Dan 1:8 (NIV) But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Dan 1:11-13 (NIV) Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” Daniel wasn’t handling this God’s way because his parents just taught him a whole bunch of Scriptures; he wasn’t just trained on what the Bible said; Daniel had been led into a RELATIONSHIP with God that believed in God’s power and faithfulness. He had a working knowledge of how to live the life. He knew he could obey the Scriptures and God would reward him for being faithful. That is what Jesus wants to help happen in you and in your child’s life.

Dan 1:14 (NIV) So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. If God uses this test to demonstrate His power, then Daniel will be able to honor his parental training because of the good circumstances. But, if they looked worse after ten days, then he would have to be strong and refuse to defile himself anyway. In this case, God decided to work a miracle in these young men and make it easy for them to be obedient to the requirements of their relationship with God.

Another thing that is in play here is, the royal food and wine would have tasted so much better than water and vegetables. Their training from their parents had helped them be willing to make sacrifices and be inconvenienced so as to do the right things. It isn’t always easy or as enjoyable to go God’s way. But, the END RESULTS will pay off with incredible blessings and benefits.

Dan 1:15 (NIV) At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. The blessings of God for being willing to do the right thing shows up in God-sized ways. God is supernatural; His knowledge, foreknowledge of the future, understanding, wisdom, and power flow through those who do the right thing. Once these young men were trained by their parents what the right things were, they were equipped with powerful information and skills for getting miracles from God.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah’s parents were so much better than the parents of the rest of the young men in this training program of the king. None of the other young men would get to see this miracle of God making them healthier and better nourished. These young men just got a miraculous experience with God that will help them live a dynamic life in the future.

Dan 1:16 (NIV) So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. This looks like the end-results of taking advantage of godly parent’s training. However, this just opened the door for God to bless and use these young men in very special ways. The test they just passed brought them into the powerful, miraculous, and God-sized works of God. Their parent’s training made it possible for them to apply it and do what it took to connect to God’s supernatural knowledge, foreknowledge of the future, understanding, wisdom, and power. They are now on a path that they would never been able to get on without that parental training. Let Jesus show you the potential of you and your child pursuing a total relationship with Him.

Dan 1:17 (NIV) To these four young men GOD GAVE knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. Now this is the reward and benefit of these young men applying their parent’s godly training. Because their parents were so wonderful and faithful to provide them with God’s Word, and, because these young men were so appreciative and wise in listening and applying that training, God did incredible things in and through them. Your child raising involves two free wills; you are free to decide whether or not you are going to provide your child with Biblical training. And, your child is free to decide whether or not they will listen and apply it. All you can do is pray and ask God to help you provide the very best Biblical training to your child. But, even if they decide to ignore it, you have done your part in making the miraculous world of God available to them.

Dan 1:18 (NIV) At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. Your child will be exposed to all kinds of information; some of it, like math, language, and scientific facts are neutral spiritually. However, there will be information given to them that has to do with spiritual training. The world offers secular humanism, false religions, and satanic training. That is information that can really damage your child. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were exposed to the neutral and were able to tell the difference between it and the fake spiritual information that came with it. How? They got that ability through the wonderful, spiritual, Biblical training from their parents. They had been so exposed to the real and true information of God, it was easy to tell the difference. The other young men were easily fooled by those things they were exposed to. They couldn’t differentiate between the neutral information and the spiritual.

Dan 1:19 (NIV) The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. You are preparing YOUR child for the future; those who only make sure they get a good education, sports training, and good worldly resources are failing their child. It is important to see to it that your child is trained in neutral information. But, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (NIV): Seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well. If your priority is to expose your child to the very best Biblical training, that will make all the other information work in a supernatural way.

Dan 1:20 (NIV) In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. The thing about Biblical training is, it is the truth about life. The Bible explains how life really works. It prepares your child with training they must have in order to win at life. The Bible is the TRUTH; all other non-neutral, fake spiritual information is a LIE. When your child bases their life on the TRUTH, they are addressing life with all the facts. It is like turning the light on; your child can SEE the world, life, and the circumstances of life clearly. Your relationship with Jesus and your Biblical training shined the light on life and helped them be able to navigate in it with a clear vision. Without those truths, people grope and stumble through life in the darkness of false information.

Dan 1:21 (NIV) And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. Daniel responded to his parents training better than even Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. It was Daniel’s idea for their trainer to change their diet; he became a great spiritual leader. Even though the parents of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah provided great Biblical training to them, they gradually disappear from the Biblical narrative. They will demonstrate incredible spiritual commitment, dedication, and resolve. But, Daniel will be the main person in the book of Daniel. He REALLY took advantage of his parent’s Biblical training. His parents made sure he had the very best spiritual training; and, Daniel took it to the limits of serving God.

Dan 2:1 (NIV) In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. Life will have increasingly difficult challenges for your child; if they successfully go through each life-class, as they get more challenging, the previous life-classes will get them ready for the more difficult ones. Daniel used his parent’s training to grow far beyond the beginning training from his parents. He grew to be a mighty man of God; and, that made him ready for a very difficult assignment.

The King had a dream and he not only wanted the interpretation, he wanted the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. If they couldn’t do this, the king was going to chop them into pieces. So, God revealed the king’s dream and the interpretation to Daniel, which saved his life and the lives of all these magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a revelation of all the world rulers that will rule the earth from himself all the way to the Anti-christ. It predicted and was fulfilled all the way down to our time. All we are waiting on is the reign of the Anti-christ. If Daniel hadn’t received his parent’s training and hadn’t taken advantage of it and grew even further, this revelation wouldn’t have been explained.

Dan 2:46-49 (NIV) Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. Once you do your part by praying and asking Jesus to teach you and empower you to provide your child with the very best spiritual training, God will take it from there. He will work with your child and help them reach their highest and best potential in life.

Jesus actually knows everything your child is going to face. As you build a better and better relationship with Jesus, He will guide you in making sure your child is ready for their future. No matter how old your child is, there are things Jesus can give you the wisdom to say that will provide them with their very best chance. You can see from this case history of Daniel that parents who have a relationship with God are vital. Your relationship with Jesus and His Bible will raise your potential as a parent. He will be taking these studies and helping you grow in those areas where you need it. You can trust Him to give you power, training, skills, potential, and wisdom that will enhance everything you are. There is no limit to what Jesus can do in and through you.