Daniel Purposed in His Heart Dan.1:8 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Daniel 1:8 says, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” He purposed in his heart means that he resolved not to eat that meat or drink that wine. He was determined that he would change his diet to pulse and water because it was better for him and his companions. And the results are clear; the king found them “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm,” [Dan 1:20].
Have you purposed some things in your heart? If not, you certainly must. Purpose in your heart to:
Read your Bible. We cannot emphasize this enough. It is God’s words but it is YOUR Bible. I talked with a United States Congressman, one of the busiest people in the world, and he reads through his Bible once each year. He reads through Proverbs and Psalms each month. If you are going to get this done you must purpose in your heart to read it daily.
To find and do God’s will. It is incomprehensible how many Christians there are who live for themselves. You must not do that. Purpose to live for God and do his will. Pray always. Seek God always. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. God’s plan for your life is so much better than your own. Do what he desires and you will desire what he wants.
Increase your knowledge, understanding and wisdom. There came a day when Daniel had to answer before the king and he aced the test. Pastor Ken Bates learns a little bit about many different subjects so that he may knowledgeably converse with others about things that interest them. His hope is to gain an opportunity to speak to them about what interests him [the Lord].
Give to the Lord. God loveth an cheerful giver. Giving is not so much of an obligation as it is a joy. One of the greatest testimonies of joy in the Bible is the testimony of the Macedonian church in 2 Cor 8:2. They were in a great trial of affliction and in deep poverty and yet they were experiencing an abundance of joy because of the riches of their liberality.
Stay married. There are strains and struggles in marriage that can fracture and weaken your bond. You must purpose in your heart to keep your vows. Never let anything or anyone destroy your sacred union. Not the devil, not your lust, not your finances, not your pride, not strife, not bitterness, not fear, not anger, nothing. If you don’t purpose in your heart to stay together, one day you may find yourself apart.
Have your child. If you are pregnant and thinking about an abortion, stop right now and consider that the baby conceived in your womb is alive. You would be taking the life of an unborn, unprotected, defenseless child. And why? So that you can continue to fornicate without consequence? Turn from this wicked thought and realize that you must come to the Lord for help. There are better alternatives to this horrendous sin.
Stay away from lasciviousness. Our young people are plagued by the things of this world. They crave every form of worldly pleasure. And they are inebriated against the truly spiritual things of God. The culprit is lasciviousness and you must resist any and every temptation to fall prey to this deadly sin in Eph 4:18-19. If you are given over to lasciviousness and you have already begun to spin out of control. You must purpose in your heart, that by God’s grace, you are going to turn from this sin and repent.
Tell others about Jesus. You and I can never quit preaching the gospel of Christ. So many Christians today are practical Calvinists. They are leaving ALL of the work up to the Lord. This is not right. Jesus went everywhere preaching the gospel and he said “greater works than these shall” you do, that is if you believe on him.
Fight for Biblical values. There is a continual falling away in this country to more and more wickedness. We are inclined to blame others, like the government, for this demise. But you and I cannot give up the fight. Ask yourself how many people you have instructed in Biblical principles and values. You see where the problem lies. You cannot expect godless people to live by godly principles unless you teach them and lead them to the Lord. We must never surrender. Paul said I have fought a good fight. Why? So that you and I could have it better than he did? Brothers and sisters it is time for you to be numbered among God’s people and fight against the forces of evil so that this nation does not forget God!!
Conclusion: Purpose in your heart that you are going to live for God who created you and not for yourself.