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Danel’s determinaion

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But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Daniel 1:8[NIV]

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It happened when the Israel was divided to North Israel and South Judah, A very violent country called Babylon attacked the land of Judah. There was no army which can win the army of this Babylon.

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The land of Judah was completely destroyed by the army of Babylon.

Many people died. And Judah became the colony of Babylon.

The Babylon army brought the smartest children of Judah to their land.

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Even the royalty of Judah became the slaves of Babylon

and be taken to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon instructed to teach Babylon literature to the smartest children among the children taken from Judah.

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The king instructed to teach them in royal school to make them work for Babylon.There were good facilities and plenty of food in the royal school. They were treated very nice even they are slaves. A boy called Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were also in the royal school.

These children believed in God very faithfully.

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But they encountered a very big problem. It is because the king instructed to give them the food and the drinks of the king. At that time the food of king were the foods which were offered to their idols or it were the foods which God hated them to eat. To eat those foods means that they joined in worshiping idols. So they choose not to eat those foods.

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So they went to the chief official who is in charge of them.

And they ask him to allow them to eat vegetables and water only.

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“If you will look worse by only taking water and vegetables I will be punished by the king. So how could I grant your request?”

The chief official didn’t accept their request.

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“Just allow us to take water and vegetables for 10 days and treat us with your will and we will follow.”

The chief official decided to accept their request.

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And it became the first day of the other children eating the royal food and the four friends taking the vegetables and water. The 10 days passed. And it became the last day Tomorrow they need to see the chief official for him to compare them with the other children. What do you think will happen?

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The chief official compared the boys in the royal school. Ah! But an amazing thing happened. The looking of the four children who ate the vegetables had a better complexion than the other boys who ate meat. The chief official didn’t understood but he allowed the four friends to eat vegetables for food and water for the drink. God helped the four friends who tried to live their lives in the will of God.

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God blessed the four friends them very much tried to live their lives in the will of God. He made them 10 times smarter than the other people. They became a great people in Babylon and glorified His name. Especially, Daniel by the help of God he became the prime minister of the Babylon.

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A new year has begun. We should try our best to live this year faithfully in God like the three friends and Daniel. During this year make a faithful promise like reading the Bible or praying daily. And when you will keep this promise God will make you greater than the other children just like Daniel and his three friends.