Thriving Spiritually When Far From Home

Series Title: Thriving Spiritually in a World of Opposition

Introduction

Our trip to England/Scotland - I’ve never felt so far from home…

The little old lady who yelled at us when we went to her home…

In Scotland, everything felt foreign—language, culture, even the customs—and I remember feeling out of place.

Especially when that wee little sweet woman attacked me verbally!

Daniel and his friends felt the same, but on a far greater scale.

Like me in Scotland, Daniel and his friends found themselves in a place where everything was foreign, from the language to the culture.

But their faithfulness to God didn’t waver, even when their entire world was turned upside down.

Daniel is a letter that is written by the prophet Daniel in the 6th century B.C..

From the traditional view, the Book of Daniel is approximately 2,625 years old as of 2025.

Daniel and his friends were teenagers when the ruthless king Nebuchadnezzar and his armies took them and many others captive.

Timeline of the Deportations of the Jews to Babylon

In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt and began deporting promising young men from Judah—including Daniel and his friends—to Babylon (Jer. 46:2).

Over the next 20 years, waves of exiles followed, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:8-12).

(Sources - Edwin Yamauchi, Persia and the Bible, Eugene Merrill, Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament IntroductionJohn Bright, A History of Israel, Paul House, Old Testament Theology.)

In Jewish history, the deportation of the Jews from the Promised land was a big deal.

However, God was not out of control!

Nebuchadnezzer was not more powerful than the Creator God.

God had a plan to use Nebuchadnezzer to get to the hearts of His stiffnecked people.

Listen to the words of Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 25:8–11 (ESV)

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah's prophecy about the Babylonian exile was delivered approximately 20–25 years before the first deportation in 605 BC.

Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry around 627 BC (Jeremiah 1:1-2), during the reign of King Josiah.

His warnings about impending judgment and exile became more specific during the reigns of Jehoiakim (609–597 BC) and Zedekiah (597–586 BC), as Judah's idolatry and disobedience persisted.

The deportation of the Jews to Babylon is because the Jews were determined to live apart from the desires of God’s will.

But isn’t it interesting that as a point of comparison, Daniel and his friend were young men of faith in a world of faithlessness.

The Jews were being punished because of their faithlessness.

The gentiles were automatically faithless, because they did not know the God of the Jews.

And in the midst of all this faithlessness stood four young men of faith who would prove their God over and over.

These boys, no doubt were faithful at home before the deportation.

And we will see through this book that they will remain faithful to the end.

This is the challenge we have from this text this morning and it leads us to the main thought of this story…

Main Idea: Be Faithful to God Regardless of Where He Has You!

You may be in a situation that is amazing and living for the Lord is easy and delightful.

Or, you may be in a situation like Daniel and his friends where everything is unfamiliar and even hostile to the ways of God.

Regardless, you are, as followers of the God of the bible, to remain faithful wherever God sovereignly and strategically places you.

Be faithful wherever He places you.

This is His will for your life.

Why do you think it is so important for you and I to be faithful wherever we are?

Even more importantly, why does God want His children to exude faithfulness WHEN LIFE IS HARD?

Does God enjoy seeing His kids suffer?

Because, I’ll tell you something, it shocks me what our Heavenly Father allows His children to go through.

So why does God demand faithfulness of His Children, even when life is difficult?

This morning, we’ll see how Daniel and his friends modeled faithfulness in a faithless world, teaching us to trust God wherever He has placed us.

Remember something important about this story - Daniel didn’t ask for this!

1. Unwilling to Leave Home (vs. 1–7)

In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish, establishing Babylon’s dominance over Judah (Jeremiah 46:2).

Daniel and his friends, members of Judah’s nobility, were taken to Babylon in the first deportation.

Their new reality included name changes, cultural reprogramming, and a diet designed to sever them from their Jewish identity (Daniel 1:3-7).

Yet, even in exile, God’s hand was at work.

Verse 2 reminds us: “The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” This wasn’t a random event—God was in control, even in judgment.

Look at verse 1…

Daniel 1:1 (ESV)

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Judah should have known better. Certainly because of the prophetic warnings she received, but also because of Israel’s fall in 722 B.C. to Assyria.

But they were a proud and stiffnecked people determined to live the way they wanted.

And Nebuchadnezzar was sent BY GOD to teach them a very difficult lesson.

Three years into Jehoiakim’s (the king of Judah) reign, Nebuchadnezzar took him captive with some of the vessels from the house of God.

There is something you must not miss here in this passage.

Something that speaks clearly to the sovereign purposes of God.

Look at verse 2…

Daniel 1:2 ESV

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

God is not out of control in this situation.

He is very much in charge as He uses Nebuchadnezzar to punish the children of God!

Do you think this same God is still in control of your life?

Even in the difficult stuff?

