8 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. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel.
Daniel trusted God and did the right thing: he resolved not to sin against God. The next verse (1:9) records that the chief official showed favour to Daniel. Thus, as Daniel made the right choice, God also made things easier for Daniel. If you read the rest of the chapter, Daniel’s holy resolution was the turning point in his career and spiritual life. Not only did Daniel passed the test after the training, he was the top scholar (1:17, 21), and became the second most important man in the kingdom (2:48). Even after the Babylonian empire collapsed, Daniel continued to be the second most important man in the next (Medo-Persia) empire that succeeded the Babylonian empire (1:21; 6:3). Daniel is outstanding for this reason: he was able to honour God in an environment that was hostile to his religious faith and emerged victorious. What made Daniel so special?
First, Daniel could make the right spiritual decision as a teenager. His parents and the “church” he attended have trained him well. But his parents get the main credit because they were responsible for spiritual training. But other Hebrew boys also had godly parents and attended the same “church.” What made Daniel different? Your parents, Bible teachers, the pastor may teach you God’s Word. But whether or you are helped by God’s Word so that you bear much spiritual fruit and enjoy a holy and and abundant life depends on the type of heart you choose to have. In other words, whether or not you have a good heart which receives God’s Word favourably is a choice you can and have to make. Jesus describes this heart as “a noble and good heart, who hear the word [of God], retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15). In other words, you must choose to have a good heart: a heart that desires to learn God’s Word and that resolves to obey it no matter how difficult the situation. That is, a heart that perseveres in obedience.
Dear Christian, do not have a bad quality heart. Choose a good heart, a heart of superior quality, one that loves God’s Word and that resolves to obey it. Then, surely, God will enable you to obey it and you will succeed in life. This success, because it is a blessing from God Himself, is a real blessing because only God can truly bless.
Do you wish the year 2018 to be a good year? It depends not on your intelligence or how hardworking you are, as much as these are important factors. Rather, God must bless you. But if you wish to be blessed by God, do the first thing: resolve to obey God even when it seems impossible. This is the key to a good life. May you have a blessed new year.