TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that, they were to enter the king’s service.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Daniel 1:1-8
DEVOTIONAL
by Elder Chris Beltran
Daniel and his friends were exiled to Babylon after their beloved city, Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Babylonians. The great King Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashpenaz to educate the exiles in the ways of the Babylonians, including their knowledge, culture, food, and even their religion. They even changed their names to Babylonian names (v. 7) to try to erase their connection with Jerusalem completely.
But Daniel did not let the temptations and pressure of his surroundings interfere with His relationship with the Lord. He stood by his convictions that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King’s delicacies, which were probably offered to their gods first. Regardless of what the most powerful King in the world commanded, he refused to compromise. He trusted that God had placed him there in a strange place in order for him to make a difference.
God placed Joseph to become the second most powerful leader in Egypt and placed Esther inside the Persian King’s court at a crucial time to save the lives of His people. Do you dare to believe that He who has called you, equipped you, and has placed you where you are now is for you to make a difference? To shine for His glory? He has placed you exactly where you are for a purpose.
Are we allowing our surroundings to determine how we live our lives? Stand firm on your convictions. When we keep comparing and complaining about the circumstances around us, we will lose sight of why the Lord has placed us there in the first place. Ask the Lord to reveal His purpose for your life and trust that He will lead and equip you to do His will to make a difference anywhere He has placed you.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to seek first your Kingdom and righteousness in order to strengthen my convictions, not to compromise our beliefs but to live in such a way that we can make a difference in other people’s lives and draw them to know You more. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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