Unit 19, Session 1: Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God
Daniel 1
Christ Connection: Daniel chose to obey God no matter what. God blessed Daniel and his friends. Daniel wasn't perfect, but he reminds us of someone who was. Jesus obeyed God perfectly and He always pleases God. We please God when we trust in Jesus.
Adult Connection Point: We know from the first chapters of the Bible that God created the first humans for lifelong communion with Him and with each other. There was nothing to fear, nothing to hide from, no reason to be ashamed. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in sinless communion with God and each other. But what we do know is that this was the original plan of God for His creation. It was this that God saw as “very good” (Gen. 1:31).
Can you imagine a life without shame? No lies to feel guilty for telling. No stealing, coveting, cheating, or gossiping. A life without shame is a life without anxiety. It’s a life without regret. Instead of disappointment, there is satisfaction. Instead of frustration, there is peace. Is this kind of life even possible in a world so full of chaos and danger?
God thinks so. In fact, this is exactly the kind of life God wants you to live. And God made a way to take away the shame of His people. Every one of us is called to trust in Christ’s atonement to cover our sin and shame. For “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.
6:23).
Family Devotion:
Materials: variety of fresh vegetables, water, hummus (optional)
Prepare a Daniel meal. Encourage your kids to try at least one bite of all the vegetables, dipping them into the hummus, if desired. Find out which they liked best and why.
Recall the Bible story and how God gave specific laws about the types of food the Israelites could and could not eat. Daniel and his three friends obeyed God even though they were in a foreign land and under a foreign king who did not know or care about God’s laws.
Ask, “What was Daniel’s plan when the king’s servant did not want Daniel to eat different foods?” Daniel responded with a sensible plan—a 10-day experiment eating only vegetables and drinking only water. Daniel
obeyed God even though it was hard to do.
Remind your children that only Jesus obeyed God completely. When a person obey God, He is pleased. When a person disobeys, shame and guilt quickly follow. Of course, all of us will disobey, but we can trust Jesus to forgive us of our sins when we confess them.
Try your own 10-day experiment on obeying. Guide each of your kids to think of an area of obedience in which he or she needs God’s help. After the 10 days, see how hard or easy it was to obey.
Pray, asking God to help you in trusting Jesus each day to obey God’s Word.
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