When Daniel learned that the document (a decree than anyone who prayed to any god or person except King Darius would be thrown into a lions’ den) had been signed, he went to his house. An upper room in his house had windows that opened in the direction of Jerusalem. Three times each day he got down on his knees and prayed to his God. He had always praised God this way. [Daniel 6:10 (GW)]

How many times have we heard children say, “It’s not my fault; he (or she) made me do it!”? Children think this excuse absolves them of responsibility for their actions. As adults we continue to make unwise choices and often justify them by saying we had no choice. God, however, always gives us a choice: yes or no, some or none, right or wrong, our way or His. Unfortunately, the right choice is often not the one we want to make. Moreover, the easy choice is not necessarily the right one. The right choice may require sacrifice; it may even put us into a modern-day lion’s den. God never promised that life would be easy; but he did promise that we’d never be alone in our struggles. Daniel stayed true to his God and survived the lion’s den; we, too, will survive if we stay true to our faith.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)]

In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. [Eleanor Roosevelt.]