Daniel 1:8 But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.
Statistics state that 80% of New Year’s decisions fail by the second week of February. Only 8% of the balance 20% reach their goals at the end of the year. One of the main reasons for new year decisions to fail is lack of determinations. If our decisions are not powered by determination we will fail miserably. Daniel was taken captive from his conservative hometown to Babylon, the modern day ‘Las Vegas’. Babylon can be called the ‘Ancient Sin City’. There was promiscuity, perversion, debauchery, drunkenness, immorality, homoeroticism and indecency prevalent in Babylon. Theologians say that Daniel must have been a teenager, roughly around 14 to 16 years of age when he was taken into exile. Young Israelite men from the royal family and nobility who were without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand were taken to serve the Babylonian king. These young men were enrolled in the university of Babylon to complete PhD in literature and language. Daniel was snatched away from his traditional Israelite home to the ostentatious, flashy “Sin City”, yet, he had determined in his heart not to defile himself with the cheap pleasures and destructive distractions in the pagan land. After the Christmas celebration, food and festivity, as we start focusing on 2021, let us lay the foundation for a successful new year with valuable decisions, power-driven by determination.
Three things that determination does to our decisions:
1. Favour: All sacred decisions that fuel holiness are backed by our Heavenly Father. The moment Daniel made a decision not to defile himself with the food that was artificially hyped by the dark world to tap into worldly intelligence, divine help was unleashed. Daniel 1:9 Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel. All kinds of witchcraft, sorcery and enchantment were mixed with the food that was served to these young men to make them bright but Daniel sought the right source for divine wisdom. Hence Godly favour was lavished on him. Divine favour will back up our Goodly and Godly decisions.
2. Fervour: Purpose without passion will fail. Daniel was not only driven by purpose but was also powered by passion. The fervour in him was contagious and his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah joined him in the feverous decision. Our decision could be to exercise every day or to wake up at a certain time to pray but if it is not backed by passion and determination we will fail. Passion will wake us up on holidays; passion will drive our mind and keep us alert even when our body is relaxed. Fervour, passion and determination is the energy behind the decision.
3. Functional: A sound and sacred decision will be feasible and functional. Good leaders don’t talk about problems, they only discuss solutions. Daniel went to his officer in-charge of serving food, with solutions that supported his resolution. “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food (Daniel 1:12-13). Purposeful decisions will never leave us stuck, it will always be engineered by solutions.
As we meditate and contemplate on the New Year’s decisions, let our decisions be power-packed by determination, passion and zeal. Decisions without determination are as good as dead.
Daniel 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to make conscious decisions to grow, improve and progress. Fill me with purposeful passion, sound determination and ardent zeal to be an achiever and an overcomer. Amen
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