But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine…
Daniel 1:8 MSG
That’s where it all starts. In your “heart”…your mind, will and emotions. That’s the story of Daniel. No matter what would come along to upend him, he chose to do the next right thing.
Why? Because he had already “determined that he would not defile himself.” So before the looming temptation ever arose, he had already
pre-determined to “just say no.”
That’s how Daniel was able to stand firm, even though he had been captured and uprooted from his family, moved to a different country and assigned a new name. The king even tried to take away his God…but he could not, as Daniel had resolved, purposed, determined to give all allegiance and honor to the one, true Jehovah God.
How could Daniel be so confident? He knew God. God knew him. He spent time with God. God spent time with him. He trusted God. God trusted him. A deep, abiding relationship with the personal, miracle-working God had already been established priorto all the trials and hardships Daniel faced.
That’s it! My decision, my resolve, is settled beforethe fiery trials ever begin. Therefore, I don’t decide on-the-spot, as there is a much greater chance I will toss to-and-fro like the waves of the sea. And the result? “When the king interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men.” v18
Yep. My resolve to trust God always comes with rewards.
