What have you purposed in your Heart?

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Daniel 1:8

I am grateful for what the Lord has done in my life for the first half of the year. It has been a great joy considering where I was at the start of year, and where I am now. I thank Him so much for His goodness and loving kindness.

Today, I want to talk about determination. We are living in the last days. The King of kings would soon come for His own. But what we see in our world is; it is very difficult to distinguish between the chosen and the rest of the world. We live like the people of the world. Let us not forget that Satan and his demons are dictating to the world through the people they have put in authority. But in this are we supposed to shine as light. We are the light of the world. Daniel’s life should be a good example for believer all over the world.

The scripture says Daniel determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to him by the King. He had faith in God so after the 10 days; his countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. He remembered his God in good times and God never disappointed him.

My question today is;

What have you purposed in your heart in these last days?

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul said “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” So many things are happening around us. People are doing everything they could to survive. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT. We can do anything to survive but not all is good for us. This calls for us to be careful. We have to determine to live a life that is holy and acceptable. We have to determine that we are not going to defile God’s temple with the “food and wine” Satan has got to offer. Your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost.

Daniel was offered the best food and wine. It was the King’s order yet he didn’t compromise his integrity. He stood firm for the Lord. If you stand for the Lord, He will stand for you. Daniel knew God as his source of strength and life. How many of us today can do what Daniel did at the office, among friends, in the Church, at home, etc. Christians are more concerned about what people say more than what God says. Let us learn today that we can be better off if we choose to live a life which is holy and acceptable.

What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? You could be the richest man on earth, the famous minister of the Gospel, the best actor of Hollywood, chorister, instrumentalist, usher, etc. You could be the best you want to be but should you lose your soul, you would be the most miserable person on earth. Jesus has been lifted above everything that has name, and He is coming again. Would He find you sleeping or awake? Are you watching?

The world and everything in it is passing away. It has been reserved for fire. Our time to decide where we want to be is now. Now that we have life, and now that we count ourselves among the living. I want to encourage you to purpose in your heart that you wouldn’t defile your body, which is God’s temple, with any portion of the king’s meat. It could a bait Satan is using to get your soul. Beware!

Determine to live for Jesus Christ and Him alone.

God bless you!

I will close with this;

Psalm 141:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.