My Wonder Studio

“You're one of his wise men, aren't you? My orders are to put to death every wise man in Babylon.”

“Wait,” pleaded Daniel. “Why did the king make such a harsh decree?”

“Because he's fed up with the lot of you. He called you ‘a bunch of man pleasers, phony tricksters, and charlatans.’”

“Look, Arioch, my friends and I have barely begun our service as wise men, and we were not even in court this morning. So at least tell me what happened.”

“Well, the king had a dream last night that disturbed him deeply, and he called his most senior advisers to interpret it. The only problem was that he could not remember the dream. He promised them that if they could remember the dream for him and tell him what it means, then they would receive gifts and rewards and great honor. But if they couldn't, then they would be killed. That is how desperate the king is to know the meaning of the dream.”

“I see. So, what did the wise men tell him?”

“They insisted that there was not a man on earth who could do what the king asked. No king, however great and mighty, had ever asked such a thing of a magician, enchanter, or astrologer. They protested that what the king was asking was much too difficult, and that no one could reveal the dream to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men. This put the king into such a rage that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon—and I'm sorry, young Belteshazzar, that includes you.”

“Wait,” Daniel said again, as the guards came forward to take him. “Arioch, please allow me to speak to the king. I want him to know that the God whom I serve is able to show me his dream and to interpret it for him.”

“What good are wise men if they're not wise enough to tell me what I want to know?” said the king, slamming his wine goblet on the table. He was still fuming as Daniel was escorted in.

“Well, Arioch? Is it done?”

“Er ... n-not quite, O King. Here is one of the captives of Judah who says that he is able to tell the king what his dream means.”

“Verily? Is he sure?”

“Yes, O King,” said Daniel. “Give me time and I will tell you what you have dreamed.”

“Time? Why should I give you time? I have already asked all the magicians, enchanters, and astrologers, and they couldn't help me, so how can you?”

“O King, I have only just heard of this matter.”

The king, recognizing Daniel as being one of the four Hebrew boys that had so impressed him, relented a little.

“Very well then, Belteshazzar. You have until tomorrow at this hour. But not a single minute more.”

Daniel rushed back to his living quarters to tell Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the king’s time limit.

“But Daniel,” said Meshach. “No man on earth can do what you have promised to do.”

“You’re right. No man can do it, but God can. We will ask Him to reveal this mystery to us. He must do it, otherwise tomorrow at this time we will be executed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”

Then the four of them knelt and beseeched God.

Daniel had difficulty getting to sleep that night. He tossed to and fro, trying not to worry about when or if God would show him the dream. Even after managing to sleep, he kept waking up, trying to remember whether he had dreamed anything during his fitful slumber.

“Oh, God,” he finally prayed, “please help me to relax and trust that You know what You’re doing even if You don’t reveal the king’s dream.”

No sooner had Daniel surrendered himself to whatever the will of God might be, than he saw a vision glowing in the surrounding darkness. He gaped in wonder as the vision unfolded and its meaning became clear.

As the vision faded, Daniel shouted for joy and praised God for His unending faithfulness.

“I thank You, O God of my fathers, for having shown me the king's dream.”⁴

“So, what was it?” Nebuchadnezzar asked, as Daniel came before him early the next morning. “Remember, you need to tell me both the dream and the interpretation.”

“There is not a wise man, seer, enchanter, or magician on earth who is able to explain to the king this mystery,” Daniel answered. “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has revealed this mystery to me, not because I am wiser than other men, but so that you, O King, may understand the meaning of your dream and know what will happen in days to come.”

King Nebuchadnezzar sat upright, his interest aroused. He was impressed by the authority and quiet assurance with which Daniel spoke.

“Do not miss writing even one word of what he says,” the king instructed his scribe.

“Go on,” he said to Daniel.

“You looked, O King, and there stood before you an enormous, dazzling statue. The head of the statue was made of pure gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its belly and thighs of brass; its legs were made of iron; and its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes widened. “Y-y-yes,” he stammered. “Yes, I remember. That was it exactly. But then something happened....”

“While you were watching,” Daniel continued, “a rock was cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, smashing them, and the entire statue crumbled to pieces, becoming like chaff on a summer threshing floor. A wind then swept the chaff away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”

Nebuchadnezzar sat speechless as Daniel continued, “That was the dream, and now I will tell you the interpretation that God gave me for the king.

“You, O King, are the king of all kings. The God of heaven has given you great power and might and glory. He has made you ruler of all the people, as well as of the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, He has made you ruler of all. You are that head of gold.”

“Excellent! Excellent!” exclaimed the king. “Please tell me more.”

“After you, another kingdom will arise, represented by the breast and arms of silver, not as great a kingdom as yours, of course. After that, a third kingdom, one of brass, will rule over the whole earth. And finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron. And just as iron breaks and smashes everything in pieces, so this kingdom will crush and break all others.”

“And what about the feet and the toes?” the king asked breathlessly, “and the rock?!”

“Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of clay and partly of iron, so this final kingdom will be a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak. The people of this kingdom will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. And during the time of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be left to other people, but it will break in pieces and consume all these other kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

“That, O King, is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, not by human hands, the rock that broke the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold to pieces.”

The king stayed deep in thought as Daniel concluded. “God has shown the king what will take place in the future.”

As King Nebuchadnezzar pondered all that had been told him, Arioch, who well knew how unpredictable the king's reactions to things could be, held his breath. At last, the king rose from his throne and descended to where Daniel was standing. Then those present in the court gasped in astonishment as they watched the unthinkable happen. The great and mighty King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon and the whole world, sank down to his knees before Daniel and lay prostrate before him on the floor.

“Surely your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries,” said the great ruler, “for you were able to reveal this secret.”

King Nebuchadnezzar then announced, “You, O Belteshazzar, shall be the ruler of the entire province of Babylon and over all the wise men whose lives you saved today.”

Chapter 4

Trial by Fire!

The wise men's thankfulness to Daniel for saving them from the wrath of the king did not last long. It soon turned to bitter jealousy, especially when they heard that the king had also promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to important government positions at Daniel's request.

“It is unbelievable that the king would put this young foreigner over us,” murmured one of the older magicians. “We must get rid of him.”

