Daniel 1:8-20 – “Daniel resolved”
By the end of this book, Daniel and his three friends will have faced overwhelming pressure to turn away from God, but by his grace they will remain faithful. Today we see some of the seeds of their success. I won’t go into WHY they felt that they should not eat this food or drink this wine. We simply don’t have space to consider the various possibilities. Suffice to say, Daniel was determined to honour God and his conscience told him that he couldn’t do that by eating this food. In time, Daniel would face stiffer, sterner temptations, but the path to obedience starts here.
There’s a key lesson for us in v8, “Daniel RESOLVED that he would not defile himself”. Of course, we rely ultimately on God’s strength, but there is a great need for gutsy determined obedience. Part of following Christ means making resolutions and sticking to them no matter what. And so, let me challenge you: will you do this today? Will you pick out one small part of your daily life where you can show faithfulness to Christ and resolve to obey no matter what? Maybe your resolution will be to pray this evening. Maybe it will be to worship with your family. Maybe it will be to tell the truth when you’re asked that awkward question or to stay clear of that gossipy conversation at work. These may seem like minor skirmishes, but if you don’t resolve in the small things you won’t be able to flip the obedience switch when the bigger challenges come.
There’s also a great encouragement in this passage. Notice v9, “God gave Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.” That favour was obvious every step of the way (v15, 20) I can’t promise that God will work in quite such a dramatic way as you resolve to obey him, but I can tell you this: Daniel’s experience backs up God’s promise in 1 Samuel 2:30: “Those who honour me I will honour.”
Questions
- What godly resolutions could you make today?
- What has made you give up on previous resolutions?
Prayer Points
- Pick one godly resolution and pray that God would give you the strength to keep it.
- Pray that others would see God working in your life, just as they did in Daniel’s life.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.