Daniel: Bloom!

Daniel: Bloom!

Bible Blast: Read Daniel 1

Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Daniel 1:8

Today’s Bible Blast tells the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzar. (Let’s call him “Nebby” for short.) Nebby’s royal food was definitely going to be about a thousand times better than what they ate regularly. Nebby wanted them to eat those special meals because he thought the food would make them strong and healthy.

When Daniel and his buddies asked to be given veggies and water instead, it was because Nebby’s food would defile them—make them dirty or unclean. Why would the king’s food defile Daniel and his friends? There are three possible reasons:

1) In Leviticus 11, you’ll find a list of foods Jewish people were not allowed to eat. If the king’s meals had these forbidden foods, Daniel and his buddies would have been disobeying God by eating them.

2) King Nebby did not worship God. Sharing Nebby’s food in that time may have been a way of accepting the king’s worship of other gods.

3) Daniel knew that true strength didn’t come from eating royal food. God was his strength.

At the end of the ten-day trial period, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were healthier than any of the men eating the king’s food. God proved he was the true King.

Daniel was in a tough spot. He had been captured and taken to a foreign land to serve a king who worshiped other gods. Have you ever heard the phrase “Bloom where you’re planted”? That means no matter where you are, you need to grow and bring life, even if it’s not exactly a greenhouse environment. Daniel did this by obeying God even when others around him didn’t. God blessed his obedience over and over again.

Girl Gab: Mom and Daughter, are you feeling artsy? Why don’t you take time to draw a picture of what “bloom where you’re planted” looks like? It may be a plant with lots of flowers on it in the middle of a hot desert. If you’re not into drawing, then write a little poem or story about it today. Share your creations with each other at the end of the day.