Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel.
God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams." Daniel 1: 2, 9, 17
The first day back after a long break is filled with talk and catching up with each other. I see this as a wonderful and vital part of Bible study. We study the Bible to grow closer to God and an important part of that is living in a community of believers; sharing our lives, offering support, and celebrating.
I think our group does that pretty well. What a wonderful feeling it was for me to be back meeting with all of you.
I tried to give a brief summary of our thoughts on Daniel, chapter 1 in the Comment section of the previous post - and I hope to do that going forward. However, it wouldn't post. I don't know if it's the blog or my computer. I hope you have not had the same difficulty, but if you have please let me know. Since I couldn't write in the comment section, I decided to post it here.
Our discussion of Daniel (chapter 1) revealed Daniel's character. He was ripped from his home as a captive and indoctrinated (I called it brain washing) into the enemy society. He and his friends were chosen because they already displayed traits that set them above the average boy, but still at an age when their minds were impressionable (early teens). Do you remember your early teen years? What were you basing your decisions on? Daniel was given faith, strength, self confidence, and determination by God to not only survive this ordeal, but thrive and do so while remaining faithful to God. Overall, I think we were all impressed by Daniels' ability to listen and make Godly decisions. He was diplomatic, rather than defensive, in his negotiations to keep his diet of vegetables and water rather than accept the King's rich food and wine.
There is no denying God's hand in everything that happened in Chapter 1, as demonstrated in the verses quoted at the beginning of the post. And even if Daniel was a little better than the average 12-14 year old of his time, he became (and will continue to be) extraordinary in the hands and service of God.
Our study question asks "what aspect of Daniel's character or conduct in this chapter impresses you the most?" And concludes with: "How can you cultivate that same quality in your own life?" As a parent, I am equally impressed with Daniel's upbringing leading up to his captivity and ask "how can we, as parents and adults, cultivate or instill this kind of faith in our youth?"
If you are able, please leave a comment as to your impressions on chapter 1 of Daniel.
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
1 comment:
I struggle with this myself. When I see outstanding qualities in youth, I often wonder, "what are their parents doing to teach these wonderful traits?" I hope I am actively doing this as a parent as well and do try to point out how God has an effect on each of us whether it is at good or challenging times in our lives.
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