Dan. 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
We read above that Daniel and his friends decided to only eat vegetables instead of defiling themselves with the King’s food and wine. But notice that they still acted wisely in this graciously asking permission of the chief official. They didn’t demand anything, get snarky or go on a hunger strike. We need to remember that the chief official was putting his life on the line here as well as he states. King Nebuchadnezzar could be highly unpredictable and wouldn’t want sickly-looking servants coming into his presence!
It is also useful to note that he didn’t do this totally alone. God allowed his three friends to be there with him in this test. What do we take from this? It is important to have godly friends around you that can support you. It is important to maintain fellowship with like-minded believers. God helps us in our trials but one of the methods He uses is support from fellow believers. Don’t be an island all unto yourself. We are bombarded in this world with ‘Babylonian’ systems and beliefs. Fellowship with God is crucial but fellowship with godly friends comes next. A key element in the Christian life is the community of believers.
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