Sabbath, April 5, 2008
Daniel 1:18-21
At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. (ESV)
by Linda Harris
The Hebrews ate well and studied diligently, but it was God who gave them knowledge and skill. Sinclair Ferguson writes, “This first test (and their success in it) prepared them for the temptations and trials that lay ahead. Had they failed here, they would certainly have failed when the greater tests came. By standing firm on this occasion, they were gaining equipment that would aid them in the future.”
We may think it won’t matter if we slack off just this one time. But diligence today may mean success tomorrow. Where do you need to be more conscientious?
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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