What Will Be Your Choice?

Today, at our church, we started the book of Daniel. The first chapter begins with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all youths with education and nobility, taken to Babylon. Ashpenaz, Nebuchadnezzar’s chief eunuch, is assigned to them by the King.

Nebuchadnezzar planned to “reeducate” these young men into the Chaldean culture, then serve in the King’s palace. The King assigned daily portions of the food that the King ate and the wine he drank. The King planned to reeducate them for three years, and at the end of that time, they were to stand before the King. (Daniel 1:5-6). Their names were changed as follows: Daniel was called Belteshazzar, Hananiah, Shadrach, Mishael, Meshach, and Azariah, Abednego. (Daniel 1:7)

Daniel decided that he and his comrades would not defile themselves with the King’s food. Daniel asked Ashpenaz, the King’s chief eunuch, to feed them vegetables and water. God gave learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel the gift to interpret dreams. The King found them ten times better than his magicians and enchanters.

It would have been easy for Daniel and his friends to adapt to the ways of their captors, but they remain loyal to God. God brought them favor with the King.

We are in a world that wants us to conform. Like Daniel, we have a choice; to conform or follow God. It is evident in this story that God will look after those who follow His commands and do His will. As we go through the book of Daniel, you will see how God protected and rescued them.