Daniel 1

I couldn't help but write this down...I was getting ready in my hotel room this morning and I pulled out my travel size shaving cream. When I went to use it, it produced only a very small amount and my first thought was 'darn- this isn't going to be enough to shave with!'. Well, I began applying this small amount over my face and low and behold, it was enough. It got me to thinking- this is exactly how Christ works in our lives. Bear with me here...we're initially given a small portion of Jesus, and you wonder how this is going to affect your whole life. Some people don't attempt to apply Jesus to all aspects of their life and they don't ever find that He is enough. Others begin applying Jesus and find that it spreads to their entire life. Just as applying shaving cream must take place gradually (from one part to the next), Jesus does the same thing in our lives. I was blessed by the thought that the application of Christ is ongoing and to trust that He will be enough. Things are on-going- I'm applying Christ, only to find that there is still more of Him to apply to my sinful life. Ok...yes, laugh...but I had to share. ;-)

Anyway, I've read the first two chapters of Daniel and chapter 2 is chalk full of awesome stuff! Chapter 1 sets the stage for Daniel to be before the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, for later prophetic events. After Daniel is taken captive from Jerusalem into Babylon, he and his 3 friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) are supposed to be preparing (for 3 years) to serve the king. In this time, they're supposed to be partaking of the kings delicacies and wine. Daniel sets himself apart from the other servants by "purposing in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank;"- 1:8

The chief of the eunichs doesn't want the king upset with him for the 4 servants having 'worse looking faces' than the others and is hesitant, but allows Daniel and his 3 friends to eat vegetables for a period of 10 days to prove that they could have an alternate diet and still maintain their healthy appearance. At the end of the 10 days, their appearance was better than the other servants so the eunich allowed them to continue with their undefiled diet.

Daniel is an example here of what we should be: set apart for God. He has the opportunity to experience luxury! The king is offering his delicacies and wine to Daniel, rare for anybody in that time period. Daniel chooses his desire to be close to God and following his commands over his comfort and 'fitting in'. Aren't we all faced with this everyday? Why can't we just do what Daniel did and chose the 'hard road', that ultimately ends the way God wants it to?

"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them (Daniel and his 3 friends) ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm." - 1:20

Daniel, taking the road he new God would want him to take, was blessed! I think we choose comfort over seeking the will of God often, even if we don't know that we're even doing it. I've heard the nudge of the Holy Spirit say 'tell that person about me' and I've found an excuse to stay in my comfort zone as opposed to following God's will. What we think might be the hard road will bless us more than sitting on the sidelines being unusable. Remember, even if we 'mess up' His work, God is capable of turning our errors into wonderful things- not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.