Today’s Scripture: Daniel 1-3
They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. – Daniel 6:4
Daniel was a young man who, from the world’s point of view, “had it all.” Before the fall of Jerusalem, he was a member of the royal family in Israel. When he was taken captive to Babylon, he was selected for special training in the court of the Babylonian king. Daniel 1:4 describes the qualifications of Daniel and the others selected for this training: “Young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.”
What a list! I’m sure any major corporation in the world would have been delighted to hire one of these men and make him part of the organization. But other than Daniel and three of his friends, we don’t even know their names. Why? Because they apparently lacked the one major characteristic God looks for, and that He found in Daniel and the other three–a commitment to holiness in the sight of God.
The Scriptures portray Daniel as a man of both wisdom and piety. This is an interesting combination; often those who are endowed with wisdom and natural abilities are not celebrated for their devotional lives. In Daniel, God found a young man who could serve in the corridors of power because he wasn’t enamored with it all. He was surrounded by the good life, and was able to turn his back on it out of devotion to God.
If God has given you some of the same gifts and abilities he gave Daniel, thank God for His goodness to you. But remember that it wasn’t Daniel’s IQ and good looks, but his prayer and piety that made him useful to God.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gifts and abilities You’ve given me to use for Your service. Help me to stay unimpressed by what the world offers me. Amen.
To Ponder
“Often those who are endowed with wisdom and natural abilities are not celebrated for their devotional lives.” Why is this statement true?
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