When you read about Daniel and how strong he is in the faith, you have to think to yourself, “How, as a young man, did Daniel become so strong and disciplined in his faith? How did he stand up against the temptations of the world?”
Now one thing is obvious, he was in a growing relationship with the Lord Almighty. When you think of young men, you can’t help but think of a time when they are figuring out their faith. Many have had to overcome choices they have made in haste. But for Daniel, it seems to be a little different. He was strong and deliberate in his choices. Keep in mind that he was picked by the Babylonians from a royal family without any defects, he was handsome, showed an aptitude for every kind of learning, and was well informed. That’s a pretty good resume. He is someone I would want on my staff or debate team. As the chief of the court official carried out the wishes of the king of Babylon, he chose young men from the Israelites to train in Babylonian ways. He was to fatten them up and indoctrinate them to be future leaders. “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way" Daniel 1:8. The official wasn’t too sure about Daniel’s plan because it would have meant his job. I would recommend that you read the story found in Daniel 1:1-21. God eventually gave Daniel and his friends knowledge and understanding in all kinds of literature and learning. Even to the point of understanding visions and dreams. As a matter of fact, the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Not too shabby. How did these young men like Daniel get to have rock solid faith in God? Daniel and his friends kept untainted by the culture around them. They must have had someone mentoring and praying for them back in Jerusalem. Joseph Kemp (1872-1933) was only seven years old when his father died. Two years later his mother passed away, and the six siblings were scattered. A devoted Christian took in Joseph and told him lovingly about Jesus. Kemp was converted at the age of fourteen. In his early thirties, while he was a pastor in Edinburgh, Scotland, a powerful season of revival broke out. In his book “Listening to the Giants,” Warren Wiersbe reports Kemp’s words on revival: “Go after the young. We are much more likely to get a boy at seven than at seventeen, and certainly much more likely to get the youth of seventeen than the old man of seventy. A wise evangelism will not neglect the home, but will make that the starting point in the great campaign to evangelize the world. There is need of a revival of family religion. Parents cannot be held responsible for the conversion of their children, but they are responsible for the evangelism of the home.” That is why we encourage families to be faithful in living out their faith with their family. That includes bringing them to church and events. That is why we have Vacation Bible Adventure. Please pray for our families and our neighborhoods as we try to disciple the world one family at a time. We need more Daniels in our world to impact the culture for Jesus! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
Categories |