0261. Daniel Was a Man Prepared for Life's Task

Daniel Was a Man Prepared for Life’s Task

"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" (Dan_1:20).

Daniel, in the days of his youth, was thoroughly prepared for the battle of life.

Early training may at times seem irksome. The youth is full of energy and longs to prematurely get out into the arena of public life. This is altogether unwise.

Dr. Carlisle of Georgia used to say, "It is not life’s task you need to dread, it is the preparation for the task."

Foundations must be well laid. The sky-scrapers in the great city of New York do not all lie above the ground. Before a girder is put into position the great foundation must be complete. It is impossible to go up, until they have first gone down–down to bed-rock.

There are two striking things which stand forth in Daniel’s preparation for his lifework:

1. His preparation of character. Daniel from his youth had kept his body undefiled. There is nothing that will stand more to the credit of any young man who wishes to succeed, in the world of business, than a life of sobriety, of righteousness, and of Godliness. Character represents one’s greatest asset. Character gives an entree to positions of responsibility and power.

Petty politicians and frenzied financiers may be men of questionable integrity; but the men who reach the highest heights of political preferment, and of solid business success, must be men of integrity. The man who is immoral and unclean may climb far up, but he climbs, only to fall. The success that reaches the highest heights and is stable, must be builded upon unimpeachable morals.

2. His preparation of intellect. Daniel was a man who had "great skill and wisdom in understanding and all knowledge." He was prepared intellectually to look into the face of any man of his day.

The Book of Proverbs magnifies wisdom and understanding. Of course, we are aware that human wisdom is distinct from Divine wisdom. We know that men who have a great intellectuality may have no spirituality. It was the wisdom of this world that crucified the Lord of Glory.

Daniel possessed both the wisdom of this world and the Divine wisdom. It was for this reason that he stood before the king, "ten times better" than all the magicians and soothsayers of the realm.

Let no young man discount the value of a high school or college education; but let every young man know that such an education, apart from the wisdom which cometh down from above, will leave him illy prepared to meet the great issues of life.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR