Young People's Group

The Challenge to Choose the Lord’s Way

by Mitchell Tan
April 29, 2016

BEING TRAINED FOR GOD’S GREATER PLAN

Do you see meaning in working hard in your studies and taking exams? You should! Perhaps, going through your present school curriculum is part of God training you for a greater plan for your life. This was something that we read in the life of Daniel. He was one of those who mercifully survived the invasion of the Babylonians. He was specially selected to learn the language and literature of the Chaldeans while in exile. Daniel was to go through three years of training and was given a daily portion of the king’s delicacies (Daniel 1:5). After which, at the end of his training, he would serve the king in his palace. While an earthly king wanted him to be trained for a job in his administration, our heavenly King was preparing him for a greater role in Biblical history. His destiny was to be a prophet who would reveal great world events and God’s divine kingdom that would come.

THE CHOICE TO KEEP GOD’S COMMANDS

“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 eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
Daniel 1:8

Before Daniel could fulfil God’s specific will for his life, he needed to obey His general will first. In other words, he had to choose to obey the Lord’s commandments. One of the first tests he faced was to learn to say “No” to the portion of the king’s delicacies. Daniel decided that he would not defile himself with it. The word “purposed” in Hebrew means to “set in place”. This young man set it in his heart with tremendous purpose that he would not disobey God’s statutes with regards to eating food forbidden then (Leviticus 11:1-23). This was a non-negotiable for him. Why did Daniel have this sense of purpose in choosing to do the will of God?

1. HE WAS A YOUNG MAN OF FAITH

Daniel had a real and genuine relationship with the Lord God. He would meet with God three times a day (Daniel 6:10). His faith in God was truly sincere. He had a proper reverence for God and His word and he purposed to please Him by obeying it.

2. HE WAS YOUNG MAN WHO SOUGHT TO FULFIL HIS CHOSEN PURPOSE

To Daniel, there was a “therefore” in his purposes. He did not just purpose in his heart to do something and forgot about it after a while. He got down to doing it. He responded with courage and commitment to follow through with what he had purposed in his heart. He went to tell the chief of eunuchs that he did not want to defile himself with the King’s delicacies.

3. HE WAS A YOUNG MAN OF WISDOM

Daniel must have also learnt from the mistakes of his forefathers. He had become a survivor of the judgment that God had brought upon Judah. He had seen many people die because they had defiled themselves in sin. Daniel was wise enough to learn from the mistakes of others and sought to honour the Lord instead. Because Daniel obeyed the Lord and did not defile himself, God’s favour was on him. Our choices have definite consequences.

“God had brought Daniel into the favour and goodwill of the chief of eunuchs.”
Daniel 1:9

God caused the chief of eunuchs to favour Daniel and to care for him. He was blessed by God because of his choice to obey. Young people, let’s also learn to wisely choose to obey the Lord that His favour may be on us in our studies and in our life.

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