‘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

I love that word. Resolved. 

Other translations use “made up his mind”, “determined”, “stood firm”, and every one of them sends chills down my arms. It reminds me of that old Sunday School song, Dare to be a Daniel. Oh, how I want to be like Daniel.

Daniel is one of my favorite books of the Bible to study and I have done an in-depth, inductive (Precept Upon Precept) study on it more than four times. And do you know what stands out to me Every. Single. Time? (Not just that the second half is harder to study than the first half. And not that the historical part is easier to understand than the prophetic part.) 

It’s the simple fact that Daniel – even at the tender age of what we now call a “teenager” – after being taken away from his family and into captivity, he RESOLVED to do what was right. Over and over again. All the way through the book of Daniel into his ripe old age of 80+ years. From that first chapter and his resolve to follow what he was taught – all the way through him being thrown into the lions’ den. Wow. Think about that for a moment.

HOW TO BE RESOLVED

Now, let’s take it a step further. Daniel doesn’t just show us that we need to stand firm and be resolved. He actually demonstrates for us the “how” – which is really important. It’s actually a huge example to us which we need more application of in our daily lives today. Daniel was taught by his parents and he obviously listened and learned. He was taken captive. And yet, even in the foreign land, he remembered those teachings. He yearned to follow God. Yes, he resolved to stand firm, but he didn’t pitch a fit and defy the authority over him in a disrespectful manner. He asked permission. Then in other instances in Daniel, he prayed and asked God for guidance before he gave an answer or asked for permission. 

He was determined. Stood firm. He resolved to follow God and God alone. 

Sometimes I wonder if in my own attempts to stand firm I get ahead of God’s perfect plan. It can be easier to plow on ahead than to wait patiently on the Lord. In my heart and my mind, I want to be that believer that is resolved. Determined. Easier said than done, right?

HOW CAN WE BE RESOLVED?

How many times do you/I get on your/my soapbox (or high horse – insert whatever phrase floats your boat) because we want to dare to be like Daniel. We are determined to stand firm. But we haven’t actually taken the time to listen to the “how” from God. We’re ready to say with all vigor that we are resolved, but then we have no idea how to actually walk that talk.

In this instant age that we live in, I fear that we do this far too often. We are often too quick to speak/respond. Pressured to make decisions and say what we think and believe (sometimes that pressure comes from ourselves!) We long to stand firm and to be a testimony for the Lord. And yet, I would dare to say that most of the time, we jump too soon. 

That reminded me of a passage that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 2:1b-5 NIV) “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

Here, Paul is also teaching us something about being resolved. It’s all about Jesus and God’s power. Not us. 

NEXT TIME

Next time I resolve to do something and am determined to stand firm–I want to be reminded that it has nothing to do with me. Is my gaze fixed firmly on the Almighty? Am I seeking His words instead of my own? Asking permission when I need to? Am I being respectful and God-honoring in my words and actions? Am I praying about the “how” rather than plowing on ahead?
I have a new resolve about being resolved. You?

Until next time, Kimberley Woodhouse.