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b'Have you ever moved? If so, was it sudden or was there time to prepare and say goodbye to friends? Moving can create a lot of mixed emotions. It may be exciting in one way\\u2014yet produce anxiety in other ways. Leaving familiar people and places is never easy.\\nToday we are tracking Daniel, a teen who experienced a sudden move\\u2014so sudden, in fact, it\\u2019s more accurate to say that Daniel was kidnapped. As the story unfolds, we find that Daniel and other young Jews from Jerusalem have been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Not only are Daniel and others abruptly snatched away from family and home, but they are also chosen to undergo specialized training: a three-year regimen designed to teach them the history and language of their captors, the Babylonians. Talk about rubbing it in! To make things worse, the trainees had to eat a special diet ordered by the king. This diet was supposed to be the best food available, but the problem was, Daniel and his friends were Jews, and obeying God\\u2019s laws meant avoiding certain foods\\u2014foods that were on the royal diet.\\nBut God was already giving Daniel and the others favor and wisdom, and they trusted God. Notice two things about Daniel\\u2019s reaction. First, he \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153determined not to defile himself\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (1:8). Second, Daniel respectfully asked for consideration. At first, he got a \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153No\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d from the chief of staff, Ashpenaz, who feared for his head if he disobeyed the king. But Daniel did not give up. He waited and then asked the attendant under Ashpenaz for a trial period of ten days eating vegetables and water. Daniel asked, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Please test us\\u2026see how we look\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (1:12-13).\\nThat phrase \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153see how we look\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d illustrates Daniel\\u2019s confidence in God. He trusted that as they obeyed God, the difference would be evident and their dilemma would be resolved. And it was! At the end of the ten days, Daniel and the other Jews looked healthier and stronger than all the others. Not only that, but God gave these four young Jews special wisdom and understanding, and they became the king\\u2019s most capable advisors (1:17-21). Through His people, God demonstrated that He is above any other authority. As Daniel and his friends faced challenges, they relied on God, who continued to be faithful to them. \\u2022 G. Kam Congleton\\n\\u2022 What challenges are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rely on Him? \\nBut Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. Daniel 1:8a (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nDan.2'