Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.
Daniel 1:8
Following the Lord is a decision of the heart, mind, and will. The Lord’s presence is not something that should be taken lightly or for granted. But so often, we choose only to follow the Lord when in the middle of a pandemic or when we face seemingly impossible circumstances. When it looks like the Lord is our only hope, we choose to reach out to the Lord and ask for His favor in our lives. We pray for our teams to win ball games and that the Lord would magically turn into something our favorite team’s mascot.
But honestly, is the Lord hanging around trying to figure out how He can make our lives better and increase our stock with our friends? Is He some magical fairy god-father waiting to wave His magic wand and grant our every wish? That answer is an emphatic “NO.”
As we will see, Daniel had the right perspective.
Daniel determined in his heart
King Nebuchadnezzar changed Daniel’s name to Belteshazzar to help “Babalonianize” him and replace his Jewish past. He taught Daniel the Chaldean language and other culturally essential ideas and literature.
The king provided non-kosher meat, pork, and wine that had been offered to foreign (Babylonian) gods for Daniel to eat and drink. Daniel purposed in his heart and had a strong inner resolve that determined his course of action. He decided that he would not eat the king’s food. This was a defiant move against the King and a devoted move towards the Lord.
Do you see the predicament Daniel faces? He faced potential persecution from the King and still held fast to his faith. But what I see as important is that even though he set his heart towards obeying the Lord, he still asked the chief eunuch permission (1:8). So how did that work out for Daniel?
God determined to provide favor
“God granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch” (1:9). This verse is packed with God’s favor for Daniel and an example to us as we seek to honor the Lord with the decisions of our hearts. Think about it. Daniel loved the Lord and wanted to follow Him in some of the most essential areas of his life, and the Lord honored that fundamental decision.
Once Daniel set his heart on not eating the defiled meat and refusing the wine, God provided an exceptional gift for him. God granted “kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch” (1:9). This was no small thing because Daniel was asking the eunuch to do something that would disobey the king’s demands.
Notice what God gave the eunuch. He gave him kindness and compassion. So what is the takeaway this morning for us?
We must realize that God is active in the world around us. Daniel unlocked God’s desire to provide a way for Daniel. Daniel needed kindness and compassion to offer this unique avenue of worship.
What does that mean for us? I am confident when we make decisions and set our hearts toward the Lord to worship Him that he provides us His favor and kindness towards us.