MAKE A RESOLUTION: STAND UP FOR SOMETHING.

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.

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 1:8 NIV

This is a major point in Daniel's life. He's making a decision that will define his legacy for all of his life. Daniel Resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine.

The Christian walk is so much about saying "No" to so many things. It is assured that we will face trials, it is assured that we will face temptations, and it is assured that we will face things that want to draw us to the world. What shall we do? Resolve to say no!

I would like us to look at two things in these particular circumstances.

1. The things for which Daniel was saying no.

Eating food in the palace of a king that will pay you, and has the power of life and death over you, is a small thing. It costs nothing to do that. This was a small thing.

Yet, it was in this small thing that Daniel showed his resolve. I think about it this way, while there are big moments in life where our resolve can have more influence, it is our commitment and dedication to small things that determine how far we will go. Your resolve in small things is a true statement about your heart. When you refuse to compromise on small matters, that's the true statement that tells us about your character.

When one begins to compromise on small things, it builds up. The devil does not ask for everything at once. He asks for them in bits. He asks for them in quantities that you may overlook and he wants it that way. CS Lewis puts it this way "The safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

Say "no" to the little compromises.

2. Daniel made a public commitment, not just a private one. It is one thing to resolve in the heart, it is another to voice it out. Voicing out our commitment is important. It would have been great if Daniel had just thought in his heart, but Daniel was not just committing himself. He was making a commitment by which he wanted to be known. Think about all the great people you know about. Martin Luther King Jr, Mohammed Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, CS Lewis, etc. We don't remember them for the things they thought in their hearts alone, we remember them for the things they stood up for, it showed in the things they said and in the lives they lived. What you say determines how you live. It would not have mattered if Martin Luther King Jr had a dream and said nothing about it, it would not have mattered if Mohammed Gandhi had believed in nonviolence and said nothing about it and it would not have mattered if CS Lewis had believed in Jesus and said nothing about it. It is not enough to resolve, you must take the bold step of letting others know.

All through his life, Daniel will face trials, all of them will be directed at his person, at his commitment to the God of Israel, not the gods of the Babylonians.

What is your resolve? What are the principles you want to be known by? Don't be timid. It is time to make your commitment known. It is time to declare who you are.

In my opinion, one of the most important resolutions you can make, at whatever point in your life, is to believe in Jesus. It matters more than anything. If you haven’t thought about that seriously, you should.

This is the second in the series on the studies in the book of Daniel. Subscribe to enjoy the rest.