Dare To Be A Daniel

Over the past two weeks, my kids and I have been studying the book of Daniel.  We’ve talked in-depth about the captivity of the young Hebrew men and the emotions they must’ve felt as they were carried off to the foreign, pagan land of Babylon.  We speculated that they probably felt scared, vulnerable, angry, sorrowful, homesick, etc.  We tried to put ourselves in their places and imagine what if would be like if some foreign government landed on American soil and began capturing and carrying away all of the healthy young men and women.  As a mom, it’s a scenario that makes me shudder.  Yet, it was a very real event in the lives of the mothers of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  While Scripture doesn’t clue us in as to the names of the mothers of these boys, it certainly reveals a lot about the way they raised these young men were before they were enslaved.  

Check out Daniel 1:8:

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8

This verse jumps out at me as a hint of Daniel’s home life, pre-Babylon.  Not only did it require incredible boldness for him to speak out against eating the king’s food, it required trust that God would take care of him and his three friends.  So, how did he get to be so bold and courageous?  We can only speculate, but I believe these four young Hebrew men were brought up in homes where a fear of the Lord was present and utmost respect for God’s commands was imperative.  Given the outcome of their lives, it seems logical to postulate that their mothers placed great importance on the Scriptures.  

We’re familiar with he saying that “children are a product of their environment;” I suspect it rings true in the lives of these men.  They didn’t decide to be men of character and integrity after they arrived in Babylon.  Rather, these traits were assuredly etched on their hearts from a very young age.  It’s apparent that these young men were taught to honor God with their minds, bodies and worship.  In fact, Daniel didn’t seem  concerned with what anyone thought of him,  He understood that God’s opinion is the only one that counts.  

Considering a passage like this inspires and challenges me to continue sowing seeds of faith into my children’s hearts.  I want them to be able to fearlessly stand strong for the Lord, pursue purity, and reject the “banquet” the world lays at their feet.  My desire is for them to truly know God and be able to trust Him even when difficult choices have to be made.  

Daniel provides so many opportune teaching moments on what it means to wholeheartedly follow the Lord and I pray that my kids will be inspired as we continue to study his extraordinary life.  

**What are some ways you can instill in your children a life of devotion to the Lord?

**If “children are a product of their environment”, are there things in your home that need to go in order for your family to better honor God?

**Think of a time when you had to make a difficult choice and share with your children how God gave you wisdom and saw you through.