
Daniel was but a youth when carried away captive into Babylon. He was about fifteen or sixteen years old, for he is called a child, which means that he was in his youth. Why did Daniel refuse to eat at the king’s luxurious table? Why did he refuse the use of wine as his beverage, when it was at the king’s command that it was placed before him? He knew that by use wine would become to him a pleasant thing, and would be preferred before water.
Daniel could have argued that at the royal table and at the king’s command, there was no other course for him to pursue. But he and his fellows had a council together. They canvassed the entire subject as to how they would improve their physical and mental powers by the use of wine. They studied this subject most diligently. The wine of itself, they decided, was a snare. They were acquainted with the history of Nadab and Abihu, which had come to them in parchments. In these men the use of wine had encouraged their love for it. They drank wine before their sacred service in the sanctuary. Their senses were confused. They could not distinguish the difference between the sacred and the common fire. In their brain-benumbed state they did that which the Lord had charged all who served in holy office not to do. They put the common fire upon their censers, when they had been expressly charged to use only the sacred fire of the Lord’s own kindling, that never went out….
A second consideration of these youthful captives was that the king always asked a blessing before his meals, and addressed his idols as deity. He set apart a portion of his food, and also a portion of his wine to be presented to the idol gods whom he worshiped. This act, according to their religious instruction, consecrated the whole to the heathen god. To sit at the table where such idolatry was practiced, Daniel and his three brethren deemed, would be a dishonor to the God of heaven. These four children decided that they could not sit at the king’s table, to eat of the food placed there, or to partake of the wine, all of which had been dedicated to an idol god…. There was no presumption with these youth, but a firm love for truth and righteousness. They did not choose to be singular, but they must be, else they would corrupt their ways in the courts of Babylon.—Manuscript 122, March 10, 1897, “Daniel.”
The Upward Look p. 83
Prayer Requests
—-Please, please say prayers for my dad. He was in a bad accident, t-boned, car totaled. Also I am struggling with my faith, having a real hard time with this all. My husband is a kidney failure patient, on dialysis for 5 yrs and its been one health issue after another. Now the drs are targeting his pancreas, test after test…I’m scared it could pancreatic cancer. Asking for prayers for both! Kimberly
Dear Friends,
My grandparents never owned a car, so my grandfather walked to work each day. Much of the time, he had to work two jobs in order to meet expenses. During those times, he would come home very late. One night as he was walking home, he decided to take a shortcut through an alley. As he walked along, he began to wish that he had taken his regular way. He began to feel in danger. Every nerve and muscle was ready for action.
Suddenly he heard a car with its tires screeching driving close to him. He had come to a turn in the alley and as he turned, he saw that car driving straight at him. Closer and closer it came too quickly for him to get away. He realized that the men inside were going to pin him against the wall. He was not sure what they had planned next.
To the men’s surprise my grandfather, then in his fifties, jumped upon the hood of the car and faced them. He made himself look as mean as he could. My grandfather was not a tall man, only 5’9″, but he was stockily built and still had some of the toughness of his earlier years. These men now realized that they had picked on the wrong man.
We, too, have someone who is trying to “pin us to the wall.” We, too, have someone who is constantly on our track to do us harm. Peter warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” 1 Pet 5:8,9 We must resist him just as my grandfather resisted his attackers.
From the time Lucifer first began to rebel against God until this present time, he and his angelic sympathizers have had one goal in mind: separating us from God. John tells us, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev 12:7-9
The evil one uses any means that he can to cause this separation. He might keep us so busy focusing on our troubles and trials, that we take our eyes off from our only Saviour. He uses sickness and injury to tempt others to doubt. For some, he uses pleasures, riches and fame. Jesus spoke of these as the thorny ground hearers, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matt 13:22 He told His disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:25-27
Yet, it is not impossible. Look at Abraham, who was very rich. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb 11:8-10
James tells us, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23 Job, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea, the list goes on and on. Rich men, who did not count their riches as their goal. They looked to the One Who for our sake became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. (2 Cor 8:9) Wonderful Saviour! Coming King!
May we keep our eyes focused upon our Great Redeemer. May we allow nothing to separate us from Him. May we “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” is my prayer. (Phil 3:8)

Let This Mind Be in You