But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s
delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs
that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs… Daniel 1:8-9
Throughout the book of Daniel, the bible reveals the sovereign hand of God upon the Hebrew
nation, and specifically upon Daniel and his three companions. Despite the turmoil and disruption of being led away captive into a foreign land and the pressure to conform to Babylonian ways, God was faithful to provide what Daniel needed. And Daniel proved faithful to God!
Small Beginnings
Have you ever had what you now consider to be a small beginning? A time when you purposed
in your heart to start something new, to persist in the face of difficulty, or to reach a long-desired
goal? Can you now think back to that time? Can you recall the moment when you decided to
push through? And can you now look back and say with satisfaction, “That wasn’t so bad. I am
so glad I did that!”
Daniel’s small beginning confronted him when he chose to resist conforming to the godless ways of the Babylonian culture. He “purposed in his heart that he would not partake of the king’s
delicacies” and chose instead (along with his three companions) to request vegetables and
water, and honor the Mosaic dietary laws (Dan.1:8). Daniel chose to resist conforming to the
prevailing culture and honor God’s word. What happened next? Daniel 1:9 tells us that God
brought Daniel into favor with the chief eunuch who granted Daniel’s request.
Daniel purposed to honor God and God brought Daniel into favor. The ten-day dietary trial Daniel
asked for was a small beginning. What followed? Daniel and his friends were allowed to continue
their preferred diet for the entire three years of training, at the end of which, King
Nebuchadnezzar found the Hebrew youngsters to be ten times better than all the other students.
Not surprisingly, Daniel 1:21 tells us that the teenager Daniel “continued” in this state of God-
given favor and excellence throughout the reign of four successive pagan kings, well into his
eighties.
Habits Create Character
The scripture tells us that throughout Daniel’s life, he distinguished himself above all his
contemporaries because an excellent spirit was in him. The excellent spirit was evidence that
God’s Holy Spirit was in him. The presence of God’s Spirit is excellent (Ps. 8:9), and excellence
of character will prevail when we determine, – even as a small beginning, to honor God in our
choices. Honoring God allows you to experience God’s presence. His presence brings His favor.
His favor prospers us, preserves us, promotes us, and prepares us. Our character becomes
excellent because we abide in Him and He in us, and God is honored.
Application
2 Chronicles 16:9 states “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him.” When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt.6:33) and purpose to honor Him, the blessing of the Lord sustains us.
Small beginnings represent one step, one decision, and a continued mindfulness of honoring
God first above our own desires. When the Sprit of God dwells in us, our desires align with His.
His presence and His favor cause us to prosper because we are one with Him. He carries us!
- Make a ten-day challenge of commitment to honor God in a particular area of your life. Be intentional and ask for grace. Write it down. Perhaps journal during your ten-day trial. Pray specifically about this purposeful decision, – this small beginning. God will enable you and your purposeful ten-day challenge will grow into a habit of character and discipline. An excellent spirit will arise within you, especially in the area you have committed to honor God. God is faithful. Honor Him.
Lenny Hardoin is the Executive Pastor at the Crossing Church. He has served at The Crossing
since July 2019. Before that Lenny served as a public school principal for 26 years, and as a
youth pastor for four years prior. Lenny is married to Tara, his wife of 36 years, and has a son Zach (Darion) and daughter Alex (Corbin), and two magnificent grandchildren, Wyatt and Brooke.