Thriving… No Matter What – Part 1: Resiliency Choices!

Daniel 1:1-3 (NLT)

During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

³Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.

“Babylon is where you find yourself when life doesn’t turn out the way you had planned!”

Resiliency Choice #1: Take !

Daniel 1:8 (MSG)
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet.

We may not always be able to determine our circumstances, but we can always determine our core !

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything!”

We can’t always determine our circumstances but we can always determine our personal !

Resiliency Choice #2: !

Daniel 1:11-15 (NLT)

Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ¹² “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. ¹³ “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” ¹⁴ The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future!”

Resiliency Choice #3: Live !

Daniel 1:9 (NLT)
Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel.

• Develop a reputation for responsibility!

Proverb 22:29

If you do your job well, leaders will notice and you will serve before kings.

• Be humble not self-promoting!

Proverbs 25:6 (TEV)

When you stand before the king (a powerful or influential person), don’t try to impress him and pretend to be important.

• Be concerned about the best-interests of others and not just your own!

Philippians 2:4 (NLT)

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Daniel 1:10 (NLT)

(Ashpenaz) responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

Resiliency Choice #4: Trust in God’s sovereign !

Daniel 2:19-21 (NLT)
Daniel said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. ²¹ He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.

If we believe and trust that God controls the course of world events, and the events of our life as well, we should be the calmest people on earth!