BIBLICAL CHARACTER OF A YOUTH (PART 2)
( D A N I E L )
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, ..." - Romans 15:4
In the part 1 of our devotional on the Biblical Character of a Youth, we began with the person of Ruth. There, the Lord helped us to learn some Christian lessons on the person of sister Ruth. You may please refer to our devotional of 16/10/2022.
Today, we are shifting our focus from Ruth to Daniel, a notable youth of invaluable Christian virtues, whose life till date remains enviable and recommendable to the youths of this generation.
In the book of Daniel Chapter 1, particularly in verse 6, we are introduced to four Hebrew children captives, the foremost of whom was Daniel, the one after whom the book was named. This Daniel, though a captive-slave in the land of Babylon, became so important that four successive kings that ruled Babylon (Nebudchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Dairus and Cyrus) could not do without his godly inspired services, and counsels. Every king that ascended the throne of Babylon sought for him, even at his old age! WHY? What made this Hebrew captive-slave so thick that he became so prominently relevant in a foreign land, the land of his captors?
(1) Daniel was a youth whose heart was completely made up for Christ; and in return, Christ his Lord wasted no time standing for him in the perilous times of his life. In Daniel 1:8, we are told that when it had been decided that they be fed with a daily provision of the king's meal, etc, which invariably was first sacrificed to an idol, Daniel purposed in his heart not to be defiled by the king's meal, etc and he thus requested of the prince of the eunuchs. Our youths today will see the king's treatment as a "favour" shown to them and will easily be sold out; but not so with Daniel! He maintained his purity before God and men and was divinely rewarded accordingly. Dare to be like Daniel?
(2) Daniel was a youth filled with the Spirit of God (Daniel 4:8,9,18; 5:11,12,14;6:3) and he functioned in the gift of interpretation of visions and dreams. No wonder, his gift made room for him in that hostile and foreign land (Proverbs 18:16). Though he was in a land filled with idol worship, Daniel maintained his integrity and worked out his salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). He was like oil on water, refusing to be influenced by the abominable practices of the land of his captivity. How many youths will do that today? Will they not count their captivity as failure on God's part to deliver and protect them, and in result, lose faith completely in Him? Wouldn't our youths of today see a temporary hardship in life as an occasion and opportunity to jettison their faith in Christ to seek for other ways of escape from what they term as "God's failure" toward their situations?
(3) Daniel was careful to choose his friends. He kept company with those that furthered his faith in Christ. At a crucial moment of challenge, he sought the cooperation of his godly friends and companions to pray along with him to God for a revelation of the king's dream (Daniel 2:17-18). As children of God we are commanded not to keep company with unbelievers (2Corinthians 6:14-18). But these days, the best friends and business partners of our youths are people that hate, curse and jest with the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour! What a shame! Don't you know that iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend? (Proverbs 27:17). No iron gets sharpened by being exerted on a wood. That unbelieving friend of yours will at best serve to derail your faith in Christ. You are iron and he/she is, with no apologies, wood! Period! Get disconnected quickly from him/her before it's too late! Seek and resolve to maintain the company of youths of the same faith and aspirations.
(4) Daniel was a man of prayers and was recognized as such even by his enemies; so much so that when they sought occasion against him concerning the kingdom, they failed and recourse had to be made to his delight for constant and regular fellowship with his God (Daniel 6:4-13). Though he was thrown into the den of lions, God to whom he constantly prayed saved him (Daniel 6:22). The effects of prayers cannot be overestimated! If unbelievers could pray so many times a day, how many times a day do you commune with your Lord and Saviour?
This post is getting too long for my liking! I think we should end it here today; and as the Lord permits, continue some other day with our discourse on the man Daniel!
May God bless and keep you!
PRAYER:
Dearest Heavenly Father, help me to stand firm for you in these times when the love of many is seriously waxing cold, in Jesus name, amen.