There's an interesting scripture in the first chapter of Daniel. It says And God gave these four men an unusual appetite for learning the literature and science of the time. It's interesting in several different ways. For one, the church and science tend to be at odds a lot of the time, yet we see here that God caused them to enjoy science (and I'll throw in math too!! lol). Sometimes education and "faith" can collide as they seem mutually exclusive - even though they are actually very complimentary.
But the most interesting is that God gave Daniel (and the three Hebrew boys) the ability to learn. They were captives in a foreign land. They had been elevated to live in the castle with the king, but only to see if they could cut the mustard and achieve the high slave status of serving the king. Yet God gave them the ability to learn. Basically, God put in them what they would need to make it through their trial. And trust me, they were tried!
First they are taken from their home land by force only to be made to serve in the king's court. Daniel was royalty in Judah. But here in Babylon he was stripped of his ability to have a "normal" life. He could not marry and bear children and go to war as many young men most likely dreamed about. He was made to be impotent...and forced to serve. Yet God gave him what he would need to make it through.
Remember on in the book of Daniel - he will find himself thrown into a den of hungry lions while the other three will face the fiery furnace...and all because they would not bow to the idolatry around them. Of course this all started here in chapter one when they decided that they would not be defiled with the king's meat. They were not the icon for vegetarianism we try to make them! They simply refused to eat meat offered to idols...they chose purity even if it might mean getting thrown out of the king's palace; or death.But they had been given what they needed to get through the trials.
2Peter 1:3 says to us today His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has given us what we need to make it through today. It doesn't matter what it looks like, feels like or what kind of trap reality has set for us! We can make it through the fires of today!
Just like God gave Daniel what he was going to need to survive in Babylonian captivity, He has given us what we need to make it through our particular circumstances! It's up to us to trust Him and not bow to idolatrous ways when they present themselves to us. So cheer up! We have what we need to make it through this journey!
But the most interesting is that God gave Daniel (and the three Hebrew boys) the ability to learn. They were captives in a foreign land. They had been elevated to live in the castle with the king, but only to see if they could cut the mustard and achieve the high slave status of serving the king. Yet God gave them the ability to learn. Basically, God put in them what they would need to make it through their trial. And trust me, they were tried!
First they are taken from their home land by force only to be made to serve in the king's court. Daniel was royalty in Judah. But here in Babylon he was stripped of his ability to have a "normal" life. He could not marry and bear children and go to war as many young men most likely dreamed about. He was made to be impotent...and forced to serve. Yet God gave him what he would need to make it through.
Remember on in the book of Daniel - he will find himself thrown into a den of hungry lions while the other three will face the fiery furnace...and all because they would not bow to the idolatry around them. Of course this all started here in chapter one when they decided that they would not be defiled with the king's meat. They were not the icon for vegetarianism we try to make them! They simply refused to eat meat offered to idols...they chose purity even if it might mean getting thrown out of the king's palace; or death.But they had been given what they needed to get through the trials.
2Peter 1:3 says to us today His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has given us what we need to make it through today. It doesn't matter what it looks like, feels like or what kind of trap reality has set for us! We can make it through the fires of today!
Just like God gave Daniel what he was going to need to survive in Babylonian captivity, He has given us what we need to make it through our particular circumstances! It's up to us to trust Him and not bow to idolatrous ways when they present themselves to us. So cheer up! We have what we need to make it through this journey!
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