Orange Noses

“…and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way…At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” Daniel 1:15.

When my grandson Carson was a baby, one of the baby foods for which my daughter fed him was carrots. He loved his carrots and never fought against this vegetable. He gladly consumed these and enjoyed them daily, to the point of his nose developing an orange hue. I can look back at his baby pictures and know whether he was still on baby food based on the color of his nose!

Daniel only digested what was spiritually healthy to his life. He sought permission from the one in charge to be nourished only with vegetables for ten days, assuring the official that he and his friends would stand apart from the others. The principles and resolve of Daniel must be the example for our lives. We, too, have a Chief Official who will honor our request to avoid the foods of the world that are not healthy for digestion. We will not be tempted beyond the delivering hand of God. The food of God will always nourish our lives and provide healthier living.

We will reflect the spiritual life opposed to looking like the world if we allow God to determine the choices He would have for our lives. All of our lives are made up of different diets and God determines the spiritual diet for which we are meant to live. We must be like Daniel and demonstrate the courage to stand up and say no to the enticements of the world.

We will reflect whatever we most value. Just like Carson, if we are living the spiritual life which God intended, we will reflect a certain spiritual hue that will be visible to all.