God has a plan for your life.  This is a common statement among people of faith and it’s true.  Many people are fond of Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you…”. The original context of this verse is an address to the Jewish exiles who would be in Babylon for 70 years before the Lord would restore them to the Holy Land.  The Prophet Daniel was one of the first exiles to be taken, probably when he was about 15 years old.  The Babylonians’ strategy was to assimilate these exiles into their own culture.  Daniel and his friends were under great pressure to change, especially to change their God for the many gods of Babylon.  How do they remain faithful?  Daniel is an example of extraordinary grace under pressure because God was with him. Daniel teaches us about God’s plan for his people.

God has a plan that culminates in Jesus’ rule.

The Lord demonstrates his sovereignty in our text by the four things he gives. 

1. In Verse 9, God gives Daniel favor with the eunuch and the steward. The resulting diet had an outcome that was miraculous.
2. In Verse 17, God gives Daniel learning, understanding, and interpretation of dreams. Daniel was 10x better than others because of God’s work. There is no self-made man.
3. In Verse 2, the Lord gives King Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand. God ultimately raises up and deposes leaders.  His plan works through them.
4. To extend the plan further out, it seems that John 3:35 is a reference to Daniel 1:2. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

God’s plan is that Jesus is Lord! 

Taking It Home: Discuss the ways that you are tempted to compromise your beliefs for the sake of worldly culture.  What makes it hard to follow God in our society?