He has you there for a reason.

Learn what it is you need to learn and be faithful at every point.

Daniel and his friends didn’t want to be in the situation they were, but it was really good for Nebuchadnezzer.

This king was no slouch.

He understood the importance of having the right people in his corner.

He desired to get the cream of the crop and the best of the best - even though they were Jews.

So he took the sons of nobility from Judah for the purpose of reprograming them into helpful Chaldeans.

Why? Because they would understand the culture of those Nebuchadnezzar took from Judah.

Scholars estimate 14,000 to 18,000 souls were ripped from their homeland and relocated in Babylon.

And if he could reprogram these young, impressionable men, well, that would help him manage the influx of people from a different culture.

So he put them under the care of Ashpenez, his chief eunuch, to whip them into shape.

Look at verse 3-4

Daniel 1:3–4 (ESV)

Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

This would be quite a task for Ashpenaz. How would he go about this?

Were they willing subjects or were they defiant.

Would the willingly submit to his leadership and tutelage?

Or would he need to beat them into subjection.

I suspect because of Nebuchadnezzars lust for power and growing his kingdom that this was not Ashpenez’s first experience at conforming people to the will of the king.

Regardless, he had his orders and the king’s will would be done.

And it would happen through their diet and their education.

Look at verse 5…

Daniel 1:5 (ESV)

The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.

Why was their diet and education so important to the king?

Let me give you three reasons…

Assimilation into the Babylonian culture - The education would teach them about their new culture and their new diet would sever them from their old culture.

Demonstration of dependance on the King - This is more so regarding the food. The king would be perceived as generous and kind for feeding these “students” from his menu. They were relying on the king! It was a tactic to ingratiate and cause allegiance to the king with those who were kidnaped. (Stockholm Syndrome)

Religious and social unity - When one partook in the food and drink of Babylon one was partaking in the religion of Babylon because much of the food and drink was offered up to the gods of Babylon.

For these young men, eating Babylon’s food meant rejecting the God they loved and served.

These four teen’s faith wasn’t just the faith of their parents, it was their faith as we will see.

Who were these young men? Look at verses 6-7…

Daniel 1:6–7 (ESV)

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Why the name change?

Three more reasons…

Erasing Their Jewish Heritage

Names Reflect Identity: In ancient Jewish culture, names often carried deep spiritual meaning and reflected the individual’s relationship with God.

For example:

Daniel: “God is my Judge.”

Hananiah: “Yahweh is gracious.”

Mishael: “Who is like God?”

Azariah: “Yahweh has helped.”

By giving them Babylonian names, the Chaldeans aimed to strip them of their connection to the God of Israel and their heritage as God’s covenant people.

Aligning Them With Babylonian Gods

The new names given to Daniel and his friends honored Babylonian deities:

Belteshazzar (Daniel): “Bel, protect the king.” (Bel was a chief Babylonian god.)

Shadrach (Hananiah): Possibly derived from the Akkadian word for “command of Aku,” the moon god.

Meshach (Mishael): May mean “Who is what Aku is?” aligning with the moon god.

Abednego (Azariah): “Servant of Nabu,” the god of wisdom and writing.

This was an intentional attempt to shift their identities from servants of Yahweh to servants of Babylonian gods and culture.

Reprogramming Their Loyalties

Symbol of Ownership: Changing their names was a way of asserting Babylon’s authority over them. It symbolized that their lives now belonged to the empire, not to their God or their people.

Cultural Recalibration: By renaming them, the Babylonians sought to reshape their self-perception and loyalty, aligning them with Babylon’s worldview rather than their Jewish upbringing.

Like Daniel, we live in a culture that constantly pressures us to conform.

But we must remember that our true identity is rooted in Christ, not the labels the world gives us.

The bottom line that you need to understand is these boys - these young men did not wish for this to happen to them.

God allowed it to happen to them and it would be an amazing test to see where their loyalties were.

Will they stand for the God of their fathers?

Or will they jump into a new and exciting culture that had endless possibilities for them?

The world will try to tell you who you are. You must know who you are in Christ.” — Tim Keller

As we will see in the lives of these young men, especially Daniel, they knew who they were.

They knew who their God was and is.

And they knew they belonged to Him.

And because they belonged to Yaweh, their allegiance wast to Him and Him alone.

No mere puny king, his minion, or the culture would stop them from serving their God who is the King of kings.

Take a moment and ask yourself what you would do in this kind of situation.

I’m sure at this point in their story they are begining to think that they will need to take a stand for their God at some point.

Are you prepared to do the same?

Review:

Despite being forced into exile, these young men didn’t allow their circumstances to dictate their faithfulness.

Their next challenge came in their willingness to remain faithful in the little things, even when it was inconvenient.

