8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile
himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he
asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. (ESV) Daniel
1:8
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been
signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open
toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and
gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (ESV) Daniel 6:10
Leading a spiritual life was not easy for Daniel. He was
living in a gentile foreign land as a captive and he was from a minority
community. He worked with people who did not know the living God. His colleagues
were magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, ungodly politicians and top officials of
the King of Babylon. He had challenges of having a high-profile job. He had constant
struggle to keep the laws of his God which would not go well with the laws of Babylonians.
However, he could preserve and grow in his spiritual life without compromising
his personal walk with God. Two things stand out:
1.
He had a resolve to live a holy life under
pressure. When he was under the pressure of Jewish food law and could defile
himself, he took a bold stand to keep his holiness. He had a life of obedience
to God under pressure. Obedience is the key to develop intimacy with God. It is
just expression of our love to Jesus.
2.
He had a determination to keep a disciplined prayer
life under pressure. Though the King made a decree that no one should pray to any
other god except the king, Daniel went to his room and prayed three times as
usual. Under threat, pressure and busy professional life, Daniel kept his
commitment in disciplined manner to pray and read the word of God. Daniel had a
specific time and place to pray.
Daniel was very successful in his life because of his
uncompromised walk with God under severe socio-cultural-religious pressure
against his spiritual life. Can we develop such an uncompromised personal walk
with God? Faithful in holiness, prayer, reading the word of God, fellowship with
others and spending time with God.