I am pretty sure that none of the kids who will be in class tomorrow will read this, but this is what I would like to say if I could. And if any of you do read this, please know that I have really enjoyed working with you this year. Watching you grow has been a privilege and the highlight of my week. I will miss hearing about your week, burning off some energy in the gym, and of course studying the Bible with you all. I will be praying for each and every one of you - for your continued growth, for you all to discover and follow the plans that God has for your lives. Continue laughing, enjoying every moment of your life, and don't forget to think!
Speaking of thinking... let's talk about tomorrow's lesson. As we've been going through different familiar Bible stories, hopefully you've learned something new from each of them, and at the very least gotten more used to sitting down and reading passages in the Bible, learning to process the verses, thinking as you read. It's a good habit for you to get into, reading your Bible every day. Try to set aside some time- whether it's in the morning or at night, and make quiet time with God a priority. But I digress. Tomorrow we're talking about Daniel. He hasn't ended up in the lion's den yet. Right now, he's just gotten to King Nebuchadnezzar's palace. And, it's kind of like you all starting a new school year with new classmates (and maybe a new school). In Daniel 1:8, it says, "But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself." A couple of things to note here. 1). He knew it was wrong to eat the food that was provided for him by the king. 2) He had thought about what he'd do ahead of time. 3) He asked for permission to not do what was wrong. In verse 12 we see that he actually came up with a proposal. Instead of just saying, I can't do this or maybe not even saying anything at all, he worked through the problem. Something else to point out here, notice that Daniel and his friends stepped out in faith. They said, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” (Daniel 1: 12, 13) They believed that if they followed God's commands and lived according to His law, that He would be faithful. (We also saw earlier that they were willing to obey God regardless of what happened (Daniel 3: 17-18)) In both stories, we see how God is faithful and saves them. In verse 15, it says, "At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food." And in verse 17, "As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams."
Sometimes, we're asked to make hard choices and we are asked to stand up for what we know is right. Sometimes, we'll see God work in big ways like He did for Daniel and his friends. Sometimes, things may not work out the way we had planned. It's important to stand firm and remember though that even when things look like they're going all wrong, God still has a plan. To be doing what's right and remaining in the center of His will is the best and safest place for you to be in your life. As you start school, you may find yourself choosing between doing what's right and what's easy but wrong. It's at times like these that you can ask God for wisdom on how to handle the situation well, and for strength and courage to press on.
Anyway, tomorrow will be the second-to-last Sunday School lesson I will teach for at least a while. I'm going to be taking an elective so instead of teaching Sunday School, I will be going to Sunday School. While I know I'm going to miss the kids, I'm also excited to be able to take a class and learn how to better share my faith.
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