“Easier said than done,” muttered an astrologer. “He's too powerful.”

“But,” whispered another, his eyes darting to make sure that no one could overhear their plotting, “if we can turn the king against Daniel's friends, we might be able to bring down Daniel as well.”

Their chance was soon to come.

One fine day, King Nebuchadnezzar burst into his royal throne room with a new idea.

“I'm going to have a giant image made!” he announced. “It will be something like the one I saw in my dream, only it will be all gold. I want it to be 27 meters high and 3 meters wide and set up on the plain of Dura for all to see.”

“And what would be the purpose of this great image, O King,” inquired Daniel, who was present in court.

“To worship it, of course.”

“Are there not enough gods already in Babylon?”

“Enough gods? How can we ever have enough gods? The more gods we have that can bless us, the better. Now summon my chief craftsmen. I want them to start work on this immediately.”

Daniel sighed, knowing the king had acknowledged the true God, but now, because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar wanted this image of himself built to be worshipped.

And so, on the orders of the king, a great golden image was soon erected on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. When it was finished, the king invited princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces to its grand opening ceremony and dedication. This included Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but not Daniel, who could not attend because the king had sent him on other business that day.

When the crowd had finished assembling in front of the image, the king's herald stepped forward and proclaimed: “Hear the decree of the king. To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that when you hear the cornet, flute, harp, trombone, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you will fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were looking at each other with concern, but worse was to come.

The herald continued: “And whoever does not fall down and worship, will at that hour be thrown into a fiery furnace!”

“What shall we do?” whispered Meshach. “We cannot bow down and worship that abomination.”

“We could quietly leave and hope that nobody notices,” said Shadrach.

“No chance of that,” replied Abednego. “Look. The musicians are picking up their instruments.”

“O God,” Meshach implored, “we know that You will stand by us as we make this stand for You. Please use this situation for Your glory.”

Suddenly a blast of cornets, flutes, harps, trombones, psalteries, and other musical instruments rang out over the sandy plains of Dura. Not wishing to be fuel for the king's furnace, thousands of people fell to the ground and groveled before the great golden image. All, that is, except Meshach, Abednego, and Shadrach, who remained standing.

As the last notes of the music died away, the crowd of idolaters rose once again to their feet.

“Praise God,” whispered Shadrach, “because everybody else had their heads bowed to the ground, I don't think anyone noticed we were still standing.”

However, they were wrong.

“We've got them!” one of the magicians cackled, as the jealous advisers rushed back to the palace to report to the king about what they had seen.

“We couldn't have set a better trap for them if we had planned it ourselves,” said another. “The king will be furious to know that these Hebrews will worship only their god.”

“I can hardly wait to tell the king,” said another. “They're as good as dead.”

By the time Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego arrived back at the city, armed guards were waiting for them at the gate.

“The king is furious,” said Arioch, as they were marched towards the palace. “You're going to have to do some fast talking to get out of this one alive. And I'm afraid your friend Daniel isn't around to help you.”

“Well, it's going to take a miracle,” said Meshach, amazed at how courageous he was feeling. “But our God is a God of miracles, as you have already seen, Arioch.”

“True,” said Shadrach. “I believe that God allowed us to be brought here to Babylon for such an hour as this.”

“Even if it is His will that we die for our faith,” said Abednego, “it will be a testimony of our faith and commitment to God. Whether we live or die, God will be glorified.”

Now that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found themselves in a situation where they might actually be martyred for their faith, they found that they were not afraid of dying. However, they felt that God had something else in mind, something special that He wanted to do with them this day. All three of them could feel the presence of the Lord right there with them; they even felt as if a fourth prisoner was walking alongside them.

As they came closer to the palace and the confrontation with the king, their faith grew stronger and their faces shone bolder and brighter, until by the time they were marched into the king's judgment hall, they felt no power on earth could stop them. King Nebuchadnezzar was still furious as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought before him.

“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that in spite of all the favor I have bestowed upon you, you refuse to serve our gods and to bow down and worship my golden image?”

“It is definitely so, Your Magnificence,” said one of the wise men. “We saw them standing there with our own eyes. Even after hearing your commandment that anyone who does not fall down and worship the image will be thrown into the midst of a fiery furnace.”

The king brooded, trying to control his anger. He remembered how impressed he had been with the young Hebrews at their first meeting. They were intelligent and some of the most talented boys he had ever seen. He needed such leadership in Babylon.

“Listen,” he said. “I have shown respect for your God, so why can you not show some respect for ours? After all I have done for you, can you not do this for me? Where's your gratitude? If the next time you hear the musical instruments you fall down and worship the image which I have made, then very well. But if you still refuse to worship my image, then into the furnace you will go. Tell me, what God can save you from that?”

Meshach stepped forward, the power of God shining in his eyes. “King Nebuchadnezzar, we worship only the one, true God. Even if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and rescue us from your hand, O King.”

“That is true,” Shadrach and Abednego said. “But even if He doesn't rescue us, O King, we cannot serve your gods nor worship the golden image you have set up.”

Arioch winced. No one had ever stood up to Nebuchadnezzar and defied him to his face like this before. The king sat for a few moments in a state of shock, his face turning from red to crimson to purple before exploding in a roar.

“Bind them with ropes! Use the strongest men in my army. Heat the furnace seven times hotter than it has ever been heated before, then throw these men in immediately! And I want it done now, do you hear? NOW!”

Abednego cried out in pain as he landed on the furnace's brick floor, and cried out again as Shadrach landed on top of him, followed by Meshach. Shouts and screams could also be heard above the roar of the blazing inferno into which they had just been thrown. The fire was so hot and the flames so fierce that the soldiers could not get near the opening of the furnace to throw them in without themselves being engulfed in the fire. Then the three men realized…

“Look, we're in the furnace, but we're not getting burned!” Shadrach exclaimed over the crackle of the flames.

“This is incredible!” shouted Meshach. “We're in the middle of a white-hot fire, but we're not feeling the flames.”

“And … the ropes. They've fallen off,” said Abednego. “This is a miracle! Praise be to God!

