Ch3: Episode 3: Daniel's Commitment in Adversity: Standing Firm in Faith

0:00 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I am your host, Connie Morris, and we are now, and we have been, in Chapter 3, Embracing the Miraculous, Believing the Impossible. We are in Episode 3 with Daniel, Commitment to Adversity. This podcast is dedicated to exploring the profound biblical stories with their practical applications in our lives. Like I said, I'm your host, Connie Morris. So in this series, we will dive into the lives of key biblical figures, uncovering the depth of their faith and lessons that we can apply in our own spiritual journey.

0:49 Today's episode, we will explore the story of Daniel, focusing on his commitment to adversity as depicted in Daniel chapter 1, verses 8 through 14. Daniel was taken as a young prisoner in Babylon, yet he remains steadfast in his faith and commitment to God. So stay tuned as we uncover Daniel's incredible journey and how his story can inspire us to remain commitment in the face of adversity. Today, we're going to read about Daniel in chapter 1, verses 8 through 14. And I'm going to start in the Message Bible and even Man's Translation.

1:33 And even though this story is about Daniel and this is a podcast for women, Daniel is a great example. Even though it's a male for women, because he takes some stance that I believe that if we really take the same stance from a male perspective and put it in a female perspective, we can make some key points. We will cover those later on. But let's just read the Scripture Foundation, following Daniel 1, chapter 1, verses 8 through 14. In the message translation.

2:14 It reads, but Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king's food or drinking his wine. So he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God's grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, I'm afraid of what my master, the king, will do. He is the one who assigned this diet, and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he will have my head. But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hannah, Michelle, and Azara.

3:01 Try us out for 10 days on a simple diet of vegetables and water, then compare pair us with the young men who eat from the royal menu and then make your decision on the basis of what you see. I like that. And the steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for 10 days. At the end of the 10 days, they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So we see Daniel and his friends and probably a bunch of others were taken captive and they were as prisoners in the Babylon, in the Babylon, Babylonian.

3:45 And Daniel right away had made a decision, say, you know, I'm not going to eat from the royal diet. And if you can just give us just, you know, just some vegetables and some water and we'll be fine. Just give us about 10 days, just feed them vegetables and water for about 10 days and see what happens. Who do you think I did was that? You know, these are some young guys. They are taking prisoners. They're in the castle and they have the opportunity to eat royal food, but yet they turn it down. They said, we're going to turn it down. We're going to consider this, quote, we're going to fast this food.

4:31 We're just going to fast this food. Think about it. What would you do in a situation like that? You're under a lot of stress. A lot of times when we're under stress, what do we do? We eat. We don't really care. We're going to eat what the royal food is, probably everything you're not supposed to have. But they decided at that point that they are going to make a stand. And of course, these names, they changed their names. So these are not their names. I think these are their names. They changed their names. And so Daniel and his friends decided to remain steadfast in faith, committed to God.

5:13 And I guarantee as they were taken as prisoners, they were praying, asking the Lord, what should we do next? And then the Lord probably said, do not eat none of their food. And boom, what happened? So let's cover the main points and see what happens when Daniel and his friends remain steadfast and not taking part of the royal food. Right away, we see that they end up looking more robust than the rest. So right away, it was a positive thing. They obeyed God. They looked more robust. Let's see what happens in Daniel. What else happened when Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he finds favor as a result of his faithfulness.

6:05 So that's interesting. This is going going to be really good. So as women of God, first thing that we can learn here is that Daniel took a stand for God. He decided not to defile himself with the food or with the wine. He just had vegetables and water. So let's see, divine encounter, verses eight and nine. Let's go to the, we're going to read from the NIV translation. I thought that was a better translation than the others. We go to verse eight and nine here. And we'll look at that. It says, 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.

6:55 Verse 9, now God had caused the officials to show favor and compassion to Daniel. So we got a little interference here, right? God tells you to do something, so he's going to go before you and make a way. Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. And God caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel. Daniel's decision to maintain his dietary restriction despite the pressures of his new environment demonstrates his commitment to God's law. His resolve, I love that, that he probably already ate that way.

