Cheri Merritt
Daniel
Chapter 1
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But Daniel made up his mind that he would not adefile himself with the bking's choice food or with the cwine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
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and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
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But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
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"Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be agiven some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
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"Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
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So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
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At the end of ten days their appearance seemed abetter and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
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So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept agiving them vegetables.
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As for these four youths, aGod gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of bvisions and dreams.
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Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
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The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they bentered the king's personal service.
Cheri Merritt's Note
Sep 23
When I was engaged in a struggle over food, I asked my Lord for the "sword of the Spirit" with which to win this battle. He led me to this passage and instructed me to memorize it.