Purposed to Win

"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”
Daniel 1:8

The world as we know has come to Canada to compete in the Winter Olympics. Each athlete has come pursuing the dream of winning a medal and specifically a gold medal. They have dedicated themselves to the task. They have trained and they have sacrificed. We would say that they have purposed to win.

The Bible often refers to the Christian life as a contest, a sport, in which we need to purpose to be victorious. As Daniel, we need to purpose in our heart to do right and live for the Lord. If we are to receive the crowns that God has in store for the believers, we must purpose, we must train, and we to must sacrifice. The daily discipline of spiritual exercise including prayer, Bible study, and meditation on Scriptural truth will help us be prepared to live a victorious life. The sacrifice of worldly pleasures and “creature comforts” will keep us from being weighed down in the race we are called to run.

Daniel willingly purposed in his heart to do right and because of it God blessed him and his friends for it. As we look to the days ahead, I wonder what you and I might need to purpose to do. Will we purpose to follow the Lord at all cost and do what is right? Will we purpose to walk and serve our great God and Saviour by faith? When we purpose to do right, God will bless and bring glory to His name.

Pastor Jeffrey Bateman