Purpose In Your Heart

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion
of the king's delicacies...."  Daniel 1:8

Daniel had been taken captive to the city of Babylon, and he was chosen with some other young men to be trained to serve in the king's court.  They were to be put into a three year assimilation program.  This program was designed to conform these young men into the ways of Babylon, it included learning the language, laws, religion and literature of their of new land, this even included a change in diet. 

The first step taken by the chief eunuch in charge of the young men was to take away their Hebrew names and give them Babylonian names.  The changing of their names was a powerful way of saying that they were going to begin the process of a change of identity.

The young man, Daniel, knew who he was in the Lord and was determined not to allow his identity as one of God's chosen to be taken from him.  Though under extreme pressure from the culture he was held captive in, he purposed in his heart to remain faithful to the ways of Jehovah.  Because of his determined faithfulness God was able to use Daniel powerfully as a prophet and he is one of our greatest examples of true faith.

We live in a culture where we find ourselves under constant pressure to conform, and the way things have been going, I don't believe this pressure will ease up any time soon.  I believe God wants to raise up men and women to be prophets in this age, and He is seeking those who would be Daniels, and would purpose in their hearts not to conform to Babylon.  I want to be a Daniel, how about you?