It’s not always easy when you’re the only one. . . .

Daniel, Hananiah, Mischael, and Azariah were children of the tribe of Judah. The king of Babylon had kidnapped them from their families and taken them to the land of Shinar.

Can you imagine how hard it would be if you were stolen from your home and family, and taken away to a strange land? The people in Babylon spoke a different language and ate different foods. These boys probably really missed their parents, their home, their language, and their country!

Normally, when someone is kidnapped, they are treated very badly. Yes, these four boys were treated badly, but they were also given some special treatment. The king thought he was being nice to them by giving them what he thought was the very best food and the very best training. But why? He did this so that later they could become smart leaders to help him in his nation. Sometimes people think they are doing us a favor, but it isn’t always something good. To start off, the food that the king wanted to give them was a problem.

Why? The king had flesh meat and wine to drink. The kinds of foods served probably cost a lot more money than what the regular people ate. But the king was willing to share all this with the four boys from Judah, so he thought he was being nice to them.

But are flesh meat and wine good for our bodies? No! The boys knew that if they would eat and drink those things, their minds would get mixed up and they would not be able to think straight. Their bodies would not work as well. Is it a good idea to be mixed up when you’re in a strange place? No! You need to be able to know what you’re doing. In a hard place, you don’t want to be eating and drinking strange things that will make you feel sick, either!

Daniel and his friends decided not to eat and drink those wrong things, no matter what. They knew that our bodies belong to God and that we need to obey His laws if we want to be healthy and feel well.

So, Daniel very nicely told Melzar, the one in charge of him, to make a test. For ten days, the four boys would eat only plant-based food and pure water to drink. Then after the ten days, Melzar would see if they were still healthy or not.

When the time passed, Melzar was so surprised! Daniel and his friends were much healthier and they knew their studies better than all the others in Babylon. The story had a happy ending!

So, be strong—even when you need to do the right thing alone. God will bless you; God will take care of you. Never be afraid to do the right thing.—BHM.