但以理書1:8-16

1:8 但以理卻立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，所以求太監長容他不玷污自己。

1:9 上帝使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩惠，受憐憫。

1:10 太監長對但以理說：「我懼怕我主我王，他已經派定你們的飲食；倘若他見你們的面貌比你們同歲的少年人肌瘦，怎麼好呢？這樣，你們就使我的頭在王那裡難保。」

1:11 但以理對太監長所派管理但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅的委辦說：

1:12 「求你試試僕人們十天，給我們素菜吃，白水喝，

1:13 然後看看我們的面貌和用王膳那少年人的面貌，就照你所看的待僕人吧！」

1:14 委辦便允准他們這件事，試看他們十天。

1:15 過了十天，見他們的面貌比用王膳的一切少年人更加俊美肥胖。

1:16 於是委辦撤去派他們用的膳，飲的酒，給他們素菜吃。

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.  And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,  and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”  Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”  So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.  At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.  So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

********

    在這裡我們看見上帝的眷顧以及但以理和他的三個朋友的心志，因為他們不願意被王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，就立志吃素菜、喝白水。太監長起初不敢同意他們的請求，但是但以理要求試試十天看看，上帝卻讓他們加俊美肥胖，以致太監長不得不答應了。

    其實上帝看重我們奉獻與愛主的心志，祂必定成全，使我們可以沒有攔阻的事奉祂，使我們愛主的心志得著滿足！因為，凡愛主與尊重主的人，上帝必看重他，賜福給他們！「因此，耶和華─以色列的上帝說：『我曾說，你和你父家必永遠行在我面前；現在我卻說，決不容你們這樣行。因為尊重我的，我必重看他；藐視我的，他必被輕視。」（撒母耳記上2:30）

    願我們都有但以理的心志，願意為上帝活出和世人有所區別的生命，因為我們是領受基督恩典的人，真的是上帝的兒女，有別於世人！但是我們，分別於世人是要拯救陷在罪中之人，使其得自由！上帝的心意就是要救人脫離罪惡，來歸向祂！