Righteousness Exalts

Daniel determined he would not defile himself with the kings food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. God had granted Daniel favour and compassion from the chief official, yet he said to Daniel, "My lord the king assigned you food and drink. I'm afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life with the king."
So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, " Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king's food, and deal with your servants based on what you see." He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the kings food. So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. 
Daniel 1:8-16

These young men came out of a people who did what was evil in the Lord's sight. How did such fine young men come to be in  Nebuchadnezzar's courts. Who imparted into their lives? Who taught them such godliness?

Yet godly they were. Choosing to eat only vegetables and drink only water would have been a challenge for them, naturally speaking. Yet God honored ther faith and righteous behavior.

These young men showed themselves as warriors for the Kingdom of God, thy did not compromise but remained steadfast even when it did not seem profitable to be so.

Righteousness exalts, pride pulls down. These young men were exalted by the king but envious men tried to kill them on many occasions. Yet God protected them and brought them through. Amen


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