Daniel 1:8 – “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s delicacies or with the wine he was drinking…”

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, a theme or thought kept surfacing in my consciousness.  That was Total Surrender and its reward.   In Daniel 1:8, we read, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s delicacies or with the wine he was drinking…” Resolved is more than a thought; it is a fixed determination.

The three Hebrew children made that same determination regarding worshipping anything but God.  In Daniel 3:16-18, they made it clear that God was their hope and held their total allegiance.  They informed the king, “God can deliver us, BUT even if He doesn’t, we won’t bow to the idol.  If we bend, we burn, but if we resolve not to bend, we won’t burn.”   Esther said, “If I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16).

God’s promise is not to deliver us from difficulty but to be with us in it!  The promise is NEVER to leave or abandon us.   If we are not resolute in our resolve to totally surrender to Him, we will grow weary in trial and lose our hope and confidence.  That makes us an easy target for the devil.   However, if we are rock solid in our resolve with the mindset that whether we are delivered or taken home, we will not compromise our commitment to God, we will be empowered to stand and see the salvation of God.

Victory is in total surrender and resolve not to bend, bow, or cast away our confidence in God.  The fire cannot burn us.   The waves cannot drown us.   The enemy cannot defeat us.   Not if we are resolute in our resolve to stand true!  If we make that commitment, God gives us the grace to become and be as He is in the now!

Expect your victory today!   Lord, help us to be resolute in our commitment and confidence in You!