathed? I’m not sure I would, honestly. I mean, it’s a lion. The recent movie The Life of Pi presents a similar question, as the main character finds himself stranded in a rowboat with a tiger. At first, Pi is full of fear, and certain the tiger is going to devour him. But eventually, as he is surrounded by the wonder of nature—the endless sea, and a vast sky filled with uncountable stars above him, Pi has a spiritual experience that allows him to trust completely in God, and to come to understand that, whether he is devoured or not, his life is filled with the joy and peace that comes from an intimate understanding of the nature of God as the substance of everything in the universe: himself, the tiger, the stars, the sea.

We are literally surrounded by God, all the time. Yet, it’s only when we stop to take notice that we begin to feel a real change in our lives; the stress begins to melt away, and our fears are replaced with complete and utter wonder at everything that exists. This wonder is a gift from God, a reminder that God is with us, always.

Prayer: Help me trust you as completely as Daniel, my Holy God who fills the universe with wonder. Amen.