07.19.04

So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: "King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. - Daniel 6:6-7.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, andspoke concerning the kings's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter." - Daniel 6:10-12.

In the little Orange County, California school district of Westminister an unusual thing happen during the spring. What was that strange thing? Westminister was the only school district out of 1,056 in California to reject and fail to apply a law. The law would allow students and the staff to define whether they are male or female. Three trustees of five on the Westminister school board voted that this law violates their Christian principles. If the law were to be placed into effect, the trustees are concerned it would lead to cross-dressing, and also problems with who would be permitted in which bathroom. The trustees say that this would promote a transsexual agenda. (Researching this story, I was unable to find the current status of the situation.)

The trustees of Westminister risked losing a large amount of state funding by holding to their decision. What courage they have had in standing firm to their view of what God would have them to do. Such courage is certainly rare in the age in which we live. How long before such laws are forced upon school districts across all of the United States? It will happen if more godly principled people do not stand up for what is right.

Their stand for what is right reminded me of Daniel who risked more than money to do the right thing. The law was passed making it illegal to pray to any god or man except the king for 30 days. The penalty for failure to obey the law was to be placed into a lion’s den, which meant that for all practical purposes it would be a death sentence. Daniel knew this and still he went home and prayed like he always did. He left his window open so his enemies could see he was praying to his God as he always did. As a result, Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. However, God intervened and sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions. It must have been a shock to the enemies of Daniel when he rose alive out of the den!

We too must stand for what is right or we will be overrun by the evil of this world. It will be risky and even dangerous at times to do so as many across this world know so very well. The apostle Paul gives us the battle cry for Christians in the 21st Century, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."