Intentional

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.”

Daniel 1:11-13, ESV

The warm front comes sweeping in, collides with the cold--and war results. The trees bow their branches before the gusts of war-wind. The clouds tower mightily in pride, hailing in height their claim to victory for the grey-cast world to see. Thunder roars its protests, and lightning shows the vivid split of hot and cold. Tremble before the war.

Tremble before the war--the front lines of the world and of the spiritual, clash and vie for our loyalty. Yet here instead of thunder it is the soft lull of music and apathy and humdrum. Instead of lightning, it is the lighting of comfort and the little LED lights of watches that dictate our days. Instead of wind, it is the daily things of eating and drinking in which the war is fought and lived out. Peace, peace, when there is no peace. 

Here, Daniel. Placed in the middle of peace and luxury, with grand opportunities of comfort and power, Daniel saw the dark war under the gold and glitter. How could he continue to see the war? How to remain in battle-shape? Fasting. Scholars debate the meaning of the fast--there is no indication that the food had been given to idols first, and Jews certainly were permitted to eat more than vegetables, etc. Why not eat the food but still participate in the education and the astrology classes? Surely those would have been an affront to a Jew! But perhaps the food was a daily, intentional way to train his mind. Every meal, he remembered where his true life came from, his true comfort, his true source. He was not dependent on the king of Babylon, but on the King of kings. He did not get his life and nourishment from the riches of the world, but from every word that preceded from the mouth of God. Daniel was intentional in faith. Intentional to find a way to remind himself of his life.

In war, let us be intentional.  Blessed are those who find refuge in the King of kings, through daily steps and sometimes uncomfortably empty bellies. Then, no matter the storms, in the center of the storm we will have peace.