Daniel 1:8 - "But 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."
Concerning this text, there are two great truths present. I would like to expound briefly on these principles.
Daniel Purposed
It is written in the above verse that Daniel purposed. This means that what he intended to do, he did it on purpose. There is little that gets accomplished accidentally, either in the affairs of the material world, or in the kingdom of God. If I could encourage Christians who read this post, I would encourage them to live for God in 2011, and to live purposely. If you worship God in your home, you will do it on purpose. If you spend time in prayer, it will be done purposely. If you spend time fasting, it will happen purposely. If you wait until you stumble onto a period of fasting, you will never fast. It must be purposed in the heart, and carried out. When you go to church, purpose to let the Lord speak to your heart. Here is something so few are doing these days - purpose to win souls. Set out to talk to people about the Lord, and try to persuade them to trust Jesus Christ to save them. It is amazing how so many will spend time in prayer, read the Word of God, and go to church, all on purpose. But they mosey through life to see if perhaps they stumble into witnessing opportunities. If we are going to win anyone for Jesus Christ, we must purpose to do it. We must make a conscious effort to do so. We plan nearly everything else, but there is little purposing to win souls. Daniel purposed in his heart.
What Daniel Purposed
Now, let us look at the thing which Daniel purposed. He purposed that he would not defile himself with the king's meat. I asked the Lord a few years ago a question that so many are asking today. I asked, "Where has conviction gone?" "Why do people feel no shame concerning their wicked, ungodly, filthy, rotten, stinking sins?" I believe I received a clear answer from the Word of God. The Lord reminded me in His Word, how that Daniel was cast into a den of lions. After the king threw Daniel into the den of lions, he arose the following morning to check on Daniel. Let's get this straight. The king threw Daniel into a den of lions. They were hungry lions. We know this because they devoured the men that cast Daniel into the den! The king waits until the following morning and looks into the den of lions. Why does he look inside the den? Why would anyone look inside the den? He looked in, expecting to find Daniel still alive! Why? The Bible says that the king "passed the night fasting." "Passed the night" meant he couldn't sleep; "fasting" meant he couldn't eat. Something had gotten a hold of him to the extent that the king could not eat or sleep. This is good, old-fashioned conviction. The Spirit of God had made the king feel so badly about what he had done unjustly to Daniel. This is conviction. It is what we need today. We need the Lord to show people how filthy they are outside of Christ, even with their best works! The question is this: Why did the king experience such conviction? The answer is in Daniel 1:8 - "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat." Where has conviction gone? Here's the answer: The wicked king was convicted because Daniel lived by convictions! Daniel said, "I will not defile myself!" He proclaimed, "I will live a clean, undefiled life!" The answer for you and me is this: When we (the Christians) live by convictions, the world will be convicted. If you and me are not stirred about people going to hell, do not expect the world to be stirred about going to hell. If the Day of Judgment doesn't bother us; don't expect it to bother the world. The world will change their attitude about sin when the church of Jesus Christ changes her attitude about sin.
So, in the coming year, let us purpose to have convictions. Then and only then will the unsaved be convicted.
Concerning this text, there are two great truths present. I would like to expound briefly on these principles.
Daniel Purposed
It is written in the above verse that Daniel purposed. This means that what he intended to do, he did it on purpose. There is little that gets accomplished accidentally, either in the affairs of the material world, or in the kingdom of God. If I could encourage Christians who read this post, I would encourage them to live for God in 2011, and to live purposely. If you worship God in your home, you will do it on purpose. If you spend time in prayer, it will be done purposely. If you spend time fasting, it will happen purposely. If you wait until you stumble onto a period of fasting, you will never fast. It must be purposed in the heart, and carried out. When you go to church, purpose to let the Lord speak to your heart. Here is something so few are doing these days - purpose to win souls. Set out to talk to people about the Lord, and try to persuade them to trust Jesus Christ to save them. It is amazing how so many will spend time in prayer, read the Word of God, and go to church, all on purpose. But they mosey through life to see if perhaps they stumble into witnessing opportunities. If we are going to win anyone for Jesus Christ, we must purpose to do it. We must make a conscious effort to do so. We plan nearly everything else, but there is little purposing to win souls. Daniel purposed in his heart.
What Daniel Purposed
Now, let us look at the thing which Daniel purposed. He purposed that he would not defile himself with the king's meat. I asked the Lord a few years ago a question that so many are asking today. I asked, "Where has conviction gone?" "Why do people feel no shame concerning their wicked, ungodly, filthy, rotten, stinking sins?" I believe I received a clear answer from the Word of God. The Lord reminded me in His Word, how that Daniel was cast into a den of lions. After the king threw Daniel into the den of lions, he arose the following morning to check on Daniel. Let's get this straight. The king threw Daniel into a den of lions. They were hungry lions. We know this because they devoured the men that cast Daniel into the den! The king waits until the following morning and looks into the den of lions. Why does he look inside the den? Why would anyone look inside the den? He looked in, expecting to find Daniel still alive! Why? The Bible says that the king "passed the night fasting." "Passed the night" meant he couldn't sleep; "fasting" meant he couldn't eat. Something had gotten a hold of him to the extent that the king could not eat or sleep. This is good, old-fashioned conviction. The Spirit of God had made the king feel so badly about what he had done unjustly to Daniel. This is conviction. It is what we need today. We need the Lord to show people how filthy they are outside of Christ, even with their best works! The question is this: Why did the king experience such conviction? The answer is in Daniel 1:8 - "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat." Where has conviction gone? Here's the answer: The wicked king was convicted because Daniel lived by convictions! Daniel said, "I will not defile myself!" He proclaimed, "I will live a clean, undefiled life!" The answer for you and me is this: When we (the Christians) live by convictions, the world will be convicted. If you and me are not stirred about people going to hell, do not expect the world to be stirred about going to hell. If the Day of Judgment doesn't bother us; don't expect it to bother the world. The world will change their attitude about sin when the church of Jesus Christ changes her attitude about sin.
So, in the coming year, let us purpose to have convictions. Then and only then will the unsaved be convicted.