2. Willingly Faithful to God Nonetheless (vs. 8–16)

Even though Daniel and his friends were far from home, they didn’t let their circumstances dictate their faith.

They resolved to honor God, even in small things like their diet.

This moment was the beginning of a pattern of faithfulness throughout their time in Babylon.

Daniel 1:8 (ESV)

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.

Daniel was determined to honor God, but notice his approach—he spoke respectfully to the chief of the eunuchs.

Even when the stakes were high, he humbly made his request, trusting God with the outcome.

Bold faith isn’t about arrogance—it’s about trusting God while showing humility and respect.

When we speak up for God with this kind of faith, He often opens doors we could never imagine.

I think there is something we can learn from Daniel here.

Speak up when you are called to defile your God.

When you speak up for God don’t be surprised when God stands up for you!

Look at what happens in verse 9-10…

Daniel 1:9–10 (ESV)

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.”

Who gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs? GOD DID!

This wasn’t luck or coincidence—this was God’s sovereign hand at work.

If there’s one truth to hold onto in this series, it’s this: Our God is sovereign over everything, from kings to diets, and He works through the faithfulness of His people to accomplish His purposes.

"If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled." - R.C. Sproul

God is at work in Daniel’s situation so that he can function in that culture (because God put him there) without defiling or sinning against his God.

Friends, this is even more true for you!

If you are a Christian, you do not need to capitulate and give into sin!

Romans 6:14 (ESV)

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I can choose righteousness over sin!

By God’s hand, Daniel found another way!

A test that would save the Chief’s neck and prove that God’s way is best.

Daniel 1:11–13 (ESV)

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.”

Talk about a step of faith.

But that’s what this experiment was!

Daniel and his friends were determined to be faithful and not sin agains their God.

So they had a compromise that would ultimately prove that God is more than capable of providing a way of escape!

They didn’t have to sin to survive!

And neither do you!

And look at what God did through their interesting diet…

Daniel 1:14–16 (ESV)

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.

Now this is something, isn’t it!

Not only did they listen to Daniel’s plan, but Daniel’s plan, going against the conventional wisdom of the day proved to be very effective.

I mean this is kinda strange.

All they ate were vegetables, and all they drank was water and they ended up fatter than their contemporaries.

Come to think of it I can relate.

Whatever I eat, even the healthy stuff makes me fatter too!

Actually the word “fatter” means healthier.

The point is this, God blessed their efforts to not defile themselves with the food and drink of the Chaldeans.

God blesses when we live for him!

“Decisions become easier when your will to please God outweighs your will to please the world.” — Unknown

Maybe you’re feeling pressure at work to cut corners to get ahead, or at school to go along with things that don’t honor God.

Whatever it is, ask God to help you stand firm like Daniel did.

Don’t be afraid to respectfully challenge societal norms when they conflict with God’s Word, as Daniel did with the diet.

Trust God to provide strength and outcomes when you step out in faith.

Reflect on times in your life when obedience resulted in unexpected blessings.

Recognize that resisting cultural assimilation isn’t just about saying “no” but also about saying “yes” to God’s ways.

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How are you guarding your heart and mind from being conformed to the world (cf. Romans 12:2)?

Review:

Daniel and his friends didn’t just survive their test—they thrived.

Their faithfulness in the small things led to God’s abundant blessings, as we see in verses 17-21.

Let’s take a closer look at how God responded to their devotion.

3. God is Willing to Bless His Devoted (vs. 17–21)

When Daniel and his friends resolved not to defile themselves, they trusted that God would take care of them. And as we see in verses 17-21, God didn’t just provide for them—He blessed them abundantly.

If you are a devoted child of God, He’s got your back.

This reality is seen clearly in the lives of the four youths in this story.

Not only did God prove Himself right for the Chief eunuch, there were great blessings for these youths too!

Look at the text…

Daniel 1:17 (ESV)

As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Do you see where the abilities of learning and skill in all literature and wisdom came from?

The text is clear! It came from God!

He gave them these abilities and skills.

He gave them their wisdom.

Maybe you are in high school or college and you are thinking, man, I wish God would do that for me.

Maybe He will, maybe He won’t, but this I do know for certain.

He will fill you full of wisdom if you do one thing.

Feast on His word regularly and often.

Don’t have a habit in God’s Word yet?

Try reading prayerfully one Proverb a day. (I read Proverbs 22 and it took 47 seconds)

Because there are 31 proverbs, you know what you are supposed to read based on the day of the month you are on.

The book of Proverbs is filled with practical, God-given wisdom for everyday life.

By reading and meditating on this wisdom literature, you’ll gain the kind of understanding that helps you honor God in every situation, just as Daniel and his friends did.

And because God blessed these young men with wisdom and skill, they stood above the rest.

