vs 17, 19. "God gave these four men an unusual aptitude for understanding... and no one impressed the king as much as them."
GOD IS INVOLVED IN OUR LIVES. These men had no desire to go to Babylon. They were taken captive by the king and forced into his service. They never wanted to go, they never wanted to work for the Babylonian king. How easy (and justifiable) it would have been for them to just be bitter about their situation, and to cry out for God to deliver them from it. How often I find myself doing that. Telling God where I need to be rather than paying attention to where He has already put me. But these men were determined to believe that God could and WOULD use them in the midst of a terrible situation. And because of that, their faith was rewarded. God knows every detail and event in our lives long before we do. If only I had the patience to let God work rather than just a motivation to see myself happy right now. Think about how much more for the kingdom could be accomplished! God can and will work through the difficult circumstances in our lives, and the work is so much greater (and more rewarding) when we let Him do His thing, rather than focus on our selfish desires.