7:37 And so he was in a new environment and he continued to keep God's law. So his resolve is an act of faith, trusting in God's provision and favor. Supporting scripture is Romans 12, 2. It says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be faithful. Transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. So when you're not conformed to the pattern in this world, but you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, you will know what his good, pleasing, and perfect will is.

8:27 Let's go to the second part. What is Daniel's initial reaction to this? He said, but the official told Daniel, I'm afraid, my Lord, the king who assigned your food and drink. Why should you see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king will have my head. Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Those are their official names. He says, just listen. He says, just listen to me. Just do it.

9:08 The official expressed fear because Daniel asking this guy who's already been told by the boss, this is what I want you to feed this new crew that we have here. An official expressed fear about Daniel's request and is concerned about the king's reaction if Daniel and his friends appear less healthy than the other young men. Despite the official's fear, Daniel remained respectful and wise in his approach. He proposes a test showing his faith in God's provision while being considerate to the official's position.

9:51 Daniel was always like a gentleman. He says, okay, I understand that you have a job to do. I also have something to do, but I'm not going to be disrespectful in my approach to you. Let's do it this way. Let's try it out. Let's do this for like 10 days. Let's try it out as a test. And if it doesn't work, then I'll, I'll eat what you have, you know? So let's just do it on the down low. And if it don't work, I'll just follow the rules. You know, I'll follow the rules. Can you do me this favor? So he was just very respectful knowing that he doesn't want anyone want to get hurt, but he also doesn't want to violate God's law.

10:32 And so he used wisdom. He was respectful. And so we still, even we can use this approach, which is not in my notes, is that even at work, you know, we have, maybe we have to, we want to go to church maybe on a Wednesday night, but yet the boss asked us to stay over a little late to do something. And we go into like a hoopla. We can say, you know, I can't finish this in the morning. If you let me come in, I can come in early and get this done if you would like, but I would like to leave now so I can get over to church. And you keep your promise and you show up early the next morning and you get it done.

11:16 You think that would be respectful? Having a plan B instead of going into your office, slamming things around, you know, being mad about it and then show up late for church, still with an attitude, you know, finding a way to be respectful to the boss who is your boss in this world, right? In this earthly world, but also coming, having a plan of attack and knowing that, you know, that this might happen every Wednesday. You know how that goes, that you find a way to maybe come in early on Wednesday and then go into your boss' office and say, hey, you have anything extra that needs to be done?

11:59 So beating her to the punch so she's not coming into your office or him in your office at that last minute, so you can get all your work done and plan ahead. So being smart, being wise. Because things happen on Wednesday, seems like, in my workplace. It's probably in your workplace, too. Monday, Tuesday is good. Thursday, Friday is good. But that Wednesday, when you need to get out of there to go to church, something seems to always want to happen. So you've seen that you need to have a plan, a proactive plan, so that you can actually get to where you need to be on that Wednesday, you know. So that's just an idea.

12:40 But we see here that despite what's happening in Daniel's time, that he remained respectful and wise in his approach. And he proposed, he says a test, but he proposed an alternative plan, showing his faith in God's provision. vision. Come on now, not leaving God out of the picture while being considerate of the official's position. So we know there's deadlines at work. So being considerate, being wise. And if we're praying in the morning, we pretty much know something might be coming down the pipe. We're never, as Christians, praying Christians should never really be caught off guard.

13:24 And the supporting According to scripture, it was Proverbs 3, 5 through 6, trusting in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. I think I always get messed up at this part when I think I got it and I don't. And so lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways, submit to him and he'll make your path straight. So he'll make it right. So always trusting in the Lord. Next point, the test of your faith. Let's look at verses 12 and 13 in Daniel 1 in the NIV.

