Book of Danielনমুনা

INTEGRITY 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. (Daniel 1: 8) Daniel and his community had left their homeland and were deported to another country. They had left their cultures, ways of life, and many other religious practices. However, the Lord used this dangerous event to place His people in positions of influence. Daniel and his three friends were chosen to work in Nebuchadnezzar's royal government. This was such an honorable job. While God placed them there, they were faced with a choice between honoring the king of Babylon and honoring the Lord. The food that was given by the king was against God's commandment because it was an offering to the gods. Were they willing to compromise or refuse it? In the end, Daniel proposed to make an experiment to avoid eating the king's food. As the result, they were in God's care. They were healthy, strong, and smarter than other high-ranking officials. In this life, we are also surrounded by values that sometimes contradict the word of God or holiness. Sometimes there is a choice between compromising or refusing because it goes against our beliefs. How important it is for us to remind ourselves that we have a Christ-given identity as the children of God. Let us commit to hold on to integrity, faithfully obey the word of God, and trust that He can help and bless us. We have received salvation from Lord Jesus through faith in Him. However, faith must also be accompanied by doing what is right before the Lord. Daniel did not want to be affected by the corruption in Babylon. He still maintained himself as God's chosen people. Just as God worked and defended Daniel in the past, He would also give us strength and grace as He defends us and upholds the truth that becomes our part. Let us maintain integrity as God's children in this world. Our struggle of faith is walking in the truth even though it is full of challenges.