Tuesday 6 Oct 2020

October 6: Daniel 1:3-16
 
Key Verse: Daniel 1:8
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 in this way.
 
Devotion:
Most of us cannot fully relate to the relationship of a servant and their master because we have not been a true servant in our lives. The king wanted something, and what he wanted, he normally got... because he was king and didn’t have a high regard for Daniel’s people! He wanted choice servant who looked good and behaved as he wanted them to. Nothing was going to get in his way!
 
Yet, along comes Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were chosen because of their looks and because they did not have any physical deformities, defects of markings. The king wanted to feel good by having good looking people surrounding him. The last thing he would have wanted is a servant who was going to answer back or one who was picky!
 
Daniel knew, despite everything which had happened up to then, God was going to look out for him and that was enough for him. He was not going to allow anything in life to persuade him not to do what God wanted of him. One of those things was to moderate what he ate – we know the Israelites had diets which excluded various meats; why should he give in to that if he knew God was watching!
 
Often, we give in to things because we don’t think God is watching or because everyone else is doing something. It may not be what God wants in our lives, and we may know that, but we give in anyway because it is easier to give in that to stand up for yourself! This is not what God has made us to do. He wants us to stand up for righteousness and to continue worshipping Him from our daily actions...
 
Points to Ponder:
What temptations do you most often give in to?
 
Are you sure that is what God wants in your life?