Art fascinates me. More specifically, the God-given talents of other people fascinate me. In his daily travels, Publisher Scott Tredeau stumbled upon the lion painting that serves as our cover for the Winter 2025 edition of The NEWTON Community Magazine. He encountered it while perusing the selection at Sky High Gypsies, a new antiques store that celebrated its grand opening on Pace Street in November. I have no way of knowing what motivated the artist to paint the picture, and I prefer to keep it that way.
Good art can take your thoughts in a million directions for a million reasons. The sight of the lion likely means something completely different to me than it does someone else. My thoughts immediately drifted to the Biblical story of Daniel in the lions’ den—a story believers can turn to in their inevitable moments of weakness and doubt.
In the Book of Daniel, King Darius unwittingly backs himself into a corner by listening to unsound counsel and issuing a decree that prayers were to be offered to no one but him for 30 days. Anyone who disobeyed was to be thrown into the lions’ den to be devoured. Daniel—who had found favor with the king and generated plenty of jealousy from others as a result—refused to abide by the order, even under the threat of death, and Darius, after much consternation, had no choice but to follow through on the penalty that was promised
Daniel trusted God to deliver him from the lions, and his unshakable faith had an obvious impact on Darius. “Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you (Daniel 6:16).’” As we know, Daniel’s faith did save him. How? He lived to tell us. “‘My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, since I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.’ Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out “of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God (Daniel 6:22–23).”
As we enter the unknown of a New Year and the potential to be met with our own lions’ dens, let the story of Daniel serve as a constant reminder that God’s love never fails.
Thank you Janice Westfall for providing the art work for the 2025 winter cover. To see more of Janice’s work, visit janice-westfall.pixels.com.
We would like to thank Sky High Gypsies Antiques and Interiors for allowing us to come to their store to take the picture for the 2025 winter cover of The NEWTON Community Magazine.
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