“My dear faithful children,” a soothing voice said in the midst of the flames, and they realized that a fourth Person was with them in the flames, a person so pure, so lovely, so powerful, so radiant, so full of love, peace, and tenderness, that they knew that this was....

Nebuchadnezzar frantically called them to come out of the fire, and then declared: “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He has sent His angel and rescued His servants. They trusted in Him and were willing to give up their lives rather than worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be destroyed and their houses made into dunghills, for no other God can save like this!”

Learn More About Daniel

You can read more about Daniel in the book of the Bible by the same name where he recorded other important events that took place in his life. Daniel not only served under King Nebuchadnezzar, but he also was alive during the short rule of Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar. And after Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians, Daniel then served under Cyrus, the king of Medo-Persia.

In Daniel chapter six, you can find the story of Daniel’s miraculous protection from lions when the king of Medo-Persia had him sent to a den of lions for defying an order to not pray to any god other than himself for thirty days. In chapters seven and eight, two other dreams Daniel has about future world empires are recorded.

In Daniel chapter ten there is record of an intense battle fought in the spiritual realm when the Archangel Michael is sent to fight off a demon that tried to stop an important prophetic message from being delivered to Daniel.

Footnote:
⁴ Daniel 2:23, paraphrased

Downstairs he could hear the bolts to the front door being opened, then more voices, followed by the tramp of soldiers' feet, first in the front entrance, then on the stairs, and stopping outside his bedroom door.

“Oh, God, please protect us,” was all Daniel could pray before the door was kicked open and a Babylonian soldier peered in.

“He's in here,” the soldier yelled. Three more soldiers strode into his bedroom, followed by a burly sergeant, who ordered Daniel to get out of bed.

Seeing it was useless to resist, Daniel got out of bed and stood before the gaze of the Babylonian invaders.

I should be feeling scared, but I'm not. The God whom I love must be helping me, so why should I be afraid?

“Excuse me, sir,” Daniel said to one of the men, “but what do you want with us? We have done nothing wrong. Why do you break into our house before dawn?”

“On the orders of the great King Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon and of the whole world.”

“He will rule only as long as the God of Israel allows him to,” Daniel said with a smile.

At this, one of the soldiers raised his hand to smite Daniel, but the sergeant stopped him.

“No. I like this boy. He has courage. Just the kind we're looking for. Take him.”

“Take him?” said Daniel's mother, who had pushed her way into the room. “Please! He is hardly more than a child!”

“I have my orders. You have five minutes to help your boy get ready. Make sure he has good sandals. It's a long march to Babylon, well over a thousand kilometers!”

As Daniel was hustled outside and marched down the Jerusalem streets, his mother’s parting words still rang in his ears. “My son, the Lord our God will always be with you. Keep His commandments and His ways that we have taught you. Pray always, my son. Remember to pray.”

Soon they came to a central square where the Babylonian army was assembling, ready for the long march back to Babylon. Daniel was led over to join the rest of the Hebrew captives.

“Take good care of this one,” said the sergeant as he handed Daniel over to the captain of the prison guards. “He's a nobleman's son.”

Suddenly Daniel heard familiar voices calling him, “Daniel! Daniel! Over here.”

“Hananiah? ... Mishael? ... Azariah? So they captured you too!”

“Ask if we can travel together,” said Hananiah.

“Can we?” Daniel asked the captain. “The four of us are old friends, you see.”

“Hmm … Well, all right then. I cannot see any harm in that. But if I catch you young fellows misbehaving, I'll put a rod to your backs, you hear?”

The captain of the prison guards need not have worried. The Hebrew children behaved on the journey better than most children he had ever seen. Despite the hardships of the long march, they behaved more like responsible young men, remaining a positive encouragement to their fellow prisoners.

“I wish our Babylon brats could be half as well-behaved as you boys have been,” the captain joked to them as they camped for the night near the end of their journey.

“They would be if they worshipped the same God,” said Daniel with a grin.

“If I were you, I’d watch your talk about your God,” said the captain, lowering his voice. “We too are a very religious people. In Babylon we worship many great gods, and your Hebrew God isn't one of them. So, if you want to stay out of trouble and keep your young heads fastened to your shoulders, I'd forget talking about your God. Besides, He didn't stop us from carrying away the treasures from the temple in Jerusalem, did He? And from carrying you away as slaves.”

So saying, the captain walked off into the dark to check on other prisoners.

For a moment, the four Hebrew children sat gazing into the campfire. Then Mishael muttered, “Why did God allow this to happen to us?”

“I don't know,” Daniel replied. “But you know what I was thinking? How do you think Joseph felt when he was carried away captive as a slave into Egypt? And how did Jochebed feel when her baby, Moses, was taken from their family to live in the Pharaoh's palace? It must have been so very hard for them. They had to have faith that God had not forsaken them. But now, when we think of Moses and Joseph, what is the main thing we think of? We think of how God used them. Even though the tests were great, it was worth it, because God did so many mighty works through them.”

“That's right,” said Mishael, “We don’t see it now, but it could be that the Lord has something in store for us.”

“I believe it,” said Azariah.

“Me too,” said Hananiah.

“Even though the way seems dark right now, Lord,” Daniel prayed, “we trust that You are here beside us, leading us every step of the way. As You inspired King David to express 400 years ago, ‘When my father and my mother cannot be with me, then the Lord will take care of me.’¹ We're Your children, Lord, and we know that You will be with us, and that You are always ready to help us during times of trouble.² Protect us from the men of Babylon, the influences of their false religions and ways. Help us to be true to Your ways no matter how we may have to suffer for it. Help us to be as shining lights in the midst of this dark and foreign land.”

The four boys then sang the twenty-third Psalm together, with some of the other captives joining in. After this, with their spirits comforted, they curled up beside the glowing campfire and drifted into sleep.

There it was. Babylon! The first sight of the huge city took young Daniel's breath away. Its double walls seemed to dwarf the surrounding countryside. As the prisoners were herded through the main gate and into the actual city, Daniel was overwhelmed by the size and magnificence of the buildings and temples, many of which were still under construction. The walls were inlaid with colored bricks, as well as with the faces of dragons, lions, and bulls. The top of the wall was so wide that chariots with full teams of horses could race each other along the top.

