During his captivity in Babylon Daniel took a stand to stay away from the defiling food of the king’s table (Dan.1). The king considered this food to be a nutritious delicacy, and very few Babylonians were fed so ‘well’, but Daniel’s view of a delicacy was based on the law of God, not the world’s opinion. Daniel knew that this food was not only defiling to his body, but to his spirit as well, so he set his face like flint and made a holy resolve (a spiritual determination) to stay away from it.
But notice how Daniel carried out this holy resolve: he gently and respectfully spoke to those who served the food, and effectively threw out a fleece to the king: “Let us try this for 10 days and see how we look and act during that time” (Dan 1:13). Since Daniel’s resolve was born out of obedience to God and His word, God backed him up by moving the king’s heart to support his resolve.
After this trial period, the king called for Daniel and his friends and tested them. He found them to be filled with wisdom and revelation far above their counterparts, so much so that the king began to depend on them for insight and understanding. Interestingly, Daniel 1:20 states that they had 10 times more knowledge than the astrologers and magicians on whom the king had previously depended; this was right after their 10 day diet change. As we persistently follow God's plan for this holy resolve, He will provide the necessary gifts and tools to carry it out.
This time of year often stirs us to set resolutions toward change; it’s a time of renewal. When the New Year begins we see where we want to be in the coming months and formulate ideas on how to get to that place, whether it be physical, spiritual, mental, financial or otherwise. But setting a resolution can be different than getting a holy resolve: a holy resolve comes from the heart of God and it’s catapulted forward by His power, wisdom, revelation and insight. It begins in a person’s spirit and it's carried out in the physical realm by setting one’s face like flint and keeping one’s physical and spiritual eyes single on God and His way of carrying it out. If the resolve is from God, we will likely see a multitude of wondrous events in the process of carrying it out - old mindsets will break off, new doors will open, healing will come..........the possibilities are limitless!
Additionally, if the resolve is a holy resolve God will be lifted up during the process and men will be drawn to Him. As the gifts inside of Daniel became more evident to the king, he looked to Daniel for guidance and direction. The overriding theme of Daniel’s heart and life was verbalized when the king called on him to interpret his dream and Daniel responded by saying “It is the God of heaven which reveals these things; look to him for your answers” (Daniel 2:26-28 expounded).
Seek God and get His resolve for this New Year, then set your mind like flint towards His purposes. It won’t matter what others think, what the world says or does, or what road blocks lie in the way; if God be for us, who can stand against us as we carry out His purposes with wisdom, grace and love? (Rom.8:31)
“But Daniel determined in his heart [set his face like flint, made a holy resolve] that he would not defile himself by [eating of] the king's rich and dainty food [the world’s ways of life] … therefore he requested of the ...[king's servant]... that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself. [As a result]… God made Daniel to find favor, compassion, and loving-kindness with the chief of the [the king’s servants]” (Daniel 1:8-8 AMP, expounded).
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