Mon.’s Devo - The Tests

Read: Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14
Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Michael, and Asariah were taken to Babylon in the first group Nebuchadnezzar took. They were the cream of the crop - the young scholars being trained for leadership. In Babylon, they were retrained for three years to learn the laws and customs of Babylon. Daniel and his friends couldn’t be retrained. Daniel asked his overseer, Arioch if he could do a test so he would not have to eat the king’s meat which was unclean meat to a Jew. Arioch agreed to let him only eat vegetables and drink water for 10 days and then be tested. He and his friends tested 10 times wiser than their students. They got rewarded for each day of their test. They were allowed to continue eating vegetables and water.
Even Babylon saw the dignity of not making a person defile their conscience. (Something America could learn from.)
A year later, the king had a disturbing dream he did not understand. He wanted to test his wise men so he told them that they had to tell him the dream and the interpretation or they would be cut into little pieces and their houses torn down. Arioch was assigned to carry out the deed. When none of the wise men could do it, Daniel learned of the dilemma. He asked Arioch to give him a night to pray. He agreed to give him a night. Daniel prayed and God gave him the same dream and the interpretation. The first thing Daniel did was to get on his knees and praise God for hearing his prayer and answering it.
Peter tells us that peace is always to be our goal, but if it is not possible then we are not to repay evil for evil. If we suffer for doing what is right we will be rewarded. We are not to fear what the world fears.
Jesus was put to death on the cross, then descended in to Sheol and preach to the spirits of those who had died during the flood. Only eight had been saved in the flood and the flood was their baptism which cleanses our conscience of our sins and gives us right standing with God. Jesus suffered and did away with sin so that we don’s have to live the rest of our lives for our evil human desires but we can live for the will of God.
Lord, thank you that you give us the key to mysteries and show what is hidden by the Spirit. I thank you that you reveal your mysteries to your children. Thank you for the tests you give us in order to promote us for the next assignment.