God Sustains Daniel
As
I read this passage, I couldn't help but contemplate God's ever-presence.
We could say ever-present help, ever-present wisdom, or even His ever-present
grace. But in the end I think it is best to simply say His
ever-presence. God is willing to stand beside us. God is willing to
walk before us, beside us, and even within our shoes if we need Him to do
so. How do we see this in Daniel 1?
Daniel decides to make himself holy to the Lord and not eat the food off of the king's table. So Daniel resolves to eat only vegetables and water. God honors this decision. God stands beside Daniel. God is ever-present with Daniel. Essentially, God says to Daniel: You set yourself apart for my sake? Then I will honor your vow and bless you so that through you My Name will be blessed.
But even more powerfully, God doesn't simply preserve Daniel. God doesn't simply keep Daniel in good health. God makes his flesh in better appearance than all the rest. Here's God's point. Give yourself to God, and God will preserve you. Seek God's will, ask God to make your will to become like His, and God will use you to bring glory to Him.
Notice that this isn't a self-serving sort of faith. I'm not saying if we go through the motions we can "make God bless us." No, I don't believe in that kind of self-serving sort of faith. When our will becomes like God's will – when we give up our self-serving agendas and truly desire what God desires – then God will use us to bring Him glory.
Daniel decides to make himself holy to the Lord and not eat the food off of the king's table. So Daniel resolves to eat only vegetables and water. God honors this decision. God stands beside Daniel. God is ever-present with Daniel. Essentially, God says to Daniel: You set yourself apart for my sake? Then I will honor your vow and bless you so that through you My Name will be blessed.
But even more powerfully, God doesn't simply preserve Daniel. God doesn't simply keep Daniel in good health. God makes his flesh in better appearance than all the rest. Here's God's point. Give yourself to God, and God will preserve you. Seek God's will, ask God to make your will to become like His, and God will use you to bring glory to Him.
Notice that this isn't a self-serving sort of faith. I'm not saying if we go through the motions we can "make God bless us." No, I don't believe in that kind of self-serving sort of faith. When our will becomes like God's will – when we give up our self-serving agendas and truly desire what God desires – then God will use us to bring Him glory.
Wisdom
Notice
what happens to Daniel. When Daniel vows to honor God in word and deed,
not only does God preserve Daniel and make him better fit than anyone else, but
God also gives him – and his friends, for the record – incredible wisdom.
The ESV translation tells us that there were none like Daniel and his
friends. Now that's some powerful stuff right there. Stand with
God, and He will stand with you. Make your will like God's, and God will
use you to do great things for the glory of His wonderful name.
Furthermore, remember that all of this was done in the "court of the enemy." Daniel was brought to the chambers of the enemy king that had conquered his own people. Daniel had every right to be bitter or angry, but instead he again makes his will to the will of God. Daniel is willingly used by God. Sometimes life does that. Sometimes we are called to go into the presence of "the enemy." As we shall see in a few chapters, when we go "to the enemy" having made our will like that of God's will, God can even make the enemy see His presence! When we humble ourselves and do God's will, even our enemies will acknowledge God before men.
Furthermore, remember that all of this was done in the "court of the enemy." Daniel was brought to the chambers of the enemy king that had conquered his own people. Daniel had every right to be bitter or angry, but instead he again makes his will to the will of God. Daniel is willingly used by God. Sometimes life does that. Sometimes we are called to go into the presence of "the enemy." As we shall see in a few chapters, when we go "to the enemy" having made our will like that of God's will, God can even make the enemy see His presence! When we humble ourselves and do God's will, even our enemies will acknowledge God before men.
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