“As you can see,” said one of the Babylonian guards, “our great King Nebuchadnezzar has as many ideas for building projects as a dog has fleas. For instance, that great golden temple up ahead is being built for Marduk, the god who first built our city. And over there, to the northwest of the royal palace, are the Hanging Gardens. The king was concerned that one of his foreign wives might be missing the scenery of her home country, so he's having this made for her as a little surprise. Thousands of slaves have been working on the building of that one. As you can see, there's plenty of work for you to do here in Babylon!”

Daniel and his three friends looked with pity at the vast teams of foreign slaves toiling under the sweltering sun. Like them, these men had been captured by the Babylonians during their conquests and brought to Babylon to help make the city into the greatest ever built by man.

After marching a couple of kilometers into the city, they reached a detention center where the prisoners were to be held while waiting to be divided and sent to their work assignments.

“What do you think they'll do with us?” asked Azariah, wondering if he'd be strong enough to carry huge stones to the top of the Hanging Gardens.

“I don't know,” Daniel replied, “but I do know that God is with us, and that we have …”

“Hey! You four boys are to follow me,” the captain of the guard suddenly ordered.

“Where are you taking us?” Daniel asked.

“You'll see.”

It looked as if they were heading for the construction site of the Hanging Gardens, but to their surprise they were directed to the beautiful arched boulevard leading directly to the king's palace.

“It looks like your God is with you after all,” said the captain, as he left them at the main gate.

The palace guards then escorted the boys into one of the outer buildings of the palace complex and brought them before a finely dressed Babylonian officer.

“Greetings,” he said, in a high-pitched voice. “I am Ashpenaz, master of the king's eunuchs. King Nebuchadnezzar has decreed that any captives of the children of Israel who are of noble birth should be considered for training for positions in the king's court. However, only the cleverest and strongest can pass our tests. Please sit at these tables. The examinations will begin immediately.”

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah took their seats and were given parchments and writing instruments. They wondered at the nature of the test questions and what would be the consequences should they fail.

“Well, dear friends,” whispered Daniel, “we can only do our best, and then God will have to do the rest.”

The grueling examinations went on for days. Not only were they tested scholastically, but their physical and mental health were also examined. Some of the questions were easy and some were difficult. However, as they asked God to give the right answers, they could feel His wisdom leading them.

At the end of the examinations, they anxiously awaited Ashpenaz’ announcement of the results.

“Well, boys, I have to admit, those responsible for training you have done a wonderful job. You have all made excellent grades!”

“God be praised!” said Daniel and his friends.

“However,” continued Ashpenaz, “these tests are only the beginning. Now you will be given three years of special training. During this time, you will learn our Babylonian language and literature while you study under our wise men. And of course, you will also be instructed in the ways of our religion. After that, the king himself will choose those whom he feels are best qualified to be in his court.”

Ashpenaz then showed them to a comfortable dormitory which they would be sharing with some of the Babylonian boys who had also been chosen for the training program. He also introduced them to Melzar, a court official who would be directly responsible for their care.

“Oh, one more thing,” Ashpenaz announced before leaving. “To help you feel more at home in Babylon, I have given you each a Babylonian name. Hananiah, you shall be called Shadrach; Mishael will be called Meshach; Azariah will be called Abednego; and you, Daniel, will be named Belteshazzar.”

From now on in this story, the four boys will be referred to by the names we are most familiar with: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. However, Daniel will occasionally be called Belteshazzar when he is addressed by the Babylonians.

That night, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego gathered at one end of the dormitory and sang psalms and, in spite of a few Babylonian boys snickering at them, thanked God for already working on their behalf.

Before sleep, Daniel knelt before the open window to pray. Above the silhouettes of strange heathen temples, the moon shone serene, the same moon that he loved to gaze at as he knelt before his bedroom window in Jerusalem.

He thought about his parents and how much he missed them. He prayed that they were not overly worried about him, and that the Lord would help him not to think about his parents too much, but to trust the Lord to comfort their hearts about his being taken from them.

If they only knew the amazing things that God is doing for us, he thought.

How often he had remembered his mother's parting words to him, “My son, the Lord our God will always be with you!” And how true it was. Even though he was now far away from home in a strange and pagan land, he could feel the Lord as close to him as ever.

“O God,” Daniel prayed, “thank You for helping us make it this far. Help us pass the tests that lie ahead and stay faithful to You.”

Chapter 2

The Great Food Test

When Daniel and his three friends entered the dining hall the next morning, in front of them lay a lavish spread of expensive foods and delicious sweets and dainties. They had never seen so much food at one time on one table, and this was only breakfast.

“You may eat all you want,” said Melzar, gesturing towards the table. “Compliments of the king himself. He has ordered that from now on you should all be fed with food from his very own table.”

The rest of the youths who were part of the training program ran to their places and began to dig in. At first, they were too busy eating to notice that the four Hebrew boys were sitting in their places with their heads bowed.

“What do you think?” Daniel asked after they had finished praying for guidance in this situation.

“Well, I am hungry, and the food looks tempting,” said Meshach. “But if we eat these Babylonian foods, we'll be breaking the commandments that God gave us through Moses.”

“I agree,” said Shadrach. “If we eat everything the Babylonians eat and do everything the Babylonians do, it will not be long before we'll be Babylonians. We committed ourselves to live by the laws of our God, so we should obey and do so no matter what the cost.”

“Yes,” said Abednego, “if we stand by God, He will surely stand by us.”

Just then Melzar, having noticed that the boys were not eating, came over to inquire.

“Is something wrong? Are you not hungry? Eat up, before all the finest dainties are gone. Here, why don't you try these oysters stewed in pig's blood? Delightful! They were sanctified by our great god Marduk only this morning....”

“Excuse me, sir,” said Daniel, “but could we have a word in private?”

Melzar agreed, and Daniel, Shadrach, and Melzar walked together to the other side of the dining hall.

“What?” said Melzar, after Daniel had explained their request. “No one has ever even dreamed of doing such a thing. Come with me, Daniel. I will take you to see Ashpenaz.”

