8.30.21 屬靈的“乳糖不耐症” Spiritual “Lactose Intolerance”

但以理 1:⁸ 但以理卻立志，不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，於是懇求太監長容他不使自己玷污。 ⁹ 　神使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩，得憐憫。

Daniel 1:⁸ 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. ⁹ And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.

但以理只是一個從他的家鄉被擄到外國年輕人。他有著在巴比倫王面前服侍的光明前途。但但以理做了一件不可思議的事：“立志，不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己。” 為什麼這麼年輕的人有如此的信念和勇氣！父母常常擔心他們的孩子無法“容入”學校，但但以理決定不“容入”，而是首先要按照上帝的方式生活。但以理有充份的理由放棄他的猶太身份，但他對他的家園和他的幼年時的上帝持保了信仰和效忠。當他表現出決心的力量時，“神使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩，得憐憫。 “ 耶 和 華 的 眼 目 遍 察 全 地 ， 要 顯 大 能 幫 助 向 他 心 存 誠 實 的 人。” （歷代志下 16:9）有乳糖不耐症的人不能攝取乳製品。願我們學習但以理，訓練我們的孩子們擁有這種屬靈的“乳糖不耐症 Lactose Intolerance”，即使生活在“巴比倫”的土地上也不願玷污自己！

Daniel was only a youth, captured from his homeland by a foreign nation. Nevertheless, he had a bright future before him serving before the foreign king. But Daniel did something unthinkable: “… Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.” What conviction and courage for someone so young! Too often parents worry that their children can’t “fit in” at school, but Daniel resolved not to “fit it” but to first of all to live according to God’s ways. Daniel, as a captive in a foreign land, had clear reasons to forsake his Jewish identity but he kept his faith and allegiance to the Lord God, to his homeland, and to his heritage. When Daniel demonstrated the strength of his resolve, God “gave Daniel favor and compassion” in the eyes of his captors. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) I have lactose intolerance, a condition which inhibits the digestion of milk products. May we learn from Daniel and train our children to have this spiritual “lactose intolerance” to not defile ourselves despite living in “Babylon”!