A man was visiting the zoo one day and decided to check the lions out. He noticed an attendant sweeping out one of the lion cages while the lion was still in it. All the attendant had was his broom; he had no weapon to defend himself in case of an attack by the lion. When the attendant needed the lion to move so he could finish sweeping, he struck the lion with the broomstick. The lion growled at him, got up and moved to another corner, and the attendant finished sweeping the cage. As the attendant climbed out of the cage, the visitor told him, "Either you are the bravest man I know, the dumbest man I know, or that lion is tame. That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen!" The attendant replied, "Well I'm not dumb, I'm not brave, and that lion isn't tame. He's just old and doesn't have any teeth."

Sometimes being a Christian does not require much courage, sometimes it requires a lot. It took courage for Daniel to choose facing the lions over stopping his prayer life. It took courage for Moses to return to Egypt and face the Pharaoh. It took courage for Esther to face King Xerxes on behalf of her people. Today, we may not face the physical dangers that those three did, but we still need courage to stand for Christ.

• It takes courage to stand for Christian values when the world holds them in such contempt.
• It takes courage to be a Christian when there is no support at home.
• It takes courage to face a failing marriage and fight to keep it alive when all the while Satan is telling you to take the easy out and quit.
• It takes courage to put God first in all aspects of your life: your service to God, your speech, your anger, your selfishness, your dress, and your treatment of others, when we see so many in our spiritual family displaying their weaknesses in these areas.
• It takes courage to fight for that daily time of prayer and Bible reading when Satan puts so many obstacles in your way.

Don't lose heart; remember that God was with Daniel in the lion's den. It's not just a children's story; it's true, it happened, and it says that God will be with you too. We have many examples in the Bible where God provided strength for his children at just the right time in their lives. He will provide for you too! Remember this advice that Moses gave Joshua when he was to replace Moses:

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you... the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed" (Deut. 31:6, 8).