Daniel 1 — Faithfulness in the Small Things

A little something different today.

A few weeks ago at church our pastor spoke about fasting. This is not something our family has ever practiced before, so naturally we were intrigued — and if I’m honest — a little intimidated.

My husband felt the Lord nudging him to study it more deeply and step into it. Wanting to support his leadership, grow spiritually, and lean into whatever the Lord might teach us, I chose to follow. We even invited our grown kids into the conversation, and some of them decided to join us.

Let me be real transparent.

I am a meat, bread, and potatoes kind of girl.

I hunt the things that eat the salad.

A carnivore diet? I could thrive. But this? This is stretching me.

When dinner rolled around on night one, my touch of tism was practically waving a red flag over the kitchen. No meat? No starch? No tidy little “protein-carb-veggie” formula that my brain likes to organize?

And somehow I was expected to cook for seven people — some Daniel fasting, others eating completely normal meals that smelled amazing.

It wasn’t pretty.

But I persevered.

And somewhere between chopping vegetables and resisting the urge to bury my face in a loaf of bread, I realized something important:

I might be missing the point.

Fasting isn’t about mastering a menu.

It’s about surrendering the comforts we don’t realize we cling to.

So this week I’ve added the book of Daniel to my reading alongside Psalms. I often feel more at home in the New Testament — Jesus appears immediately and everything feels clearer to me. But the Old Testament matters deeply because it reveals God’s character. It shows us how He moves, how He sustains, and how faithful He is long before the manger.

Daniel’s Quiet Resolve

One of the first things that brought me relief in Daniel 1 was the ten–day testing period.

“Test your servants for ten days… then compare our appearance.” (Daniel 1:12)

Ten days feels doable. Faith sometimes grows best when we simply commit to the next faithful step rather than imagining forever.

But what struck me most was not the vegetables.

It was Daniel’s resolve.

“Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8)

No one forced this decision on him.

No crowd was watching.

No applause was coming.

Daniel honored God in private before God ever honored him in public.

And what followed is a pattern we see throughout Scripture:

Commitment → God’s presence → God’s provision

Daniel chose obedience, and the Lord was with him.

Daniel chose restraint, and the Lord sustained him.

This thread runs from Genesis to Revelation:

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Emmanuel — God with us.

The Spirit coming upon believers.

The Lord strengthening those who choose Him.

God has never asked His people to walk in faithfulness alone.

Faith Is Proven in the Living

Reading this chapter forced me to examine something uncomfortable:

It is very easy to say we believe.

It is much harder to live like we do.

We can speak fluent “Christianese,” quote Scripture, and nod along in church — but our daily behaviors reveal our true heart posture.

Daniel didn’t just believe God.

He aligned his actions with that belief.

Even when it cost him comfort.

Even when it made him different.

Even when it would have been easier not to.

Obedience is rarely loud — but it is always powerful.

What Fasting Is Teaching Me

I’m only at the beginning of this journey, but already the Lord is showing me things I might have missed otherwise.

Fasting exposes attachments.

It reveals where we reach for comfort instead of Christ.

It reminds us that our strength is not found in what fills our plates, but in the One who fills our souls.

And perhaps most encouraging of all:

If God could sustain Daniel on vegetables and water in a pagan culture…

He can certainly sustain me in my suburban kitchen.

So for now, I’m focusing on my own “ten days.”

Choosing obedience in what feels small.

Trusting God to meet me there.

Because Scripture shows us again and again — when we draw near to Him…

He always draws near to us.

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