Daniel and her three friends were living with their parents in Jerusalem when the Babylonians attacked the city. The army captured these teenage boys, among many others, bringing them to Babylon.
In the royal court, they were trained to live like the Babylonians and serve their new country. It involved changing the food they ate and the God they worshipped. They even had new names. Specifically, Belteshazzar was given to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.
As one of their special privileges, they were given food right from the king’s table. Imagine how fancy it looked and delicious each bite tasted! Unfortunately, that food was being sacrificed for idols. Hence, eating it would mean worshipping them. Besides, it was not what God wanted them to eat.
Nevertheless, Daniel stood firm in his principles and faith. Without fear, he “made up his mind not to eat the food and wine given to them by the king” (Daniel 1:8). His three friends agreed with him.
So, they asked for the king’s permission to eat simple vegetarian food and drink water. The king granted their request, giving them ten days of testing. Surprisingly, at the end of the probation, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and more robust than the rest of the servants.
From then on, the king allowed them to go on with their healthy diet. For this, God blessed them more. According to Daniel 1:17, He “gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”
Now, we know it’s not easy to be different from other people. But if you love God like Daniel and his friends did, you would be inclined to do what is right. By this, you could stand out from the rest and become faithful even in the simplest things.
Therefore, dear kid, young as you are, be like Daniel and his friends. Love God with all your heart. Always be faithful to Him because He has big plans for you in the future.