Daniel’s Deliverance – An Adaptation from Daniel 6

Hello everybody!

I was recently going through some old documents on my computer and happened to stumble across a paper I wrote in the 6th grade. It was a story about Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den, adapted from Daniel 6. I re-read it, and thought it would be an interesting piece of writing to share with you! I made a couple of edits (my writing style has changed and hopefully improved since the 6th grade XD), but now it’s ready to go! So without further ado, here is “Daniel’s Deliverance – An Adaptation from Daniel 6”.

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Daniel trudged slowly forward, his head hung low and royal guards surrounding him. He had been plotted against by the government officials in King Darius’ realm, and although he was a faithful and righteous man, Daniel was about to die. He was led to the edge of a deep pit, and peered down into the blackness. A horrible smell rose up to meet him, and he wondered how long it would take…

Suddenly, Daniel felt a rough shove from behind. He stumbled forward, off the edge of the pit, and then he fell. Down, down, down, he plummeted towards his fate. With a sharp thud, Daniel landed on the hard, stone floor, and a cloud of dust and dirt rose from where he lay sprawled. His eyes filled with tears as a deafening roar rose in the pit, and huge creatures began to emerge from the darkness. Lions.

Daniel caught a glimpse of them through his blurred vision, and saw that they were bone thin. Their fur was dirty, matted and tangled, and the air reeked with their stench. Above him, a flat, circular stone ground against the edge of the pit as it was pushed over the opening, sealing him in. Daniel sat up and stretched out his hand as if to grasp the last rays of sunlight as they disappeared, and then dropped his hand in despair. The grinding sound drew to an end, and the pit was thrown into utter darkness. It was cold, damp, and musty in the dark hole, and the sounds of lion’s roars and dripping water echoed in his ears. Daniel was doomed.

He fell to his knees, and began uttering the words of a prayer, his hands clasped together as his whole body shook. His voice cracked and tears streamed down his face as he cried out “Lord, help me! Help me! What have I done to deserve this?” The lions began to circle Daniel. With each step they took, the circle grew tighter, the enemies bearing down upon their prey. Deep growls emitted from the lion’s throats, and Daniel could see them baring their teeth, ready to pounce.

Just when Daniel had given up all hope, he shrank back as a brilliant white light flashed in darkness. As he slowly opened his eyes, Daniel realized he was no longer trapped by the menacing lions, and the white glow was coming from a figure beside him. As he squinted through the light, Daniel could just make out a kind face and a pair of wings. He was kneeling in the presence of an angel.

Along with the light came warm rays of hope for Daniel as the radiant angel began to approach the terrified lions. One by one, the angel sealed shut the mouths of the lions as they cowered against the stone walls of the pit. When the angel was finished, it gave Daniel one last loving look, and then vanished, taking the light with it.

Everything was still. No sounds came from the lions, and Daniel remained crouched on the cold floor. After a while, the lions cautiously began to edge towards Daniel. He stayed still, slightly afraid, but his fear vanished as the lions began lovingly nudging him with their cold, wet noses. Daniel, who was now sobbing great tears of joy and relief, began gently petting them, while giving thanks to God.

The next morning, Daniel awoke with a start as bright, yellow rays of sunlight illuminated the dark den. He had fallen asleep propped against the back of a lion, and Daniel began stroking it as he heard the grinding of the massive stone being pushed away from the opening. He sat up, his heart leaping as he saw several figures surrounding the edge of the pit. A rope was being lowered to the floor, and Daniel heard a voice shout down to him to climb out! Daniel gave thanks to God yet again as he climbed out into the open, where he gladly welcomed the fresh air into his lungs and the warm sunlight on his back. The guards stared at him in astonishment, their mouth gaping. As they led him away from the pit, Daniel turned back to the opening to say one last farewell to the lions. In the morning light, Daniel saw the lion’s faces looking up at him, and it seemed as though they were smiling.

Because of Daniel’s experience with the lions, King Darius issued a decree that everyone in his kingdom must fear and respect the One True God. Daniel’s amazing story of faith and deliverance teaches us that with God, all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26 – “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”