Shut your mouth... Daniel 6 Dr. David A Baillie

Shut your mouth!   Having grown up in the South for a large part of my younger years I heard that saying many times.  It could have a multitude of meanings from "You have got to be kidding me," to "Shut up," all depending on who was saying it, the tone of voice, and body posture. 

Sometimes we are called to just shut our mouths.  There are points in this life when we, as God's children, should be seen and not heard.  Our actions need to be louder than our word. 

There are other times, however, when we need to open our mouths so that God can be the one to silence the mouths of our enemies or of the evil around us.  There are some battles that must be fought not just with deeds, but with words.   This week we are looking at the story of Daniel, and we all know the part about where he was in the Lion's Den and God shut the mouths of the lions so they would not eat him, but what we need to remember is that before the Lion's mouths were closed,  Daniel's mouth was open, but it was open in prayer:

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.   Daniel 6:10 NKJV

Then when Daniel was called before the king for his actions and his words, Daniel stood firm on his faith.   

At the end of World War II Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller reflected on the Nazi rise to power, and offered the following words:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—    
     Because I was not a socialist.

hen they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

May God grant us wisdom like Daniel to know when to speak and do what is right, and let God shut the mouths of the lions in God's way and God's time.