Daniel 1-3: What does it mean to be set apart? The book of Daniel begins with the children of Israel being taken into captivity. We are introduced to 4 young Hebrew men who are being trained in service to the Babylonian King. These four make choices that show outwardly the choices they had made inwardly to be true to their God. in chapter 1 they choose to eat differently than everyone else. In a short time their bodies reflected their choices and the head of the guard took note. In chapter 2 their choice to seek God in the midst of a critical situation again set them apart. Daniel did not just interpret the King’s dream, he told the king what the king had dreamed and the interpretation. What set Daniel apart was that he did not take credit for this ability, but he said only God could reveal these things. Again Daniel reflected the glory back to God. Chapter 3 introduces us to the 3 boys who refused to kneel to the statue of the king and the verdict of their disobedience was to be thrown into the firey furnace. They had heated the furnace 7 times hotter than normal and the mighty men who ushered them to the furnace were killed by coming close and yet God was with the boys in the furnace and again He received the glory when the boys not only were not burned, but they did not even smell like smoke.
Their choices to be wholly devoted to God gave birth to others seeing what fearless faith looks like and eventually that entire part of the world knew who God was and many came to serve Him.
You may be thinking that those are great kids stories, but that is not how it is in real life. Really? Today you can read the stories of people from all over the world who have chose to serve God with a whole heart and they see God do amazing things. They see provision in poverty. They see health come from sickness. They see life in the midst of a place riddled with death. Some have defied authorities and been imprisoned yet seen God work even in the prison and entire prison wings turn to God. It doesn’t take a super star. It just takes one person willing to choose God inwardly that changes everything outwardly. You and I can do it! We will see God show us big! I already am seeing it! Come join me. Be set apart by your choices to live for Christ and not this world!