Bible Study

Every month, a brief summary of a Bible Study session by Pastor Johnson will be featured.  To learn and enjoy an entire session, please come to our Bible Study sessions held every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. You’ll be glad you did!

“Have Courage” – Daniel 6:16-22

Dr. Brodie I. Johnson, Pastor, Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church

Courage is fearlessness in the face of danger.  Danger is all around us.  We are in dangerous times, in a dangerous city, and a dangerous country.  What’s happening now is the same as the danger back in biblical times.  Daniel became God’s prophet to the Gentiles and Jews.  Daniels’s book is centered around dreams and God’s visions.  The name Daniel means “God is my judge”.  Many people fall by the wayside because they allow too many people to judge their lives.  Daniel prayed three times a day.  Prayer still works in the time of danger.  A lot of folks do not spend enough time praying the right prayer.  You don’t have to go to an Ivy League school to talk to God.  Some people only pray when a fire breaks out, but what about when things are going well?  When you get intense about God, you have to know exactly what you need him to do in your life.  Learn how to thank him in advance.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.  Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because he was caught praying.  What a way to get into trouble!  You have to have a whole lot of courage to keep praying when people tell you that they will throw you into a den of lions!  What if you had a habit of praying?  If you pray continuously, God will hear your cry every time.  You cannot get the things you want in life based on your own strength.  You must have a personal relationship with God.  This is the one relationship in your life that you know will always go on.  He loves you and still keeps putting up with you.  Even when you ignore him – he never ignores you!

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet…  Daniel was “sealed in”.  You can be in bondage waiting on God.  There may be some things he wants to get right  before he blesses you. You may need to go back and fix some things in your life first.  18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting… and his sleep went from him.  The king fasted after sealing Daniel in; fasted after throwing a praying man into a den of lions, but the king could not rest nor sleep.  It’s hard for you to rest when you’re doing something you know you shouldn’t do.

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.  When the king got there, Daniel was not only alive, but was also unhurt!  Just think about all of the times that God protected you even when danger was all around you

Have courage — God can deliver!