14:07 Please test your servants for 10 days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with the other young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance of what you see. Daniel suggests a 10-day fast where he and his friends consume only vegetables and water. He asks to be compared with those who eat the royal food. So this test is a practical demonstration of faith. Daniel trusts God's dietary laws will sustain him and his friends better than the king's food.

14:49 His faith is active and not passive. And we know according to James 2.17, it's in the same way faith by itself. If it's not accompanied by action, it's dead. So Daniel trusted that if he followed Follow this test, this 10-day fast, that with that faith behind it, that it will be successful. What happened in verse 14, the result of his faithfulness? Verse 14, it says, so he agreed to this and tested him for 10 days. And so the official agreed to the fast.

15:30 And at the end of 10 days, Daniel and his friends appeared healthier and better nourished than those who ate the royal food. If you think about the food royal period is probably good. So, you know, the vegetables were delicious, fresh vegetables, royal vegetables. Vegetables so hello verses 15 and 16 let's read that from the niv it says at the end of the 10 days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food so the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead so it says at the end of the 10 days daniel and his friends looked at healthier healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

16:22 So the guard took away their choice food and wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. So he probably was bringing out both foods, like here go the royal food and here go your vegetables so that he wouldn't get in trouble. So eat what you need to eat, But eat what you need to eat and we'll compare it. And he found out that they looked at healthier. God honors Daniel's faithfulness. The positive outcome of the test reinforced the principles that God provides for those who are faithful to his commands.

17:03 Matthew 6.33 says, It says, but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. We put God first. He seems to make a way when it seems to be no way. How fun, right? How fun this to say, you know, I'm just going to try something new. That work idea works. Trying out what different foods work. Finding out what works in your diet. Maybe there's a thing you're trying to lose weight, but yet you can't. And you say, Lord, what am I eating that's causing me to keep gaining weight? And voila, he might say, cut this out. And then that'd be the key answer. God always has a master plan.

17:47 What was Daniel's reward? Let's go to verse 17 through 20. And it reads, it says, to these four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

18:28 So they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. them. Daniel's commitment to God resulted not only in immediate physical health, but also in long-term blessings. God rewarded Daniel and his friends with exceptional knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, elevating them above all others in the king's service.

19:09 It says, Proverbs Verse 26 says, for the king gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Just listen to this. Just because they followed the diet that God told them to follow, God promoted them, promoted them. Gave them wisdom and understanding, dreams, understanding. Of visions and dreams. I mean, they just, just a simple thing that they did and they did it not necessarily.

19:50 In a comfort zone, they did it in a different zone. They were in a different land. Just following what God, being committed to God, resulted not only in immediate health, so they got their health, but they also got wisdom. They got understanding. They got visions and dreams, and it elevated them in God's service. And as you read the book of Daniel, We got another, we're going to read another section on the next episode, but we, if you read the whole book of Daniel, we'll see that they set the tone in that first chapter, chapter one, that sets them up for success throughout their whole life for the rest of the book of Daniel.

20:41 That obedience to not be defiled by the food. You can preach on the food right there, not to be defiled by the food and the wine, the royal food and the wine. Set them up to be able to have, we can say this is discernment. They had learning. They were smart. They were able to have spiritual visions and dreams, wisdom and understanding, promotion and blessings from God. Hmm. That's good. Let's see how, how explore how Daniel was feeling and his friends.

21:27 We talk about courage and commitment as a young prisoner and they were a prisoner in a foreign land. And yet they were brought before the King to represent, cause they had to present how good they were and anything could happen in that room. So they, they ate well, you know, and continue to pray and had to present their skills and talents. And then God presented, they were presented before the king and they just showed up and showed off or they could have been killed. You don't know what could happen in a foreign land. And so courage and commitment as a young prisoner in a foreign land, Daniel commitment to God's law required immense courage.

