MEMORISE:
And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
Daniel 1:15
READ: Daniel 1:5-20
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
MESSAGE
A while ago, I was led to make a statement which some people do not take seriously, because it did not meet with faith in their hearts. The statement was that the use of excessive make-up is a sign of inferiority complex. I went further to say that people only try to "make up" for what is not good enough. I strongly believe that the Almighty God is the most perfect designer, and in His infinite wisdom He has designed you the way He feels is best for His glory. After all, in Revelation 4:11, the Holy Spirit reveals that He created us for His pleasure:
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
If God created you for His pleasure, it means that what any other person says about how your mouth is shaped, your colour, your height, the hair on your head or even your accent is irrelevant! The reason for the inferiority complex a lot of people suffer from can be traced to the fact that the glory of God is absent from their lives. Not only was Adam satisfied with the way God made him before the fall, he also appreciated the looks of his wife and admired her with a passion (Genesis 2:23-25). However, after the fall, he was not only fed up with himself, he also saw fault in the wife God "gave" him (Genesis 3:10-12).
Today's Bible reading narrates the determination of some young Hebrew men who decided to live a consecrated life, in spite of the fact that they were captives in a strange land. This should serve as a lesson to Christians who live outside their homeland and decide to throw decency out of the window because of the prevailing situation in the land of their sojourn. Beloved, I implore you to seek something that is needful today, which is the glory of God upon your life through living a consecrated life. Once the glory of God is upon you, you will be the delight of your generation.
Sin robs man of God's glory, and when God's glory is out of a man's life, his or her life becomes miserable and susceptible to demonic attacks. It was the glory of God upon Daniel that shut the mouth of lions that would have devoured him. It was the glory of God on the young Hebrew men's lives that made them look fairer and fatter than their peers. May the glory of the Lord come upon you today as you consecrate your life to the Almighty in Jesus' Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to live a consecrated life, and cover me with Your glory.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 5-6, Acts 9:1-22
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE
1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send'st to me
In mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
4. Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
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