(A Devotional based on the Book of Daniel)
Life often brings harsh and cruel experiences which may make an individual feel useless, unworthy, rejected, unloved and unlovable. However, Jesus Christ, the Son of our Almighty God, and our Heavenly Father can take one’s life, any life, and make it an amazingly great blessing to the individual and others. Take, for example, four young men from the Book of Daniel, the Apocalypse of the Old Testament. The four young men were comely to look upon. They were probably descendants of King Hezekiah, making them Princes. In all likelihood, they were the product of upper-class, educated families, men of integrity and men of prayer. Unfortunately for them, however, the King of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, selected them and captured them specifically for who they were.
Daniel 1:3-4
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
The four young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These young men were separated from all that was important to them, including family, land and their future potential to become fathers. (See 2 Kings 20: 16-17). The King, in an attempt to associate them with his gods, even changed their names to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. However, the one thing that the King could not do was separate them from their God. The Book of Daniel presents the beautiful way that God changed their lives from lives of horror to lives of honor, affluency, and integrity because they held fast to Him. Each of their stories is a testament to the glory and praise of God. God took their lives and made them a blessing even for us today.
The lives of these four young men should be a living testimony to those of us who have undergone horrific experiences. Some may have experienced disfiguring accidents or diseases; may have been raised in poverty; may have suffered physical and emotional abuse or rejection by those who were supposed to love them. They might have lost their parents at an early age or they might have experienced rape or incest. There are also those who have been rejected by society because they were not born in the “right” families or because they were not as “smart” as others. However, be encouraged if bad experiences have been a part of your life because God is the answer to every situation.
God’s love is without end for God is love (1 John 4:8). His ability to fix the broken pieces of our lives is unmeasurable. His Son Jesus Christ will take the ugly experiences of our lives and make them as though they never happened. He will make our lives brand new. He will make us a part of His Bride and show us, as only He can, what true love is all about. Even from the worst of situations, God can bring forth beauty for ashes (Is. 61:3). Trust Him, and he will bring you out.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you because we know that there is nothing too hard for you. We bring all of our problems, faults, bad experiences and failures and place them at the foot of the cross. We thank you for our new lives in Christ Jesus. Your word says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Thank you for my new life in Christ. Amen.
