“Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. And as for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm” ( Daniel 1:18-20 18 And at the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm. ).

God always equips you for the tasks He requires of you.

Daniel and the other young men deported in 606 B.C. received three years of intense training under the watchful eye of the commander of King Nebuchadnezzar’s officials. At the conclusion of their training, they were presented to the king for his personal evaluation. The results were impressive indeed. Of all those who were trained, none compared to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Beyond that, they were found to be ten times better than all the wise men in the entire kingdom of Babylon! Consequently, at the age of only seventeen or eighteen, they were made the king’s personal servants.

Why were these young men so superior to their peers? It wasn’t simply their training, because each man had received the same education. The difference was their character and the faithful provisions of their God, who granted them special knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom (v. 17). They were so righteous and wise that even those who did not believe in their God were compelled to acknowledge the quality of their lives. That’s the impact every believer should have on those around them!

God wants you to live the kind of life that silences those who would seek to malign you or your God ( 1 Peter 2:15 15 For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: ), and He has provided every spiritual resource for you to do so ( 2 Peter 1:3 3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; ). Therefore, when you live with integrity, you prove to others that God really does accomplish His work in those who love Him.

Suggestions for Prayer

Make a list of spiritual resources that are yours in Christ, then praise Him for each of them.

For Further Study

Read Psalms 119:97-104 97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies; For they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers; For thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have kept thy precepts. 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, That I might observe thy word. 102 I have not turned aside from thine ordinances; For thou hast taught me. 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! `Yea, sweeter' than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way. .

• What are the psalmist’s attitudes toward God’s Word (His “law”)?
• What steps did he take to ensure that godliness would be evident in his life?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

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