Daniel 1

The past 12 months have seen a whirlwind of signs that the reckoning of the Lord is approaching. All over, cheating, moral failure, breakup of families, lack of civility, and so much more are all pointing to the fact that we have compromised. We can live holy and whole, and the book of Daniel shows us how.
In the 7th century BC, Daniel was taken from Judah to Babylon. This happened soon after the Battle of Carchemish in which Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Egyptian army, making Babylon the supreme world power. When Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylon they were enrolled in a 3 year program to rewrite their character and even change their names. However, Daniel and his friends were men of purpose and conviction who lived according to the truth grid. They passed their test without compromising their convictions. We’ll see how they did it.

3 Truths to Live with Integrity

1. It’s in the Small Things that the Big Victories are Won
Daniel was instructed to eat the king’s food, but Daniel would not compromise on the truth and a life for the Lord’s glory. Some of the food Daniel had to eat was unclean by the Mosaic Law as it stipulated that you should not eat meat sacrificed to idols. Daniel committed to remain pure even though it may not have seemed like a big deal to eat the food. He did this because of his integrity that meant he wouldn’t compromise on even the little things.

2. Little Compromises Turn into Big Problems
Daniel made his decision but he still sought permission. He respected the authorities above him, regardless of how ungodly they were. If you’re compromising in your life right now you aren’t getting away with it because the Lord already knows. The Spirit is speaking to you right now, deal with it. Daniel followed his convictions but still went through the proper channels, believing God would honor his faithfulness.

3. Obedience Brings Blessing
Daniel’s trust in the Lord was not in vain. He and his friends walked with God and didn’t compromise and the results were evident. Believers face situations constantly in which their convictions are challenged and we all need to commit to living God’s way regardless of temptations to live otherwise.

To wrap, the decisions I make today have the power to affect my entire life.
Inner conviction can overcome any outer pressure to compromise.
Christ honoring convictions yield Jesus given rewards.