Our new series will begin with a teenager named Daniel. I think it’s very important to not forget his age.
When we think of Daniel, I think most of us see that picture in our head of the man with the gray beard in the lion’s den, but when the Book of Daniel begins with Daniel as a young man.
Daniel was a very impressive, very well-educated young man with more character and integrity as a teenager than most people achieve in their whole life.
He’s not the only impressive teenager either. Consider the courage of the teenage Ester, confronting the king. Consider the teenage David, challenging Goliath. Consider the teenage Mary, carrying the Christ. Consider young Timothy, boldly proclaiming Christ in hostile environments.
I think that we do teenagers a great injustice when we don’t consider what they are capable of when they belong to the Lord. God has done mighty things through teenagers.
Daniel is easily my favorite teenager though. Imagine it – The country you live in lives, for the most part, in wild disobedience to God – you don’t even have to try hard to imagine that, do you? In addition to the morality of the country going increasingly downward, the country is then invaded. When it’s invaded, not only does God not help, He helps the enemy.
Then, imagine, as a teenager, you are taken prisoner to a foreign land, a land where your God is not known or honored at all. You are now a slave. But some slaves were more favored than others. Daniel was one of these. He met the requirements to be favored.
You are then told that you will be educated in a culture you know nothing about. Your name gets changed. You’re given special food and drink. Try as much as I might, I can’t fully comprehend what it was like to be teenage Daniel, but try we must.
Then Daniel does the unthinkable. He draws a line in the sand. He takes a stand. He’s polite about it, but he’s a slave. He’s the property of the Babylonian Empire, and has no rights. How very incredible that a teenager would take a stand like Daniel did.
What was it that prompted Daniel to take such a bold stance? I can’t wait to tell you!
Much Love,
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
