DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-11-11
WRITTEN AT: Ormond Beach, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Daniel 1:8-10
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁸ Although the king ate only the finest Babylonian fare, Daniel was determined not to violate God’s law and defile himself by eating the food and drinking the wine that came from the king’s table; so he asked the chief of the royal eunuchs for permission not to eat the food. ⁹ Now God had given Daniel special favor and fondness in the eyes of the king’s chief eunuch. ¹⁰ Still the eunuch was concerned…..

OBSERVATION: Many of us probably ‘go with the flow’, and therefore might be considered crowd pleasers. But what if you are a child of the Most High God and have set your aim at striving every day to be like Him – follow in His footsteps and please Him by obeying His commands? Do you suppose that you could still be a ‘crowd pleaser’? Something to seriously consider today as we look at a man who was ‘determined in his heart’ to honor God.

APPLICATION: I’ve seen recovering alcoholics determine in their hearts that they will not drink, nor even taste alcohol again, for fear of resurrecting their addiction. So they set that limitation for themselves, while in some cases being accountable to a recovery group, and they stick to it. Daniel spent quality time with his God and he was determined to obey His commands and live a life worthy of his calling. Because of his good health and his noble character, he was chosen for further training to serve his earthly king. Being of such noble character and in recognition of his abilities, one might think that Daniel may have done anything the king asked of him, but that was not the case. It all began with the food the king chose for him. It did not meet the standards Daniel had become accustomed to in his efforts to follow the Word of God. At that point Daniel had a decision to either join with all the king’s men and eat the rich palace food, or to insist on doing what he already knew that God wanted him to do. We all know the story, Daniel insisted on eating like he felt led of God to do, because he knew deep inside that was the right thing to do. Now Daniel could have gone on to pretend that he was eating the food, and then discard it, but no, he felt solid enough in his faith that if God took him to it, He would help him through it. So he gained the faith and courage to ask the guard for special favors in his diet. Isn’t it amazing, and even victorious, that when we determine in our hearts to obey and follow God, that He will make a way, even when it seems like there is no way? God prepared the heart of the guard, and gave him boldness to help Daniel, even at the possible expense of his own life. Wow, what a mighty God we serve! So what is there in your life that you have cowered over because of the fear of not being so popular with the crowd, or the fear of getting someone else in trouble for helping you maintain your Godly aspirations? Where is your faith dear Brother or Sister? When you reflect back over your life and remind yourself of all the many ways that God protected you, all the ways that He guided your path, all the ways that He healed your afflictions, could He possibly have lost His power? Oh dear friends, I believe this Scripture was placed before us today to remind us that we must not wait for the time of temptation, or the time of challenge and then use our circumstances to guide our decisions. Instead we must trust in God today – the One who created heaven and earth; the One who sacrificed His only Son for our salvation; and the One who loves us more than anything else in the world, and we must allow Him to hold our hand, guide our hearts and our lips, and reassure us of His protection in life, no matter the circumstances, and no matter how impossible things appear in our eyes. Know that God loves you my friend; know that He has power to do more than we could even imagine; and know that one day soon we will join with the angels around the throne where we will sing and shout His praises for ever and for ever! Go ahead, trust in Him! He can, and He will meet your needs and guide you through your life of commitment to Him!

PRAYER: When our hand is placed firmly in the powerful hand of our Master, we have nothing to fear. Thank You precious Lord! It seems so natural to worry, and so in line with the world to just go along with the crowd, even when we know that we have committed our life to the lordship of our King, Jesus. Please Lord, keep us humble and help us to keep our eyes fixed on You through all of life’s circumstances. Please give us confidence to trust in the power of our awesome God, no matter what challenges face us. You are all-powerful and all-wise. We need you precious Lord, because we know that You can do all things. May You be glorified through us dear Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!