ON THE VANGUARD

MID YEAR'S RESOLUTION
"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."
Daniel 1:8

I have been reading and meditating on the life of Daniel quite a bit lately. Not only because he and I share the same name, but more so because I see in his character a man I want to be. Look with me for a bit at the life of Daniel.
The Bible tells us that Daniel was one of the few Israelites carried off to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar besieged Judah. But the men that Nebuchadnezzar had taken for his service were not just your ordinary guys. We read in Daniel 1:3-4 that these men were from royal families; nobility. They were young men without any physical defect, good looking, smart, quick to learn, and fully able to serve.
But I want to point out something here that some may not know. The name Daniel in the Hebrew means "God is my Judge". Why would I share that? Because in knowing this we see how God's hand was on Daniel. Daniel had made a resolution that even though he was not in Israel, he would not let the lifestyle of Babylon overtake him. In chapter 1:12, Daniel requests a ten day challenge, resolving to eat only vegetables and drink only water. Ashpenaz, the chief court official, is leery about this idea as any decrease in Daniel's appearance or abilities could easily be his demise. But we see here that first mention of God as Daniel's judge. In verse 14, Ashpenaz agrees and to his amazement, Daniel and his three friends are healthier and better nourished. As time went on they also proved to be the smartest of all who were taken.
In chapter 2 we see God as Daniel's judge when Daniel tells the king that he will interpret a dream he knows nothing of. Nebuchadnezzar had told the astrologers and wise men that if they could not tell him the meaning of his dream, that they would all face death (2:13). Faced with this penalty, Daniel sought God and found the answer as well as justice in the courtroom.
And let us not forget Daniel being tossed into the lions den. In trickery and deceit the administrators and satraps in Darius' court passed a law stating death in the den to any who prayed to anyone or any god other than the king. In true obedience to the only God, Daniel did not sway. He was thrown in with the lions, but it was God's decree as the judge to not allow permission to the lions to attack. The next morning when the administrators and satraps faced the same punishment for deceiving the king, their fate was not so lucky.
God was Daniel's judge. But God is also our judge, even if your name isn't Daniel. The character of Daniel, I believe, is the true point here. Daniel made the resolve from the beginning to not be moved by circumstance or influenced by location. His heart was sold out to God, and he proved it in his lifestyle, eating, and prayer times.
This is the type man I want to be. And as much as resolutions are made in January, I do not believe it wrong to make a resolution today. Does your heart yearn for God? Is your passion for life void without God involved? I so desperately want to know that the choices I make now honor God, and in so give me peace that He will indeed protect me when He sits as my judge. I'll be honest, growing up with a name like Daniel, and knowing the meaning, scared me for so long. I feared that God saw all my evil and my judgement would be damnation. However, the more and more I know God, the more I see and feel His love for me.
Will you resolve today to put God first? Will you stop defiling yourself? Do not let the circumstance or the location define you. You are God's child, and so I urge you to live undefiled.