Ashpenaz especially liked Daniel. For years he had overseen the training of many young men, but none had behaved as well as Daniel and his three Hebrew friends.

After some time of retraining, they will make excellent Babylonians, he had been pondering when Melzar and Daniel were shown in.

“Ah, Belteshazzar,” he said, “I was just thinking of you. Tell me, are you excited about your upcoming studies? Do you and your friends have everything you need?”

“Oh yes indeed, sir. Thank you for how kind you have been to us. You have given us the best of everything, and now even food from the king's table. However, our Hebrew laws forbid us to eat these kinds of foods. So … we hope that you won't be offended if we ask you to just serve us plain food and water.”

Ashpenaz fell into thoughtful silence. He could not help but admire the young Hebrew's conviction. If Daniel's religion had anything to do with what a fine person he had grown up to be, then there must be something good about it, even if some of its rules did seem odd to a Babylonian.

“Belteshazzar,” Ashpenaz said after a while, “I would be happy to grant your request if I could. But what will happen when King Nebuchadnezzar sees that you four boys don't look as strong and healthy as the rest of the students and discovers that I’ve disobeyed his royal command? I'd lose my head, and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you? So, I'm sure that your God won't mind if you concede a little. Now please go back and try eating the king's food for a few days. Perchance you'll soon develop a taste for it.”

Daniel returned with Melzar to the dining hall and sat down beside Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were still sitting in front of their empty plates. Some of the other boys were taunting them. “What's wrong with the king's food? Is it not good enough for you? What kind of god do you serve that won't let you eat from a king's table?”

These Babylonian boys knew that they were competing with Daniel and his friends for a position in the king's court. They were already jealous of them and took every opportunity to belittle them. However, Daniel and his friends pitied the Babylonian boys and prayed for them. They knew that the godly way in which they had been raised in Jerusalem was better than the idol worship that these boys had been raised with in Babylon.

Then an idea flashed into Daniel's mind that would solve their diet problem, and at the same time, it would be a witness to these heathen boys of the power of the one true God.

The room fell silent as Daniel stood up.

“Melzar, I propose a test. My friends and I will eat and drink nothing but grains, pulses, and water for ten days. At the end of that time, you yourself can be the judge of who looks healthier—us or these other young men. If we appear healthier, then let us eat our own food. But if they are healthier than us, then we will eat yours.”

Melzar consented, happy for a solution that would put an end to the matter.

“So let the trial begin,” he announced.

From day one of the ten-day trial period, Melzar carefully watched the four Hebrew boys to see any signs of their health weakening.

No one can keep up with our rigorous schedule of study and exercise on a diet of grains, pulses, and water, he thought. Those poor boys and even their God are going to be put to shame.

However, to his astonishment, instead of getting weaker, the four boys looked stronger by the day. Not only did they look stronger, they were stronger. They could run faster, jump higher, throw further, and after engaging in such sports they still had plenty of energy, while the others were huffing and puffing for breath. They were still alert during the evening study classes, while the other boys were having trouble staying awake.

Not only that, but some of the Babylonian boys were starting to report sick with stomachaches and other ailments. Others began to look pudgy and white-faced, and some had begun to complain of toothaches.

By the end of the ten days there was no question as to who were the winners. It was easy to see that it was the four Hebrew boys with the bright eyes, cheery smiles, and rosy cheeks!

The great city of Babylon had everything that the world could offer. There was every type of worldly vice and pleasure. The four boys regarded such challenges as an opportunity to stand up for their beliefs and be loyal to their God. Often, during times of temptation, memorized scripture would come to their minds. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”³ was one of their favorite scriptures.

The scriptures that they could remember by heart, they wrote onto parchments, and read together from them as often as they could. They also prayed together three times a day. And as they were faithful to obey the guidance God gave them, then He was faithful to uphold and protect their hearts and spirits from negative influences. God gave them guidance by speaking to them directly through visions and dreams that Daniel explained due to his having a gift to interpret them.

And so, the three years of testing and training passed, and Ashpenaz announced that they should get dressed in their finest robes. The time had come for them to be presented before the king.

Naturally, they all felt nervous as they waited for their turn to be summoned into the great throne room. Shadrach even felt as though his mind had gone blank.

“I feel like everything I've learned has been erased,” he said.

“Let us not fear,” said Daniel. “If it’s God's plan for us to be in the court and we can influence the king with the ways of the true God, then God Himself will give us wisdom and courage, just as He has done these past years. And I’m sure our parents have continued to pray for us, as we have for them.”

“Belteshazzar! Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego!” the king's herald announced. “King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and of all the world, summons you this day to stand before him.”

With a whispered prayer, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped into the great throne room, the largest and most lavishly decorated room the boys had ever seen. Colossal pillars of white marble supported a giant golden roof covered with intricate carvings of ivory and silver.

Along the walls hung magnificent woven tapestries depicting exploits of past Babylonian kings and conquests. On the far side of the room, covered with precious jewels and stones, was the king's throne. It was raised on a golden platform, and on both sides stood ivory idols of Babylonian gods. They seemed to glare down at the four Hebrew boys as if to say, “This kingdom is ours. How dare you intrude upon it.”

Here and there, muttering together, stood groups of colorfully dressed magicians, seers, astrologers, and holy men. These were the king's “wise men,” whom he kept on hand as advisers or to perform enchantments.

As Ashpenaz led the four children of Israel up the long, red velvet carpet towards the king's throne, the whispering ceased, as the wise men stared curiously at the young Hebrews.

“GET OUT,” Nebuchadnezzar suddenly shouted at his wise men. “I wish to talk to these young men alone.”

The wise men scurried out, knowing how unpredictable and dangerous the king's temper could be.

“Wise men? Pah! Every king should have good advisers, and I've been cursed with a crew of crackpots and man pleasers, full of meaningless proverbs and cheap conjurers' tricks. Ashpenaz, I've been counting on your training program to raise up new blood.”

“I trust that you will not be disappointed, O King. These four Hebrew boys are the last ones left for you to interview.”

“Very well, let them approach.”