Daniel 1:18–20 (ESV)

At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

If you do things God’s way. Live out the character that He prescribes in His word…

Be honest

Work hard

Be kind

Be loving

Be just

Don’t complain

Don’t gossip

When you live according to God’s Word—whether at work, school, or home—you not only stand out but also reflect God’s glory.

Like Daniel and his friends, your faithfulness shows the world that God’s ways are better than anything the world can offer.

You will be viewed ten-times better that all those that live contrary to God’s commands.

Even in judgment, God’s sovereignty was at work.

While punishing Judah for their rebellion, He was also raising up Daniel and his friends to shine His light in the heart of a pagan empire.

God used their faithfulness to demonstrate His superiority over the wisdom of the world.

He was using these young men to show the unsaved world that God’s ways are better and superior to the wisest ways the world has to offer.

This was Paul’s point in…

1 Corinthians 1:20–21 (ESV)

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

When His people devote themselves to God and His ways, God blesses them in unexpected ways.

These young men were determined not to defile themselves with their diet.

I don’t think they expected God to do what He did for them - Better health, increased wisdom, learning, and skill.

That they would be ten-times better than everyone else because they were faithful at being faithful!

“Faithfulness is not doing something right once but doing something right over and over and over again.” — Jerry Bridges, The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God's Love Through You (NavPress, 2006, p. 13).

Daniel and his friends devoted themselves to honoring God, even in the face of exile, cultural pressure, and personal risk.

God blessed their faithfulness by giving them wisdom, knowledge, and opportunities to shine for His glory.

Their example shows that God delights in blessing those who remain devoted to Him, even in challenging circumstances.

Ask yourself, “Am I trusting God to bless my devotion to Him, even when it’s difficult or seems unnoticed?”

Faithfulness isn’t just about big, life-changing decisions—it’s about daily surrender to God in the ordinary moments of life.

This week, choose one area of your life—your work, studies, relationships, or personal habits—and commit it fully to God.

Ask Him to bless your faithfulness in that area, trusting that He will use it to grow you and make an impact for His glory.

Be specific in prayer: “Lord, help me honor You in this area, and I trust You with the outcome.”

God’s blessings may not always look the way we expect, but they are always for our good and His glory.

Like Daniel and his friends, your faithfulness can lead to unexpected opportunities to make God’s greatness known.

Review:

“Be faithful to God regardless where He has you.”

These young men were not where they wanted to be.

But they did prove to be faithful regardless of where they were planted!

God blessed them because they were devoted to him when it would have been easy not to.

Conclusion Considering all these young men had been through, I am thoroughly impressed with their determined dedication to thrive spiritually and please their God.

If we are not careful, however, we can look at these men and determine that we should be just like them.

And in a sense, we should strive for this kind of character.

But these young men, as incredible as they were, were not perfect—they were empowered by their perfect God.

Just as their faith was in God, not themselves, so our faith must rest in Jesus Christ, who lived the perfect life we never could.

Jesus Christ is the only perfect person to live this life.

His perfection not only makes Him the acceptable sacrifice for our sins but also the source of strength and grace we need to stand firm.

Just as Daniel and his friends relied on God, we too can draw on Christ’s power to live faithfully in the face of opposition.

Daniel (Belteshazar), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not the heroes of this story—Jesus is!

He always is!

These young men were empowered by God to live out their faith, and the same is true of you if Christ is in you.

This week, ask yourself:

In what areas of my life am I tempted to compromise?

How can I rely on God’s power to stand firm, just as Daniel and his friends did?

Living out your faith isn’t about perfection—it’s about daily surrender to Jesus and trusting Him to work through you.

The world is a battleground, but our victory comes through Christ.

As Charles Spurgeon said, “The power that is in you is not in the temptation, nor in the sin, nor even in yourself—it is in the Christ who dwells in you.”

Spurgeon’s words remind us that no matter where we are or what opposition we face, Christ in us is greater.

When Angie and I were in Scotland, I’ve never felt so far from home.

Everything was foreign—the culture, the customs, the language—but even there, I was reminded that my identity didn’t change.

I still belonged to Christ.

Daniel and his friends experienced this on a much greater scale.

They were ripped from their home, thrust into a pagan culture, and yet they didn’t just survive—they thrived spiritually.

They stood firm in their faith, knowing who they were and who their God was.

Imagine if our church stood for Christ and His ways the way these young men did in their day—a day of great opposition.

What kind of church would we be?

Unyielding in truth yet gracious and patient with those who do not yet believe, just like Daniel was with the chief eunuch.

What if we didn’t just survive in a world that opposes God, but we thrived spiritually?

What kind of impact could we make here in Allendale?

How many lives could be transformed by seeing our faithfulness?

The world is watching.

Will they see us stand boldly for Christ, thriving in faith and grace?

Together, let’s commit to reflecting God’s love and impacting our community for His glory.