Today's Passage: Daniel 1-2

Do you ever wander what you would do when you a gigantic test of faith was at your doorstep? Here in chapter 1 we have Daniel, a captive slave, drawing a line in the sand.Refusing to eat any food that had been offered to an idol in a time and culture in which telling a king "no" was the fast track to a short lifespan.

It can be easy to take an approach that is not so bold. We could do our best to not make ripples in the pond. Or we could say we could eat the meat as long as our heart was right. Daniel decides to take a no compromise approach and God honors him for it. Do you ever wander what we are missing because we neglect to take a bold stand now and then?

Chapter 2 deals with a king and a servant. The king troubled by a dream he did not understand went to all the wrong places for answers. He went to magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers looking for answers that they did not have; even when their lives depended on it. The servant, Daniel, went to the Lord, and even encouraged those around him to do the same. Because he went to the Lord, and went to him first, he found the answers he was looking for. Today we tend to think that we should exhaust all other options before we go to God. We should be going do God first and foremost for all of our needs.