Normally, the fearful experience for anyone standing in the presence of the king of Babylon was accompanied by their much bowing and trembling. However, as Ashpenaz watched the king commune with the four boys, he was impressed at how natural they seemed. Rather than showing fear of the king, they were outgoing towards him, showing interest in him and sympathy for his heavy responsibilities.

As the four boys answered the king’s questions, Ashpenaz oftentimes could overhear the king exclaiming, “Really? I never knew that!” or, “Why has nobody else ever told me such?” or “Great thunderbolts! You're right.”

After an hour or so of lively and deep discussion, the king was ready to make his decision.

“I have chosen these four—Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—to serve as my advisers. You are to be commended, Ashpenaz, for your excellent training program.”

“There is none to equal them, O King.”

Then the king's wise men were ushered back in, and the king announced that from now on these four young men would be serving with them.

“But wisdom comes with age, O King,” the chief magician tried to advise him. “These youths are hardly more than mere striplings.”

“I care not about their age,” said the king. “In all matters of wisdom and understanding, I have found them ten times superior to all of YOU.”

(To be continued.)

Footnotes:
¹ Psalm 27:10, paraphrased
² See Psalm 46:1.
³ Psalm 119:105

Tom came into my office, which was on the business’ premises with my desk parked by the window that overlooked the stables and most of the comings and goings. I was careful to monitor the work habits of my employees, and I was a hard taskmaster. In those days I would have most likely been regarded as a veritable Scrooge, should the character have already been invented. I did not observe Christmas in full, being Jewish. Was I married? Yes. I had a hardy, but faithful little wife who I dearly loved and two children at that time, a boy and a girl.

Tom. He was a skinny, pale fifteen-year-old seeking labour, standing in my office clutching his cap against his chest in the manner typical in today’s movies depicting those times. Very respectful, punctuating his rather common speech with “yissir”!

I offered him the minimum, for which he was grateful, and I put him on the most menial of tasks under one of my subordinates. Tom began as barely what you would have called a stable hand.

Why did I hire him? I had inherited a deeply suspicious and guarded nature that granted no one the virtue of doing things without selfish motive. Everyone had an “angle,” as you say nowadays, and Tom’s motive would have been his near poverty; an easy one to spot and to manipulate. But I had another reason to hire him; I liked the boy. Why? Something in his face that would have been difficult to explain at the time. Now I see that it was a sparkle and sincerity in his eyes, along with an eagle-eyed awareness that made one feel uncomfortable sometimes, or at least me, when they met mine. Yet I felt as if I knew him.

Let me say a little more about eyes, his in particular, because in retrospect I can see what it was that made me trust him, although I was unaware of it then. Now I say that the discomfort I felt when he looked at me was occasional, and it was due to my sense of shame in the face of his ... purity? Innocence? Those aren’t the right words. Compassion, maybe. Plain love, for want of a better word, and really there is no better.

The sad part which still causes me chagrin is that at first I treated him terribly, cruelly, taking an almost sadistic pleasure out of snapping at him and yelling at him from my office window, shaming him in front of the other stable boys who would join me in my sport, to which he would utter nary a peep. That infuriated me, doubling my shame back on my own head.

Nevertheless, I observed him when he knew no one was looking. Besides speaking gently to the horses, workmates, and customers, he was attentive to details. If something, such as a bale of hay, was out of place, he would straighten it and sweep the loose straw around it. He would pick up litter, move a plank with a nail sticking up that could cause injury, and much other suchlike attendance would he do. Most of it unnoticed except by my watchful eye.

But ... my suspicion “kicked in” as you say. I thought he knew! So, I called him up into my office one day and told him I had been observing him and asked him if he was aware of it. He told me no, of course not, although he did say that the other boys had warned him that “Stocky” doesn’t miss a single thing from his office window. That struck me as odd, as for the most part the other workers’ diligence paled against Tom’s, and I told him so. I asked him why.

“I already have Someone watching me all the time,” he said.

I asked him who, and he said, “God.”

Then he asked me if I believed in God. I told him of course I did. He then asked me why I didn’t observe Christmas, and I said it went against my beliefs. He asked me to explain, and I closed the conversation by dismissing him. But I thought about his answer. In fact, I lay awake sometimes thinking of it, and wondered about that unseen, all-seeing Eye. I mused on my own suspicious observance and even attributed the same characteristics to the Almighty.

“How would I like to have me watching me?” I came to ask myself one night and felt a terrible pang of shame, so much so that I asked the same of Tom the following day: “How would you feel if you knew you were watching you?”

He chuckled at my question, and said it was very thought-provoking, but he said he didn’t know. He would only hope he would be pleased at what he saw.

“And what about God watching you?” I asked him.

Tom replied that he would find that infinitely more preferable as God would grant him more mercy than Tom would himself.

I was shocked at his answer; I felt it was almost presumptuous. I asked him what on earth gave him that idea.

“Because I love His Son,” Tom replied.

Despite my surging resentment of his answer, I asked him to explain. He thought for a few moments. I’ll try to put his explanation in Tom’s words as close as I can remember.

“If you had an only son very dear to you, Mr. Stock, and a beggar ruffian came by the gate one day and began talking with him, and as a result, so loved your son that he changed his ways and would come by every day just to talk with him, how would you see the beggar? Would you not overlook his rags, his past and even his present failings?”

As Tom spoke, I was picturing my very own son, and his “parable” was crystal clear. I thanked him for his insightful answer and dismissed him. I said no more to him on the matter, but from that day forth, I ceased from hurling abuse at him and castigated any that would. Furthermore, at the first sign of a promotional post opening in my business that would suit him, I secured it for Tom. His diligence followed him along with his development of wise, shrewd, and above all, thoughtful handling of customers, which needless to say soon motivated me to promote him to senior partner in the business.

As stubborn as I continued to be, it took a while, maybe five years, for me to humble myself and even confess to Tom that I’d reconsidered the fact that God had a Son and that I was even speaking to Him on many an occasion, especially during a sleepless night. The wonderful thing was the sense of release I experienced upon making this admission and the happiness I felt at seeing Tom’s reaction.

Tom, dear Tom.

He carefully laid down his school pack and his bag of empty juice cans, then took a deep breath.

I’ll be quick enough this time. This time I’ll catch him.

