Exposition:
In the days of Daniel, the educational structure in Babylon had been programmed with paganistic philosophies and ideas and deprived of any knowledge about God. King Nebuchadnezzar’s plan was to eliminate any knowledge of the One True God in the Hebrew young men. Similarly, the world today is gradually packaging an educational system that teaches about everything in our created world, disregarding the creator of the universe. This is known as secular education.
Secular education is a form of education that is not based on any knowledge about God. The concept of secular education is gradually eating into Ghanaian society. What this tends to do is to raise a generation of young people who have high intellectual powers but are spiritually and morally hollow. God’s written self-revelation must be the starting point of all human enquiry. Education without God will only be the suppression of truth and corruption of the mind.
Developing your spiritual capabilities involves attaining a deep understanding of your spiritual identity and worth in Christ Jesus, establishing strong Christian principles and values, building up your faith in God through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting and personal Bible studies as well as learning to defend your faith. Daniel’s life story should teach you that it is very possible for young people to pursue academic success and yet be deeply rooted in the things of God, thus excelling both academically and spiritually.