Daniel 1:8

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel was in a dangerous predicament. Along with his three friends, he had been dragged from his home to Babylon as a slave. He was told what to eat by none other than King Nebuchadnezzar himself. But the God of heaven had also told Daniel what to eat in the Bible. What was Daniel to do? Obey God or obey the king? So Daniel proposed a test for 10 days. And Melzar, his supervisor agreed. And God blessed Daniel for his faithfulness. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were healthier and smarter than all of the other trainees. Daniel honored God and God honored Daniel. A good lesson for us, right?

Daniel 1:5,6

Daniel 1:5,6 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. I know the name of Daniel, but who in the world are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? Well, actually, those are the Babylonian names for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Sounds a little more familiar, doesn’t it? I am not sure why the writer uses Daniel’s Hebrew name and his three friends’ Babylonian names, but he does. These four young men were snatched from their homes and their country and placed in a strange, foreign land. They were offered food which was not acceptable in their Jewish tradition. But no one was around to check up on them. They could eat whatever they wanted. Right? Wrong! God was watching and the boys determined to obey God, whatever the cost! They decided early on that they would do right whatever might happen to them. Brave boys, right?! So what about you? If someone offered you a cigarette, what would you do? If someone offered you a drink of liquor, what would you do? If someone offered you an illegal pill to take that would make you crazy/happy, what would you do? The time to decide is before the temptation comes. It’s too late to decide when the temptation comes because you won’t have time to think. You’ll give in quicker than a blink of the eye! So Daniel and his friends decided to obey God. And they stood firm. And guess what? God honored them! Remember, God honors faith because faith honors God.

Jude 24,25

Jude 24,25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. This is a great benediction; a great final prayer. Jude wisely gives all of the glory back to Jesus Christ. And Jude reminds us that Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. And Jesus is able to keep us safely all the way through to eternity. He will not fail us. He will not let us down. Jesus can and will keep us all the way to heaven! Thank you, dear Jesus, for keeping us safe. Amen!