In one swift motion he pushed his bedroom door open and leapt inside, throwing himself at a figure reclining on the rug.

“Got you!” Max yelled, but whoever was underneath him yelled louder, “Wha—! Get off!”

Max rolled off and found himself staring at his best friend, AJ.

“How did you know I was here?” AJ demanded.

“I didn’t. I … er … was sort of expecting someone else. Sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“Just squashed all my insides together, nothing serious.” said AJ, pretending to knead his stomach back into shape. “What’s with the yelling and pouncing if you didn’t know it was me?”

Max hesitated. AJ said, “I triple-promise-with-my-eyes-crossed that I won’t tell anyone else.”

“You’ll laugh.”

“I won’t.”

“Do you believe in guardian angels?” asked Max.

“What? With the fluffy wings and the glowing white dresses?”

“Never mind. Forget I said anything,” Max mumbled as he brought out his box of Telecopter-Roboray soldiers. “Here. Let’s play.”

“Max, what do guardian angels have to do with you ambushing and jumping on people?” AJ asked fifteen minutes later while his Roboray red squad laid siege to Max’s Roboray blue squad. AJ had maneuvered his red squad to trap the blue squad on three sides. Now, the only danger was if Max had a black-hole bolt generator and sucked AJ’s men into it.

“Weeeeell,” said Max, “what if my guardian angel doesn’t have fluffy white wings and a dress? What if instead he could change shape and be something super cool, like…”

“Like a Telecopter-Roboray soldier?” finished AJ.

“Yes, like that,” said Max, and unleashed the black-hole bolt generator on AJ’s red squad.

AJ looked in dismay at his routed troops, “I should have known!” he said with disgust. And then, picking up a handful of red soldiers, he began tossing them at Max. Soon the air was full of shouts, yells, and blue and red plastic soldiers.

“Really, though,” said AJ after they had run out of soldiers to throw at each other. “I still don’t see what your jumping on me has to do with guardian angels, in gowns or Roboray outfits.”

“You won’t laugh?” asked Max.

“I already triple promised, didn’t I?”

“Well, all right then. I’ve been trying to catch my guardian angel because I want to see him.”

AJ didn’t laugh; he scratched his nose and looked interested. “Why?” he asked.

“Why do I want to see him? Why shouldn’t I want to see him? Don’t you want to see your guardian angel?” said Max.

“I don’t know if I have one,” said AJ.

“Of course you do. Everyone does. Mine…” Max lowered his voice, “Mine talks to me sometimes. At least I think he does.”

“What does he say?” whispered AJ.

“He says things in my mind like, ‘Look both ways before you cross the street—not when you’re already in the middle. Goodness, boy, don’t you think at all?’”

“Oh,” said AJ, his forehead wrinkling. “Who would want a grouchy guardian angel?”

“That’s why I think he must be real, not something made up. Because, if he was just like I expected, then I could be imagining it; but he says the most unexpected things to me sometimes. Anyway, I want to see him.”

“Dinner’s ready!” The call came wafting up the stairs along with the smell of hamburgers.

“Did your mom say you could stay for dinner?” Max asked his friend.

“Yup!” said AJ.

“I have a plan that you can help with. I’ll tell you about it after dinner.”

The evening was spent gathering supplies: pebbles from the backyard and tinsel temporarily borrowed from their Christmas tree. AJ went home with the promise to help in any other angel-trapping activities the next day.

Sometime near midnight, a loud crash sounded in Max’s room. Max jumped out of bed clutching a flashlight, switched it on with a trembling finger, and found his father sprawled on the floor just inside his door.

“Good heavens!” yelled Max’s father. “What on earth is this?”

“Dad! What are you doing here? And, um … this is a tripwire, with a burglar alarm,” stammered Max, while trying to untangle his father from the reinforced tinsel threaded through empty juice cans filled with pebbles.

“As for what I’m doing here,” said Max’s father with a huff, “your mother and I always check on you, Noah, and Sophie at night. You’re usually asleep by this time.” Mr. Talley straightened his pajamas and folded his arms across his chest. “What’s this trap about?”

“I’m trying to catch something. C-can I tell you tomorrow?” Max pleaded.

His father sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine, but don’t think I’ll forget it. I’ll expect an explanation tomorrow.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Goodnight. And, son? That’s not a bad burglar alarm.”

Max returned to bed, hid his flashlight under his pillow again, and lay back down and thought and thought, and somewhere in the middle of a thought, drifted back to sleep.

The next morning, Father had an urgent call and had to leave early for work, so the discussion regarding the burglar alarm was delayed till dinnertime. Max sighed in relief and went to school. AJ met him on the way and asked, “So, did you catch anything?”

“I caught my dad.” Max replied, “I didn’t know he and my mom looked in on me at night. Now I do. He said it was a great burglar alarm, though. Where else would you look to find an angel?” asked Max.

“Maybe try your window? Your angel might be going through that instead. Or they might like high places. The tops of trees…. Oh! Maybe they sit and wait on people’s roofs. The tricky thing is to catch them when they’re not invisible. I think you’d have to sneak up on them.”

“Maybe it’s useless.”

“Don’t say that! Winter vacation starts tomorrow. We’ll have a few weeks to look for your angel. I’ll help all I can.”

“Don’t you have plans for vacation?” asked Max.

“Sure. Some cousins are coming over for Christmas week, but until then, we’ll search together.” The friends solemnly shook hands and continued on to school.

That afternoon, weighed down with the last bits of this and that cleared out of lockers, the children of Winston Elementary School streamed out its doors and into the bliss of winter vacation.

“School’s out!”

“I’ll race you home!”

Max and AJ charged through the school gates and down the sidewalk toward an intersection. Max was in the lead and had a foot in the air to step over the curb when he froze in mid-stride.

AJ came to a screeching halt as well, not a centimeter away from sending them both sprawling into the middle of the road.

Look both ways before you cross the street—not when you’re already in the middle! Goodness, boys, don’t you think at all?

They turned to each other in surprise.

“Did you hear that?” asked AJ.

“You heard it too? So, it’s true!” said Max with glee.

“I heard it. I really did. He really does sound grumpy.”

“Yes, he does.”

