Scripture
15At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. 17God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. Daniel 1:15-17
Observation
We start the Book of Daniel in the wake of the absolute desolation and devastation of Jerusalem and The Holy Temple. This massive loss along with the deportation of Israel to the pagan kingdom of Babylon left most of Israel certain their fate was written and their faith was forsaken. The story shifts to focus our attention of four of these Jewish refugees Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four young men have been uprooted from everything familiar, familial, and holy and yet instead of dying they are fruiful. Instead of blending in with the pagan practices around them, they are standing apart as those who belong, not to a wicked king, but to a Holy God! How’s this possible? Though they experienced change on every level that should have crushed their faith they not only survived, but thrived. They may been uprooted from where they had once lived, but they remained rooted in the presence of the living God.
Application
Today marks the solemn 22nd Anniversary of the 9/ll Terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City. Nearly 3,000 people were killed after four planes were hijacked by attackers from the Al Qaeda terrorist group. My family and I were in New York for my nephew’s wedding back in May of 2021. This was our first time there and though there were many sites we wanted to see, Ground Zero, was a place we needed to see. One of the most impactful moments for me when standing under the shade of The Survivor Tree with my family just outside of the memorial building. After being buried for over a month under the rubble of the fallen buildings the charred remains of a Callery pear tree became one of the only signs of life in an area now only marked by death. Melissa Breyer writes, “After nine years of rehab in the Bronx, the Survivor Tree went home. Planted at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, it thrives in a solemn place that is filled with both memories and life. Scarred but robust, she offers her branches to birds and shade to passersby—and remains a potent reminder of resilience in the face of destruction.” Much like historic banyan tree in Lahaina that still stands after the horrific Maui fires, our souls find hope for new life after so much death from these survivor trees. This is a prophetic picture of what I believe God wants to do with this next generation. Just as He used Daniel and his friends to be a sign of life in dark times to the people of Israel exiled to Babylon, so too God will use Millennials and Gen Z to remind us to put our roots deep in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
I saw the signs of life yesterday at The Father’s House. I saw what You were up to in stirring up the gifts of our young people who were leading the way in prophetic prayers all throughout the room. Happy tears filled my eyes as I saw our youth stepping out in the boldness of Daniel despite the scorched earth of their generation around them. May our roots continue to grow deep in You so that we might see fruitfulness in a land of barrenness. Let us steward well these young men and women of faith who are growing up in a pagan land. Let us continue to raise up and release them in their God-given callings. They are living proof that what the enemy meant for destruction You have turned it around for Your good! Today we pray for hope for those in Lahaina working to rebuild their lives and community and for the families grieving the loss of their loved ones. We pray continued comfort over those who lost loved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. May we never forget those brave souls who laid downs their lives to save those trying to escape. As the death toll rises to 2,862 in Morocco after the worst earthquake in a century we pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones. We also pray for the emergency workers on the streets and people living in disaster relief tents. We also pray for the rescue of any still alive in the massive flooding in eastern Libya after the weekend storm left 2,000 people feared dead.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2
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