Today’s 333 Devotional: “A Purpose-Filled Heart”

Jerusalem had just been taken by the Babylonian army, and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave instructions to Ashpenaz, master of his eunuchs, to bring the best and brightest young Jewish men to Babylon to be trained where they could be top advisors in Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

Daniel, along with three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were chosen with many others and deported to Babylon to train in the top college for Babylon wise guys, the Chaldeans, who were the magicians and astrologers of that day.

Uprooted from his home and everything he knew; Daniel had every right to be discouraged. He was a captive in an unfriendly and foreign land, and to Daniel’s mind, the kingdom of darkness, a place where God was completely absent from people’s thoughts.

Ashpenaz enrolled them in the College where everything was provided for them. They were even given food that the king himself ate. This presented a problem to Daniel and his three friends. It was food that was forbidden by God’s law and unlawful to eat.

What would they do, to refuse was to insult the king and put them in potential danger, even the potential of losing their lives. But to partake would put them directly against God and His word.

A choice had to be made, and so it says that Daniel purposed in his heart not to go against God’s word and defile himself with the king’s offerings, which should be in the heart of all God’s people.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8)

Daniel purposed in his heart not to go against God or His word and defile Himself. And because He purposed to follow God early on, He stood out amongst all others, exceeding them in wisdom and appearance throughout his life.