“Why didn’t I hear it before?” asked AJ,

“You weren’t trying to listen,” answered Max.

“Now I’ve got to find mine too,” said AJ determinedly. “Where shall we look first?”

From Monday to Thursday, Max and AJ could be found scrambling up trees, sneaking about in their own houses, bursting unexpectedly into their own rooms, and turning broom cupboards inside out.

“It’s no good,” AJ said, as Friday was drawing to a close, “I’m through with my list of places to look and so are you. On top of that, my cousins are coming tomorrow. The search will have to be put on hold.”

Max looked out the window to the yard. Long strings of tinsel with cans filled with pebbles festooned the trees, fences, and bushes surrounding the Talley home. “Maybe they just don’t want to be seen.”

“Yeah, maybe. But I have a plan. … How about I stay here tonight, and we can sit at the window till dawn? Maybe angels only become visible at night!”

“Why didn’t we think of that before?”

“This may be our last chance, ’cause your mom didn’t seem too happy about you stringing those cans around the yard. She’ll probably make you take them down soon.”

“Right. Tonight we stay up…”

“…with a flashlight.”

“And night vision goggles.”

“And chips.”

“Right.”

At nine o’clock that night, both boys munched quietly on their snacks, their eyes scanning the dark backyard.

At ten o’clock they whispered stories to each other.

At eleven o’clock, the moon rose and shone its soft light through the window on two boys huddled in blankets resting on pillows—fast asleep on the floor.

At twelve o’clock, a tremendous crash and rattling made Max and AJ jump from their nests of bedding and reach for their flashlights.

“Oh. My. Goodness!” whispered Max, his nose pressed against the glass. “It’s a giant robot!”

“We’ve got to get out there,” said AJ, tumbling out of his nest of bedding.

They went.

Max, still in his bedroom slippers, made it out first—but only just. Hot on his heels was AJ, and to both their surprise, they saw Max’s father wielding a hammer, Sophie carrying younger brother Noah, and their mother in a bathrobe outside as well.

“Dad!” exclaimed Max. “Did you see the giant robot, too?”

Max’s father grabbed hold of the two boys and pulled them away from the trees and bushes, looking bleary and half asleep.

“Someone wearing a ski mask was tangled in your burglar alarm. I saw him. He looked dangerous. … What are you all doing out here?” he asked, waking up enough to realize his wife and children were outside with him.

“I saw the burglar—” exclaimed Sophie, “—outside Noah’s window!”

“It wasn’t a burglar, Sophie! It was a giant robot. It looked just like the soldiers in my game,” said Max adamantly, and AJ nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

“No, no,” Mother said, shaking her head, “It wasn’t a robot, or a man in a ski mask. What I saw was my second-best dress. It must have blown off the clothesline and gotten caught in your burglar alarm. We’re taking that whole thing down tomorrow, and no arguments! It’s just too loud. No one can sleep with all that racket.”

Among the rattling of the cans in the yard, another kind of noise began to make itself known: a high strident wail.

“Huh,” said AJ, “a fire alarm’s gone off in someone’s house. I guess not many people will sleep tonight.”

The group stood in silence for half a second before they yelled in unison, “That’s our house!”

Smoke curled through the kitchen window along with eerie orange shades.

“I’ll go to AJ’s house and call the fire department,” called Dad over his shoulder as he sprinted away from the group huddled in the front yard.

Within minutes, the road around their house was full of fire engines and neighbors, who, more often than not, tripped over Max and AJ’s angel alarm.

The Talley household, along with a growing group of onlookers, watched the orange glow fade from the kitchen window and become black, then gray, then white smoke.

At dawn, the two boys were in AJ’s house, drinking mugs of hot cocoa in the kitchen when Max’s dad came in and wearily sat at the table.

“Well,” he sighed, “the damage isn’t as bad as it could be. Some of the kitchen will have to be replaced.” Max handed him a cup of cocoa, Dad nodded thanks and continued. “And the whole ground floor will have to be cleaned of soot. But there’s little damage to the house itself and nobody was hurt. Thank God we were all out of the house when the alarm sounded.”

“Dad, how did the fire start?” Max asked.

His father looked down at his mug, took a deep breath and said: “It was my fault. I threw some rags that had been soaked in paint into the kitchen garbage. On top of it, your mother threw away hardened grease. It ignited sometime late last night.”

Max and AJ were thrilled. “Spontaneous combustion!” they chorused.

“I’ve heard about that,” AJ enthused. “It happens with the oddest things: linseed oil, paint, cotton, and large containers of pistachio nuts!”

“How cool is that?” said Max.

“It’s not cool that the house nearly burned down!” Dad said with lowering brows. “I’m afraid a good deal of our winter vacation is going to be taken up with wiping soot off the walls.”

Max groaned and AJ patted his shoulder in comfort.

“There’s just one thing…” Dad said, “When we all left the house to go to the back yard last night, are you sure you saw a…” Dad smiled, “giant robot”?

“Well,” said Max slowly, “it was very dark. It could have been a man in a ski mask or mom’s second-best dress.” Dad nodded, satisfied, and went out again.

AJ leaned back in his chair, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.

“Hmm, about chocolate mint ice cream?” said Max with a grin. “With colorful sprinkles on top…”

AJ thumped his chair back and leaned forward, his expression earnest, “Don’t you get it?”

Max laughed and said, “Of course, I ‘get it’—our angels are pretty smart.”

“They get you to string up traps for them to rattle at night so that the whole family leaves the house. For us it’s giant robots. For Dad, it’s a man in a ski mask. For Mom it’s her second-best dress. Then, no one’s in the house when the garbage bursts into flames.”

“How cool is that?”

“Pretty awesome.”

“But I’m also thinking about those chocolate mint ice creams with the sprinkles on top.”

“I’ll race you to the store.”

“You’re on!”

The boys barreled down the road but stopped a few centimeters from the curb. Max looked at AJ with a sheepish grin. AJ looked left; Max looked right. They crossed the road at a walk. As soon as they reached the other side, they dashed off again.

It was winter, the air was brisk, the sun was shining, garbage was spontaneously combusting, but their angels were also watching. Life was good.

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11–12 NIV).