“But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself.”

Dan. 1:8 AMPC

It took great courage for Daniel, a young teenager at the time and a captive in Babylon,  to take a stand by determining that he would still honor the Lord in spite of his circumstances.  For him it was simply a matter of seeking to honor the Lord by adhering to the dietary laws laid down for Israel in the Word of God (Lev. 11).  It would have been easy for him to simply partake of the rich food provided for him by the king. 
But in the situation he was in, God was all that he had left and he was unwilling to do anything that would hinder that relationship.  In fact, he wanted to do everything he could to still cultivate that relationship. 

He could have looked at the circumstances and reasoned, that it was such a small thing that it really didn’t matter.  But it did matter.  It mattered because it was one of the things  God had commanded  Israel that set them apart as the people of God (Lev. 11:44)!  And Daniel,  though he was a captive in Babylon, still wanted to be identified as one who belonged to God!  So, he made the decision and the  Lord honored him in that decision.  It was this decision that set the precedent for the rest of his life.  Daniel would face far greater challenges in the future.   But because he had determined to obey God in the little things, he had laid the foundation for being able to trust and obey God in far greater situations later. 

If we desire to be a people who genuinely reflect Christ in a dark culture,  it is important that we begin right where we are by obeying  God in the little things (Luke 12:26).  Love one another (John 13:35).  Care for one another.  Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).  Be considerate of one another.   Encourage one another (Heb. 10:24).  Help one another.   Let us be mindful of our tongue and how we speak to one another (1 Pet. 3:10).  Let us be known as a people who build up one another instead of tearing one another down (1 Thes. 5:11).   Let us be the people who seek to do what is right regardless of the cost (Psalm 15:4).  Let us be the people who seek to honor the Lord in all things (Matth. 6:33).  If we do these things, we (like Daniel)  will lay the foundation for being able to obey God in the greater challenges that will inevitably come our way. 
James W. Black