TRUTH: Learn From Daniel ~ Use Encounters as Witnessing Opportunities April 3, 2021 by Tammy Roesch Posted in Health & Christianity Tagged Daniel's Example is For Us, Don't Compromise the Truth to Appease Use Encounters as Witnessing Opportunities Read here how Daniel turned ENCOUNTERS into WITNESSING OPPORTUNITIES. “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 often hear Christians say, “We must be careful not to offend someone by not eating whatever they offer to us.” If there were ever a time when it would have been right to compromise and eat what was set before him, Daniel had that opportunity. Think about it. He was told to eat whatever food & drink the King set before him, food that he knew was UNHEALTHY and on top of that, it had been offered to Idols. Remember, Daniel was young and he was a slave. He and his three friends and many other Jewish youth had just been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar’s army. Then they were hauled off to Babylon, and were put into a rigorous 3 year educational program. The King was providing them with what he considered the BEST food he could give them. It would have been very easy for Daniel and his three friends to justify eating that food and drinking the alcohol set before them. Their mothers taught them, “Don’t compromise the truth.” They knew the risks they were taking by not compromising the diet that had been handed down to them from God Himself. They knew that much was at stake, perhaps, even their lives. But they also knew ….that if they compromised here, they would be on a slippery slope that only went one direction ~ down. And they knew too, that if they stood firm, that they could ask for God’s blessing and protection. They trusted God enough to believe that even when their lives were in danger, they should obey Him, and let the chips fall wherever they would fall. And God blessed Daniel and his three friends wonderfully! At the end of the 3 years, when they went for their final exams, Daniel and his friends were found them not just twice as intelligent as their peers, no, he found them 10 TIMES more intelligent! “Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.” Daniel 1:20 So too, today, we should do the right thing don’t compromise the truth, and don’t be afraid to offend our friends or family. Be as diplomatic as possible, but know where the line is and refuse to compromise where we should not compromise. My Personal Witnessing Opportunities For me, it has been rare that people are offended, when I kindly decline accepting their offer of tea or coffee, cheese, or some kind of meat or unhealthy dessert. I just simply explain my convictions, why I believe those things are not healthy and that as a Christian, we should only take into our bodies things that are healthy. Instead of compromising, use these opportunities as WITNESSING OPPORTUNITIES, where you can share the TRUTH with those in darkness. The only times people have been offended were times when they were Christians who KNEW BETTER. Their conscience made them feel guilty when I wouldn’t join them in their disobedience. These Old Testament stories have wonderful lessons for you and me TODAY!
