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Dinner with the King

When Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were teenagers, they were recruited to serve in the royal palace of Babylon. They came from recognized and well-educated families. But shortly after they started their duties in the king’s palace, they had a hard decision to make.

As servants of the king, they were offered food and wine from the king’s kitchen. You can imagine a king’s feast – just like in the movies. When do you get an opportunity to eat food fit for royalty, for free? I don’t know about you, but I probably would have accepted the king’s invitation.

For these young men, however, there was an issue.

Personal Conviction vs. Social Pressure

They were Jews, and back in those days, the Jewish diet was strict. Some foods, like pork or horse meat, were common in the Babylonian diet, but these were forbidden by Jewish law. It was even worse if these foods had been sacrificed to false gods. The king’s wine had most likely also been offered in worship to the gods of Babylon.

Eating at the king’s table meant accepting the king’s friendship, and to do so was a public declaration of dependence on the king. But Daniel and his friends knew their full dependence ought to be on God alone.

What happens next? They refuse the king’s offer and instead request a diet of vegetables and water.

As a result of their loyalty, God made them stronger and wiser than any of the other servants at the king’s palace. Their extraordinary wisdom eventually became known to the king, who subsequently gave positions of honor to Daniel and his friends as official royal servants.

They would now form part of the king’s council, advising the king in any matters of importance.

Sentenced to Death

Everything was going well, but then things started to get tricky. The king ordered the construction of a grand gold statue (an idol) and commanded everyone in Babylon to stop what they were doing, bow down, and worship it whenever the signal was given.

Disobeying this law attracted the penalty of death, but obeying it would have gone completely against their Jewish identity. Daniel’s friends remained steadfast, refusing to worship anyone other than their God.

As a consequence, the king became furious. He ordered them to bow down or die. They refused to bow down, so he threw them into a fiery furnace. The king watched, expecting them to die immediately, but God saved them.

The miracle was obvious to all. Amazed and astounded, the king acknowledged and praised their God as the true God. Impressed by their faith, he also promoted them to higher positions in the province of Babylon.

Daniel and the Lions

Many years later, there was a new king, and things got spicy again. All the high officers at the palace were jealous of Daniel because he was more capable than any of them. So they tried to find something against him, but couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn him for.

What did they do? They convinced the king to create a new law where everyone could only pray to the king, no one else, not even God. But Daniel had a close relationship with God and always prayed three times a day, kneeling in his room. He kept the window of his room open towards Jerusalem.

He continued praying as part of his normal practice, so when the officials saw him praying in his house, they told the king, who gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions, expecting him to die.

But once again, God delivered him. The lions didn't kill him; he didn't even have a scratch when he came out.

So... What's your choice?

It's interesting how things turned around for Daniel. It’s always easier to conform to the easy choice, to follow the path that looks more appealing. But what if we, like Daniel, pay closer attention to what’s hidden beneath?

God was at the center of his life. Daniel knew God was his judge and not the king. He knew his loyalty and obedience were to God, not to anyone else.

What decision do you have to make today? Will you take the easy way, which looks more appealing? Or will you stay strong in your convictions, follow your inner calling, and choose the harder way instead?

Most importantly, will you stay true to God?

Love,

PS: Read Daniel's full story here.

Host of How I Met God Podcast🎙️ Let's connect on Twitter and Instagram.

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