Why God Used Daniel - Bible Baptist Church

Purposed in his heart

Daniel cannot practice Judaism.
Daniel’s family is either dead or separated from him.
What have you lost? If you lost your mother or father, you’d be able to go home, cry in your home, and have some people who want to support you come by. Not Daniel.
With no priest to guide him, no Levite to instruct him, no father or mother to direct him, Daniel purposes in his heart that he will serve God to the best of his ability in the environment he’s in.
Daniel has been rendered incapable of ever having a family. Daniel is in a foreign land.
Daniel is put in school to learn Babylonian curriculum. He’s with the other kids that make fun of him and his God. He hears them laughing at their pornography and joking about their drunkenness. Though Daniel feels the pressure, he purposes in his heart that he’s going to honor God the best he can.
Daniel’s God has been mocked and ridiculed by the Babylonians. Remember, in the eyes of Babylonians Israel’s God couldn’t defend Israel as the Babylonians came in and cleaned out the temple.
Daniel has no promise that God is going to do anything with his life. Daniel has no promise that God is going to preserve Daniel’s life. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.

Proof of his faith

Daniel respectfully asks to be excused from eating the king’s meat because it will be easier for him to honor God if he just eats oatmeal.
God works in Daniel’s boss’s life.
Prove thy servants… (vs 12) Would you ever say that? I’m a Christian and I’m going to prove it to you.
It’s not Daniel’s Diet that makes you better, it’s Daniel’s desire to honor God.
1 Peter 3:13-16 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

Promotion from God

God gave them… (vs 17)
The heathen king says these young men are 10x better than any of the others. He says, I NEED them around me. Not, I’m going to do them a favor, rather, I need their wisdom and counsel around me.
You know where all those other teenagers are who never regarded God, who made fun of Daniel? They’re now working for Daniel.
Why did God use Daniel? Because He could. Why COULD God use Daniel? Because Daniel purposed in his heart, he sanctified God in his heart, he didn’t conform to this world, but instead gave the LORD a platform on which to work in his life.