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LIVING AN UNCOMPROMISING LIFE

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: THURSDAY, 3RD NOVEMBER, 2022 

TOPIC: LIVING AN UNCOMPROMISING LIFE

TEXT: DANIEL 1:1-END
 
1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 
2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
3. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 
4. young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 
5. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 
6. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 
7. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 
9. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. 
10. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”
11. So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 
12. “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 
13. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” 
14. So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.
15. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. 
16. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 
19. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 
20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 
21. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.


MESSAGE:
As long as we live in the midst of an ungodly world, we will face situations where we have to take a stand. As Christians, we are in the world but not of the world. This means that we need to take a stand for the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may effectively resist the pressures of the world to compromise our faith and values. To do this, we must have only one faithful guide of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable – The Bible, which is God’s Word. We must have firm convictions from God’s Word and apply these convictions in our daily life. In our text today, we see that Daniel and his three friends had the privilege of eating the best food in Babylon, but they refused. That was a very risky thing to do. They could be expelled from the royal academy or worse, they could be executed for refusing to receive the King’s provisions. God honoured their obedience and their uncompromising stand for Him, and after ten days, they were miraculously healthier and stronger than any other scholars in the royal academy. Despite what you may face in life that may be similar to that of Daniel, which may pressurise you to conform to idolatrous or sinful practices, and though there may be other Christians around you who have compromised, remember the example of Daniel and his friends in this passage, take a stand for God and He will surely deliver you.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, give me grace to stand for You without compromise despite the pressures around me, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen

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