Creativity
Daniel’s Bright Idea – Daniel 1
Creativity = to invent, to come up with a new way of presenting ideas, concepts and useful things.
Creative people have a way of always keeping life interesting, innovative and invigorating.
Our Creator has given us creative energies and abilities that He wants us to use to help expand His kingdom and righteousness. Many non-christians think Christians are boring and stuck in their worn out traditional ways of doing things. God gave Daniel extraordinary wisdom to be creative in the way that He overcame evil with good. The Lord wants to give you creative wisdom in all of your relationships, activities and personal concerns if you will let Him.
1. Aim: To lead the people to an understanding of creative wisdom that will help them make wiser decisions.
James 3:17,18 says, "The wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled) the it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate)gentle, it is willing to yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering or insincerity). And the harvest of righteousness is the fruit of the this seed sown in peace."
Do you want more peace, security and fruit in your life? Then ask the Lord to give you the kind of creative wisdom that He gave to Daniel and follow His example. Let us examine Daniel’s life so we can gain greater insight into how the Lord can infuse His creative wisdom in to our lives.
2. Explanation of the Aim: People are always struggling to find creative wisdom that will help them make the wisest decisions.
Some people use a trial and error method that is often filled with frustrations, disappointments and discouragement.
Quote: If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God who gives to all men generously and do not withhold. (James 1:5)
Illustration:Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 80.
Today’s lesson gives us a fine example of Daniel who applied God’s creative wisdom when faced with a new challenge. Each person needs to learn criteria for making creatively wise decisions.
3. The Lord gave Daniel creative wisdom as a demonstration of how godliness is profitable in all things. God showed everyone in the courts of Babylon how people who depend on Him for knowledge, understanding and insight, will prosper.
Daniel demonstrated that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Everyone needs to follow Daniel’s fine example by asking Him to fill you with His prudence, wisdom and creative insight.
4. Too many people end up regretting decisions that were hastily made by their personal appetites. The BIBLE STORY focuses on how the Lord guided Daniel to demonstrate how obedience and trust in God is the basis for wise decisions. The MEANING FOR OUR LIVES is designed to help the people understand how the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom if we meet God’s conditions for answers to prayer.
Look at the differences of decisions that are based on faith versus fear of men. List two columns of decisions on the black board. On the left side write down five of the decisions that Daniel made in Dan. 1 that reflected creative wisdom
(I.E. They chose to eat only vegetables that were not sacrificed to idols, honored God by thanking Him for all provisions, requested to be tested for ten days on a lean diet as an expression of their dependence on God for their health). On the right side, list decisions that were made by the young men who chose to eat the royal food
(I.E. They chose to eat fatty foods, wine, and delicacies offered to idols for a blessing)
5. Can you explain why Daniel’s decision reflected creative wisdom. Why did the other young men choose to continue eating the food that was sacrificed to the idols? What are some of the different results between decisions that reflect a healthy fear of God versus choices that are based on the impulses of a carnal mind?
Bible Story
1. The people of Judah were carried to Babylon because they disobeyed God’s word in respect to keeping their covenant with the Lord. Many of the people had neglected the keeping of the Sabbath and had practiced wicked idolatry. As a result, Daniel and his friends, found themselves as slaves in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
2. Instead of becoming bitter, Daniel decided to use this opportunity to become better people. Daniel 1:8 says,
“Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine that had been offered as a sacrifice to the idols. Everyone must choose if they will allow adverse circumstances to make them angry-resentful people or if they will ask God to use it for their good. The Lord is able to work all things together for our good if we choose to love Him and obey His plans.
3. Daniel used creative judgement by offering an alternative diet instead of rebelling against the King. The Lord always provides Christians with a way of escaping temptations if we will simply ask Him for guidance. (I Cor. 10:13)
How should we greater creative judgment in resisting temption in our lives?
4. Daniel showed creative wisdom when he requested only a simple diet of vegetables for ten days. The ten day period reflected a symbolic significant period of completeness. During this testing period Daniel demonstrated how the Spirit of God leads us in ways that will avert a serious crisis.
5. Whenever you are facing a complicated dilemma ask the Lord for supernatural wisdom and you will not be disappointed. The Lord gives wisdom in ways that demonstrates His superior knowledge, understanding and perspective in everything.
6. Daniel showed how godly creative wisdom is often given to people who are willing to take risks for God. Whenever godly people are willing to endure hardships for the God’s greater purposes, the Lord always delivers them from disaster.
No doubt the ten day diet of vegetables was not as appealing as the King’s rich food, but Daniel decided that he would rather suffer as a servant of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Ask the Lord to give you a supernatural sense of God’s wisdom as you trust and obey everything you know is in the will of God.
7. Special intuitive wisdom was given to Daniel and his friends because they relied more on their spiritual senses than on their fleshly appetites.
8. Too many people impulsively make decisions on the basis of what feel good at the moment. Whenever people are led by the flesh instead of by the Holy Spirit they suffer. Daniel’s creative wisdom came from a Spirit led conscience.
The Bible assures us that when we make wise decisions that are led by the Holy Spirit we will be given a peace-loving, considerate, submissive, merciful and fruitful lifestyle. (James 3:17)
10. Allow the Lord to develop in you a wisdom that is reflective of an intimate walk with God. Wise people are sought out for their godly counsel, teaching and blessings. The wiser you become the better able you are to help solve complicated problems for the benefit of many.
Why should we be prepared for criticism from people who do not understand Spirit given wisdom?
Memory Verse – James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
Response
Song: “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold. Sweeter also are these than the honeycomb.”
Prayer: God please give us creative wisdom to make the best decisions that will honor you in all respects and bear fruit in every good work as we increase in the knowledge of You.
At Home: Ask your family members to allow you to share some of the ways that Daniel showed creative wisdom in his decisions during your family devotions.
Conclusion:Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.
Doug Larson.
