“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” (Daniel 1:17)
While it’s true that Daniel and his friends were captives to a foreign kingdom, “stuck” in the middle of a culture that wasn’t their own, they were also exactly where God wanted them to be. God placed these young guys in the middle of the government of the most powerful nation on earth.
What you’ll see if you read on in Daniel is that when these guys made their stand and refused to let the lifestyles and rules of the society they lived in cause them to compromise their obedience to God, two huge things happened.
One was that God used that arrogant, idol-worshipping system to give Daniel and friends a fantastic education to go along with their God-given supernatural gifts. And then he used four Jewish slave students to show his power and glory to the Babylonians and, eventually, to the world.
Think: Your current set of circumstances might not be perfectly Christian. You might be in the middle of a family or workplace or town where your faith is not always respected. How can God use you there to influence others for him?
Pray: Ask God to make your life an example of his power and glory, even if you have to stand for him alone or with a few friends.
Do: Read Daniel 2 to find out how God used Daniel’s position and unique gifts to reveal himself to the most powerful leader on the planet at the time.