Resolved

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself

with the royal food and wine,

and he asked the chief official 

for permission not to defile

himself this way."

Daniel 1:8

Luxuriant riches surrounded him: luscious, rich cuisine and lavish furnishings the likes he'd never seen.  His feet felt the coolness of the smooth tile, his skin the velvety touch of the silky linens, his eyes feasted on the rich tapestries and vibrant vases.  There's no doubt Daniel was far from home; far from the simple life in which he had been raised.  Far from the land of his people and God.

Just as Daniel found himself as a foreigner in a strange land, I, too, am not at home.  My heavenly dwelling awaits as the place where I truly belong.  Meanwhile, God has placed me here, as a foreigner in this strange land.

While I'm here, I can either melt into the background, becoming like the native inhabitants, or I can make up my mind to stay true to my God and His Kingdom.

Abstain

Surrounded by such a luxuriant atmosphere, it must have been quite a temptation for Daniel to succumb to the lure of the culture in which he found himself.  Since his one great desire was to please God, he found a way to remove himself from those things that were considered to be unclean or dishonoring in God's eyes. 

Daniel understood a couple of things that I haven't truly digested.  He knew that as a child of God, he is a "treasured possession."  As such, he understood and followed the teaching of God through his contemporary, Ezekiel, when God said the priests were, "to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean." (Ezekiel 44:23)  Daniel knew that there were some things God's people just shouldn't do out of respect and reverence for a holy God.

As one of God's children, I am called to live in a way that is holy as God is holy.  There are many ways in which I resemble the world around me.  I listen to the same music without a second thought, watch the same movies without flinching, and read the same books without blinking an eye.  The culture in which I find myself is abhorrent to God in many ways.  It is steeped in sex, violence and disregard for His sovereign ways.  It is a culture in which pleasure reigns supreme.  It is a culture where self is god.  In a nutshell, I live in Sodom and Gomorrah.  

As a young man who found himself in a similar setting, Daniel also seemed to understand the workings of his own flesh.  If Daniel had stayed with the rest of the group and been exposed to all the strange, unclean food of his pagan host, he may have succumbed to the temptation and joined in with the regimen this king required.  Instead, he knew the best way to stay true to God's ways was to completely remove himself from the source of temptation.

There are many temptations with which I am faced on a daily basis:  Images on television, the Internet and magazines that dishonor God.  Belief systems that place myself in the position of importance instead of God.  Ways of life that appeal to my sense of comfort and cravings yet do not show reverence for a holy God. 

If I want to please God, I would be wise to resolve to remove myself from those things that lure me into activities and thoughts that dishonor Him.

Honor God's Ways

It's hard to stick out like a sore thumb.  Everyone else was taking part in the 3-year period of training required in preparation for their service to serve King Nebuchadnezzar himself.  They were learning the ways of the Babylonians: adapting to their food, dress, language, literature and even religion.  Daniel, however, could not live with himself if He didn't honor God and the ways he had been taught to live as one of the people of the One True God.  It's not easy doing things God's way when no one else is making that choice.

It's not easy, but it is possible.  Mordecai, cousin and father figure of Queen Esther, was able to live as a follower of God in a place that not only worshiped their own gods, but also despised those who followed the Creator of heavens and earth, the God of his forefathers.  He had a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, even when it came to the King who was so easily led to destroy his people.  When a plot was discovered to kill the king, Mordecai exposed the evil plan, thus saving the leader.

When it came time to bow to the king's second-hand-man, however, Mordecai refused. All the other men around him knelt but Mordecai the Jew would give this honor to only One.   How easy it is to follow the crowd, compromising values, beliefs or commands in an effort to blend in with everyone else.  I will even go so far as pretending I do not know the Truth in order to keep from drawing attention to myself.

Jesus, however, said that, "Whoever acknowledges me before me, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."  (Matthew 10:32-33)  When do I keep silent when my Lord's name is defiled?  How do I deny Jesus in the harsh way I treat those who irritate me?  In what ways do I fail to acknowledge God in the dishonest way I conduct business?  

If I want to please God, I would be wise to resolve to stand apart by honoring God's ways in the midst of the evil going on around me.  

Blessing from God

The sacrifices Daniel and three of his fellow exiles made did not go unnoticed. "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.  And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds."  (Daniel 1:17)

While there is no indication that God blessed them because of their obedience, He has said time and time again that if we do things His way, it will go well with us.

Take Joshua, for instance.  When he was the new leader of the Israelites after the death of his beloved leader, Moses, God took him aside.  He encouraged him by saying, "Be strong and very courageous.  Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:7-8)

Making a special effort to live my life the way God is teaching me to live as I study His Word and learn more about Him will result in blessing.  The favor of God is on me when I am living according to His ways.  He decides what that will look like, but of this I can be sure: "He blesses the home of the righteous."  (Proverbs 3:33)

If I want to please God by resolving to abstain from evil and adhere to His ways, my life will be blessed with the favor of God.

It's not easy to live in a material, shallow and godless world, but if Daniel can do it, so can I.  It is my heart's desire to please God by making up my mind to stay away from things that corrupt and keep close to things that honor God, resulting in a life blessed by Him.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will honor God with my thoughts, words and actions.  

How would making a resolution to keep myself pure of evil change the choices I make on a daily basis?

Is it possible to honor God with my life when I am partaking of so much corruption?