Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 6:19-20)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
Talking to God every day makes us strong inside.
26b For he is the living God and endures forever; his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and delivers; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.
Daniel 6:26b-27
Do you like talking to your family? And to your best friend? Some children talk a lot, and others are quieter, but I'm sure that even those who aren't very talkative feel good when they talk to the people they love and the people who love them.
Think about something annoying that happened… Who would you want to talk to right away? And when something really great happens? It's the people closest to you you want to tell first, isn't it?
Did you know that God, your Father in heaven, wants to be involved in every aspect of your life? That's because he loves you so much, more than anyone else.
Today we're going to meet someone who went through something very difficult, but managed to stay strong because he always talked to God. Learn Daniel's story!
Daniel Was God’s Friend, and God Shut the Lions’ Mouths
Bible Reference: Daniel 6
Daniel was a man who loved God with all his heart. Even though he lived in a place where everyone worshiped other gods and did evil things, he believed only in Almighty God and did not want to turn away from Him. People knew about his faith.
Daniel is a character in the Bible who teaches us many important things, but all of this came from his close relationship with God.
Do you know what that means?
Communion is when we have a relationship with those we love. It means talking, listening, understanding one another, staying close, and making an effort to bring joy to the other person. Daniel had this kind of relationship with God.
Every day he talked to God. And not just once! Besides staying connected to God throughout the day, he also stopped everything he was doing to pray in his room three times a day. This made him trust God in everything.
And he really needed that… You won’t believe what happened next!
What could it be?
In the place where Daniel lived, there were some evil men who did not like him and tried everything they could to harm him. I think they were jealous of him! They knew they could never find any fault in Daniel because he was righteous. So they came up with a plan and presented it to King Darius:
—King Darius, you are so powerful! We have a wonderful idea that we think you will like. What if you make a law that no one in your kingdom can make a request to any god or person for 30 days? If they want to ask for something, they must ask only you.
This seemed good to the king, and he agreed. But what the king did not realize was that they had done this to trap Daniel, because they knew Daniel would never stop talking to his God—not even for one day!
So they watched Daniel like spies. And it didn’t take long before they found him praying to his God. Of course, they ran to tell the king and demanded that he take action.
—King Darius, look at this! Daniel dared to disobey you! Now you must punish him very severely, or people will think you are not powerful at all…
The king liked Daniel and did not want to harm him, but he had to, because it was the law of the land. So he ordered Daniel to be thrown into a den full of lions and said:
—Daniel, may your God, whom you serve and pray to constantly, rescue you from the lions.
And there was Daniel… locked in with a group of hungry lions! Oh no… what will happen now?
That night, the king went to his room to try to sleep, but he could not sleep at all. He was worried… So worried that early in the morning he went to the den to see what had happened to Daniel. Anxiously, he called out:
—Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God… are you still there?
And do you know what he heard?
"Oh, King Darius! You don't even know what happened! My God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths, and I am safe, alive and well, without a scratch!"
The king was overjoyed and immediately released Daniel.
He was impressed by the power of Daniel's God and commanded all people to believe in the one God who delivers, saves, and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
What did you learn from Daniel's liberation?
Even if we are faithful to God, we can go through very difficult situations. When Jesus was here on earth, he warned us that we would face problems and things that would be frightening, but he promised that he would always be with us.
You might ask yourself, "How can I stay calm when I'm afraid?" Ah, it may seem impossible, but
Did you know that's possible?
The only way to stay calm when everything is going wrong is to remain connected to God. When we have communion with God, as Daniel did, no matter what happens, we know that God will find a way, even when it seems like all is lost.
Talking to God every day is very important because it makes us strong, confident, and happy, even when we think we can't. God is our best friend, and He loves it when we talk to Him!
It is TIME to PRAY
God, I know you are my Father and my best friend. That's why I love talking to you! I want to talk to you every day and also learn to listen to you. I know that when I am close to you, I feel strong, courageous, and my heart is at peace. Amen.
