Thriving Or Surviving Series

But which one feeds your soul and produces fruit that lasts for eternity? Which one pleases God?

See, that is always the tradeoff. Do what is right, as commanded by God, which is often harder, more costly, requires more effort, and yet brings deep deep experiences of joy and contentment and purpose and knowledge that this has just made a difference

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. (Dan 1:8).

Daniel: Umm, excuse me Ashpenaz, could I have permission to not eat these unacceptable foods?

9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10 But he responded,

Ashpenaz: I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.

Now, at this point Ashpenaz leaves the detailed care of these four young men in the hands of another attendant. Ash, pick yourself an attendant.

11 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Daniel: Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water. At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see. Besides, then who do you think will get to eat the king’s food, wink wink nudge nudge, pretty good trade for you, eh? just for ten days.

14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

What do you think happened at the end of the 10 days?

15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

18 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

21 Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus (Dan 1).

(By the way, that last verse tells us Daniel served the kings of Babylon for 66 years.)

The Point:

I began with the question, what does it take to thrive rather than just survive? Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah lost everything they had ever known, taken captive to a foreign land, and were then tempted to forget who they were and completely succumb to their new culture, vividly displayed in their choice of food. That was it – that was where the choice was clear. See, it wasn’t really a matter of the food being kosher or not. It would have been pretty much impossible for them as captives to keep the Levitical food purity laws. It wasn’t about a vegetarian diet being healthier than the king’s diet.