Cosmic Trajectory – Daniel 6

Posted on August 23, 2026 by Steve

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:25-27, ESV)

If you spent any time in Sunday School as a child, you are probably very familiar with the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. If you didn’t learn about it as a child in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, then it’s likely you’ve often heard references to the story and it’s familiar theme, God’s deliverance of his faithful people, in your pastor’s sermons.

While faithfulness and deliverance is certainly the storyline of the tale, there’s so many underlying theological implications and so much literary symbolism to the story that we can’t recount all of it in this post. So, we will touch on just one of the symbolic plot lines in the story that I hope will encourage you to dig more deeply into the Old Testament biblical narratives in your own Bible reading and study.

Although the account of Daniel in the lion’s den parallels the account of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 (e.g., both stories expose imperial power’s inability to control personal allegiance and faithfulness to God), have you ever considered the story of Daniel in the lion’s den as symbolic of the burial and resurrection of Jesus?

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Emancipation Proclamation – Hebrews 13:1-8

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Steve

First published December 2, 2014 and edited for re-publication here.

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8, NASB).

Recently in the men’s Sunday School class I attend, the lesson was from Hebrews 13. And, this lesson from Hebrews 13 helped me resolve a theological dilemma I had wrestled with from Romans 6-8.

But, I love it when that happens! It reinforces the consistency of the Bible to me and why I should read and study all of it over and over again. And, of course, why it is so important for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and counsel us when we study God’s word.

Let me explain…

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Untold Tenets: Maintaining the Status Quo – Luke 8:26-38

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Steve

“When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left” (Luke 8:35-37, NIV)

This series of devotions, Untold Tenets, captures its lessons from lesser-known and sometimes overlooked scriptures that are embedded within or immediately following a well-known bible story or biblical text.

In this well-known and powerful story of demonic possession and exorcism, Jesus purposely went to a Gentile region and ministered there. As He got out of the boat after crossing the Sea of Galilee, a man possessed by many demons ran up to Jesus screaming and begging Jesus not to torture them or send them to the underworld prison of evil spirits.

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God’s YES Man – 2 Corinthians 1:19-22

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Steve

This meditation was originally posted on 9/3/2013.

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become ‘Yes and no’; on the contrary, a final ‘Yes’ has come in Him. For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in Him. Therefore, the ‘Amen’ is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory. Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us. He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:19-22, HCSB).

Do you ever get down and depressed because you feel like you’ve got so much to handle and you just can’t do it all? And then you get all locked up inside and you don’t do anything. I call it “gridlock of the soul.” Why even try, you wonder.

It seems like life is saying “No!” to you, “No you can’t. No you can’t. No, no, no!”

When life keeps telling you “No,” there is something you can do to escape soul gridlock.

Open your Bible to 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 and read, re-read, and read these verses again until you realize that when life seems to be telling you “No,” God is telling you “Yes!”

And not just “Yes,” but an emphatic “Yes,” God’s big “YES!”

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After the Screaming Stops – Psalm 3, Part 2

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Steve

“Lord, I have so many enemies! So many are standing against me.
So many are talking about me: ‘Even God won’t help him.’
But you, Lord, are my shield! You are my glory!
You are the one who restores me.
I cry out loud to the Lord and he answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down, sleep, and wake up because the Lord helps me.
I won’t be afraid of thousands of people surrounding me on all sides.
Stand up, Lord!
Save me, my God!
In fact, hit all my enemies on the jaw; shatter the teeth of the wicked!
Rescue comes from the Lord!
May your blessing be on your people!” (Psalm 3:1-8, CEB)

When I was a young child, each summer my parents would send me and my sister to swimming lessons. But, I never really learned to swim from those swimming lessons. My swimming fail may have been due to the philosophy of teaching swimming that was used. The teaching philosophy was something along these lines: Throw them in the water and if they don’t drown, then they will swim!

The way the lessons worked was the lifeguard would show us the swimming stroke and then we would practice it in the shallow end. After practicing for a short time, the lifeguard would take us down to the deep end and make us jump off the diving board and swim to the side…whether we could swim or not!

And when you’re a little kid standing on the diving board, the water below you looks extremely deep and the distance to the side of the pool looks extremely far away!

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Who’s Got Your Back? – Psalm 3, Part 1

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Steve

Have you ever felt like your critics were starting to outnumber your allies? Maybe it seemed that way because some of your former allies turned into critics!

And, then it makes you wonder, “Who’s got my back?” Who’s on my side? Who do I trust when friends become enemies?

Undoubtedly, David felt that way when he wrote this Psalm. Only, he experienced the most extreme form of betrayal, that of his own family, his own son.

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God’s Distinctive People – Exodus 11-12

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Steve

“That you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel” (Exodus 11:7, NASB).

This statement is the conclusion of Moses’ declaration to Pharaoh before God sent the final plague, the deaths of all the firstborns, against Egypt. The plagues God sent against Egypt to convince Pharaoh to emancipate the Israelites demonstrated that what matters to God is where your allegiance falls.

The Israelites couldn’t serve serve God and Pharaoh!

You can’t be a child of God and a child of this world!

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I Pledge Allegiance – Exodus 7-10

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Steve

“Let my people go, so they may serve me” (Exodus 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3, NASB).

If I asked the question, “What did God tell Moses to say to Pharaoh?” you would probably respond, “Let my people go!” At least that’s the way I remember it, but that’s not the whole story.

A closer reading of the story of the plagues God sent against Egypt to convince Pharaoh to emancipate the Israelites in Exodus 7-10 reveals there’s more to God’s directive to Pharaoh than just release the Isralites. And, what else God told Moses to tell Pharaoh suggests that the conflict between God and Pharoah played out in this narrative was of cosmic proportions!

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The Lost Art of Spiritual Warfare – II Corinthians 10:3-6

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Steve

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, ESV).

In these verses Paul defends his apostolic ministry to the Corinthians. Paul indicates that there is a world war being waged for the souls of men and women. But, it’s a spiritual war not a physical one.

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Fallen – Judges 7:2

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Steve

“The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might brag: ‘I did it myself.’” (Judges 7:2, HCSB).