22:09 He had to to stand firm in his faith despite potential repercussions. Wisdom and respect. Daniel approached the situation with wisdom and respect, proposing a solution that addressed the official's concern while maintaining commitment. So having a plan B. And in faith and provision, Daniel's faith in God's provision was unwavering. He trusted that God would honor his commitment and provide for his needs. So how do we use Daniel's approach in our practical application? Let's see. Number one, standing firm in our faith.

22:50 When faced with pressure to conform, remember Daniel example of standing firm in his faith. Identify areas in your life where you feel pressured to compromise your belief. Pray for courage to stand firm. Let's back it up. Identify areas where you feel pressured to compromise your belief. You can just take out, right now, if you're following the devotional, if this is your first time picking up the podcast, I recommend that you do get a devotional notebook, or I like the five, you know, those, you know, how you get those notebooks that have five different subjects.

23:41 You need a lot of paper because you write a lot following me because you get to listen and God likes to talk. And so what areas, and this is between you and God, that you feel pressure and compromising your belief, write them down, write them down. Wow. Now you have Google, you have all these Bible apps, and just in that, when you write down your compromise, maybe there's a word or phrase in there, you can kind of look that word or phrase up and find the Bible character or scripture and find out how to stand on that and read how they, either they were compromised or they had victory over that compromise.

24:26 Minds and find out what happens with them when they were victorious or not in the pint of scripture. How can you be victorious? And then it says, pray for courage to stand firm. You pray for courage when you find a scripture that support it. You want to have a scripture that support. How to be victorious. It could be something simple. We see that Daniel, he just had to have courage to not eat the royal food. And we see that that was one instruction that God gave Daniel and his crew, and he was victorious. What is God telling you about your compromise? And many times when we're young, even when we're old, our compromise is really sometimes our insecurity and one being afraid of being alone or one that don't want to look stupid or feel like we the eyeball out.

25:20 But sometimes we know deep, deep in our, just in our heart that this is not working for me. And that's kind of been my excuse is like, this doesn't feel right. And I'm just going to leave early. I don't need to make an excuse. I am an adult. I can decide if I want to be here or not. And I'll just walk away and I'll just not walk away, but just say, I don't think I want to do that anymore. And I can get out of that compromise. I'm an adult. I can decide if I want to be there or not, you know? And people have a way of making you go like, well, you know, everybody else is doing it. I am an adult. Hello. I decide I don't want to do that. And so that pressure of compromise can kind of leave you when you make up a decision, make up your mind not to do that.

26:09 Prayer helps. If you're one that needs to belong, find another group that fits more for you. So if you need, if one of those people that I need to fit in a group, but find a time where you say, why do I feel like compromising? And then just sometimes you can just be in a group and just maybe sit quietly and just see why. First, why are you feeling pressure? And then two, what is the compromise? And just kind of just mentally take notes. And then you'll kind of have your own answer for that question. You know, let's go on to number two. I spent a lot of time on number one because that's pretty hard because a lot of people stay in groups or with friends because of this fear of wanting to fit in or belong.

26:59 So number one, standing firm in your faith. A practical tip for that is creating a personal mission statement that outlines your core belief and commitment and refer it to when you face difficult decisions. What is your final goal? It's like not what do you want to be when you're growing when you grow up but you grown up, where's the where is this going i always ask and this is and you know people who know me know i say that where is this going to take me at the end of the day and if it's not going to take me anywhere i just i unplug you know i i'm not a follower i'm a leader right but i'll go with you for so long and after a while if this is like not taking me anywhere you know i could be at home writing out the next podcast.

27:45 I like to be productive. I don't like to waste time. I don't have a lot of time getting older, right? But that's up to you, right? You do what you do, but create a personal mission statement. Most people don't do that, but you find out what do you want to do and how are you going to get there? And if you're doing something that's not getting you to that next level, then you might want to unplug and find something that's going to get you there to that next level. Spend a lot of time on that, but standing firm in your face when feeling, I'm going to repeat that, when faced with pressure to conform, remember Daniel's example of standing firm in his face. So do not conform, Romans 12, 1 and 2.

