Day 7
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
Do you remember what the 3 points were that you learned in church at the beginning of this week about Daniel?
- Make the decision to do what’s right.
- Keep the right attitude.
- Watch God bring the victory!
Daniel and his 3 friends did all 3 things when it came to putting God first, even before the all-you-can-eat king’s table buffet. How do you do with these 3 things? Have you made the decision to do what’s right – not matter what anyone else does or says? How is your attitude? Do you have a right and godly attitude about things and about other people? Have you seen God bring the victory in your life? Think about some of the things you have prayed to God about lately. Can you remember what you prayed about? How has God provided the victory for you? I can think of one way right away: God has provided the victory over my sin by giving me Jesus as my Savior. That gives me ENDURING COURAGE!
Activity: How many question marks are in today’s devotion? Do you have the courage to count them and not peak at the answer first? The answer is on Day 3’s page. Did you look?
Prayer Idea for Today: Dear Jesus, Thank you for enduring courage! Your love endures forever and when I trust You, my love for you will endure forever, too! Amen!
Operation:
Enduring Courage
Devotional
Week 2
Written by Pastor Linda Schreck
Day 1
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
Have you ever been to a restaurant where it was an “all-you- can-eat buffet”? An all-you-can-eat buffet is where they have all sorts of yummy foods out on long tables and you walk around with your plate (or plateS) and you can choose whatever you want to eat, and as MUCH as you want to eat! There is always a LOT of food to choose from! And usually my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and I get full before I have eaten all the food my eyes have seen! Well, Daniel and his 3 friends were invited to an all-you-can-eat buffet at the king’s palace – and they said “NO!” We’ll look at why they said, “NO” all this week!
Prayer Idea for Today: Dear Jesus,It is hard to say “no” when there is so much temptation spread out before me. I pray that this week I will choose more than ever before to say “yes” to You and “no” to the things the enemy puts out before me. AMEN!
Day 6
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
10 times better! That’s what the king found in Daniel and his friends! After the 3 years of training and studying, the king found that they were 10 times better than all the other people the king had working for him. What made the difference? Not WHAT, but WHO? God! God had chosen Daniel long before this job at the palace came around. And Daniel had chosen God long before this job at the palace came around. Choosing God before anything else or anyone else puts everything in perspective. When God is first in your life, He takes care of all the other things in your life. You follow God, and He’ll take care of the rest. That was true for Daniel and that is true for us, today, boys and girls!
Activity: Questions that are 10 times.
- If you were 10 times older, how old would you be?
- If you weighed 10 times more than you do now, how much would you weigh? WOW!
- If you were 10 times louder, how loud would that sound? Tell your mom to cover her ears first!
- If your room was 10 times cleaner, would you have any socks on the floor?
- If there were 10 times many questions than this, how, many questions would there be?
PrayerIdea for Today: Dear Jesus,With You, God, Daniel and his 3 friends were 10 times smarter than anyone else. You always bless A LOT when we put You first! I’m gonna put You first in my life, and watch You do more in and through me than I ever thought possible! AMEN!
Day 5
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
Do you like crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Or do you like peanut butter at all? Do you like ice cream? How about hot dogs – but not with ice cream on top! If everyone around you was eating something really delicious and God told you not to eat any of it, would you eat any of it? It can be pretty hard to not do something when everyone else is doing it, but God is able to give us the courage – remember, our lessons are called OPERATION: ENDURING COURAGE! Daniel and his 3 friends had courage that endured – 10 days turned into 3 years of saying YES to God and NO to the king’s food. How did they do it? One day at a time with God’s help! And you can have courage to stand up for what God wants you to do – 1 day at a time with God’s help!
Activity:The world’s longest hot dog was 1,996 feet long! What would you put on the world’s longest hot dog before you ate it?
Prayer Idea for Today: Dear Jesus,If I live to be 100 years old, I will be 36,500 days old. Help me, like Daniel and his 3 friends, to live for you one day at a time – for as many days as I am alive! AMEN!
Day 2
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
Daniel and his 3 friends had what seemed like the chance of a lifetime: to work for the king! But first they had to have a 3 year trial period. For 3 years, they had to go to school, have training and study to work for the king. 3 years! And then, MAYBE they would be chosen to work for the king in the palace. Their first assignment was to eat the food and drink the drink that the king had for them on his table. But there was a problem with that: God’s assignment for them was NOT to eat that kind of food and drink that kind of drink. Which assignment were they going to do: God’s or the king’s? If they chose God’s ways, the king might get mad and not let them work for him. If they chose the king’s ways, they would be disobeying God and that is NEVER a good idea. What to do, what to do?! Verse 8 of Daniel 1 says that Daniel had “resolved” to follow God, no matter what. Resolved means to make a firm decision about something. Daniel was FIRM in his decision to follow God’s ways, even if it meant not having a great job in the palace. God loves it when we stand FIRM in our faith! Go to the NEXT page TOMORROW to see what happens!
Activity:Cross out all of the Q’s below to find out what the Babylonian king’s name was in Daniel 1.
QQNQQEQBUCQQHQAQDQNQQQEQQQZZQQAQQRQ
Prayer Idea for Today: Dear Jesus,I pray that every single person in my family will choose Your ways every single day. I resolve to follow You, God! AMEN!
Day 3
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
When we read Daniel 1:9, we see that Daniel asked the king’s top official about not eating the food and drinking the drink from the king’s table. Daniel didn’t just blow off the king – he asked permission to not eat and drink from the king’s table. And you know what? God had gone before Daniel and his 3 friends and made a way where there seemed to be no way: they got permission for 10 days to not eat or drink from the king’s table. “Let’s see what you look like after 10 days” said the official. So, Daniel and his 3 friends, Hananiah (Shadrach), Meshael (Meshach), and Ahaziah (Abednego) continued praying to God and honoring Him by obeying what He had told them. Day 1 went by, Day 2 went by…Day 9 went by and now it was Day 10. What would the king’s official see when he saw Daniel and his friends after the 10 days. Would they look like giant green beans since they were only eating vegetables? Would they look like a giant ear of corn? Would they look all skinny and scrawny? Read the next page TOMORROW to find out!
Activity:For10 days they only had vegetables and water! Unscramble these letters to see what vegetables they might have eaten.
cinicuzh / hqasus / apes / rewolfiuacteseb / toracrs / sabne / nipsahc
Prayer Idea for Today:Dear Jesus, The Bible says that we can’t live by bread alone, but that we need Your Word to give us real life. Give me an appetite for You and Your Word, God. AMEN!
Day 4
This week’s theme:“The Apprentice: Babylon Edition”
This week’s power verse: “…be holy in all you do.”1 Peter 1:15
Our power verse this week tells us to “be holy in all you do.” Those are words that Daniel lived by. He desired to be holy in all that he did. So, after 10 days of following God’s holy directions for his life, it was time for Daniel and his 3 friends to be looked at by the king’s official. How did they look? They were healthier and had better nutrition than all the young men who had been eating the all-you-can-eat king’s table buffet! How could that be? THAT is the blessing of the Lord, boys and girls! Obeying God’s ways leads to blessings. Not only were they healthier than everyone else, God gave them great wisdom and understanding. God honors those who honor Him. So, go ahead – be holy in all you do! How do you do that? Follow and obey what God says in His Word and to your heart.
Activity:Be holy in all you do! Can you get to the hole in the middle of this maze?
Prayer Idea for Today:
Dear Jesus, I may have a hole in my sock, a hole in my pants and a hole in my wall, but that doesn’t make me hole-y. Knowing You and following YOU makes me holy. I want to know You more, God! AMEN!