Choose Wisely.

And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Daniel 1:5

I travel a lot and often find myself in hotel rooms. I’ve stayed in almost every brand but I’m most often in Westins, Renaissance Inns, Hiltons, Ritz Carltons, Radisson and Hyatts. They are frighteningly similar. They try to cater to the things they believe customers want and need during their brief stays. In addition to room service for meals, there is usually a bedroom with a chair and/or couch, a bathroom and a closet, an ironing board and iron, a TV, a desk, nightstands and a bureau. In most of these hotels the TV has movie channels that include adult entertainment stations and a small refrigerator filled with high calorie snacks, soda, beer, wine and liquor. For the vacationing couple or the weary businessman; these rooms contain everything needed, from the perspective of the world, to relax and unwind. From a Christian perspective, the most important item in the room is the Gideon Bible found in the drawer of the nightstand. As Christians, we must be careful to choose wisely what we will consume. Just because everything is available does not make it appropriate or edifying.

Daniel and his friends had “lucked out”. Captured by the Babylonians and enslaved, they wind up in the palace having been chosen to learn the language and the ways of their Chaldean captors. They would receive instruction and get all of the benefits of being in the palace including the same food as the King. What an opportunity! Many of us would relish the chance to live “high on the hog”, to get special treatment and be treated like royalty. We would easily forget our humble beginnings and those we left behind and quickly grow accustomed to having plenty. Daniel, full of the spirit, chooses wisely. He asks to be given simple vegetables to eat. God causes Daniel to be healthier and stronger than those who ate the king’s food. Daniel’s success in the land of the Chaldeans came from his focus on God and his ability to make wise choices based on keeping his focus on God.

My prayer for you is the ability to choose between the things that are available and the things that are beneficial.

Deacon Larry Woodard