28:28 Acting with wisdom and respect. Approach challenging situations with wisdom and respect. Consider the perspective of others while maintaining your principles. Reflect on how you handle conflicts and disagreements. Pray for wisdom to navigate these situations with grace. You know, I like to say, like, the first time you hit that hiccup, it usually takes you off guard. But second time, it shouldn't take you off guard. You know, it's Wednesday or every day you have church or wherever, you know, you have something you have to do. You know, the hiccup usually comes.

29:09 You just have to have a, have a plan B, you know, so reflect on how you handle conflicts and disagreements and pray for wisdom, praying for wisdom at the time the conflict comes. Maybe that's kind of late, but God shows up on time. He is no, never too late for God to show up, But if it seems to be like a regular incident, then you have to kind of, you know, you got to plan a little bit. Practice active listening and empathetic communication in your interactions, especially when discussions matter, discussing matters of faith.

29:49 So you're acting in wisdom and respect. back. So you don't want to always explode, especially people. If you're saying you're a Christian and you walk around praying for everybody, but except on that day you explode, then I thought you was a Christian. So acting in wisdom and respect, we covered that already. I want to go over that, but reflect on how you handle conflicts and disagreements, just playing a hand. And then this third one, trusting in God's provision, trusting that God will provide your needs when you remain faithful to his commands. I'm going to say it again. Trusting that God will provide for your needs when you remain faithful to his commands, to his commands.

30:36 It says reflect on past instances when God has provided for you despite difficult circumstances. Express gratitude for his provisions. So no matter how either one, two or three go standing firm in your faith, acting wisdom and respect, whether you mess it up or not, remember the times when God just kind of took care of you, right? So reflect on past instances, express gratitude, keep a prayer journal. I told you you need a lot of paper. Keep a prayer Journal to document your requests and God's answers.

31:16 Review it regularly to remind yourself of his faithfulness. Like I said, if you keep track of God's faithfulness in a prayer journal, like I said, I keep a journal on my phone and I'll just jot down quick requests and dang, he answered that. And I just, sometimes it's a cut and paste from a email request. Maybe it's. You know, people send a lot of texts these days. I just cut and paste it as my answer. I had a question. I got to answer. Boom. And that keeps track of my gratitude journal. You know, so practical applications and standing firm with Daniel here.

31:58 So Daniel's request, standing firm with Daniel's commitment to adversity. So when we're in adversity, we stand firm in faith, we act in wisdom and respect, and we trust in God's provision. So let's go over some decrees. I decree that like Daniel, I will stand firm in my faith, trusting in God's provision, guidance, even in challenging situations. I decree that I will approach difficult situations with wisdom and respect, maintaining my commitment to God's principles. I decree that I will trust in God's provision, knowing that he honors and provides for those who are faithful to his commands.

32:47 And I decree that I will embrace the rewards that come with faithfulness, trusting that God will bless me with wisdom and understanding. Thank you once again for joining me in this exploration of Daniel's commitment to adversity. His story reminds us that remaining faithful to God, even in challenging circumstances, brings divine favor and provision. As we conclude this episode, remember that commitment to God's principles requires courage, wisdom, and unwavering faith that God rewards those who are faithful to him.

33:36 Stay tuned for our next episode as we dive into Daniel's persistence in prayer and how it can inspire us to deepen our spiritual lives. If you enjoyed this episode with Diary of a Black Woman Podcast, Embracing the Miraculous and Believing the Impossible, Chapter 3. Please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us to reach more people with these inspiring stories of faith.

34:20 Share this podcast with friends and and families, family or families who might also need an encouraging word and a powerful biblical narrative. For more resources or to connect with our community, visit our website at diaryofablackwomanllc.com. Once again, thank you. This is your host, Connie Morris. Thank you for listening and remember to embrace the miraculous. Believe in the impossible in your own life today. And until next time, may your faith be strong and your spirit unlifted. Bye-bye until next time.