DAILY READINGS: Judges 5:1-31; Isaiah 26:1-21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Daniel purposed in his heart. Daniel 1:8
Daniel had witnessed the destruction of all he held dear; been abducted from his homeland; forced to march, possibly in chains, to a foreign land; there to be subjected to indoctrination and forced into a life of exile. Yet Daniel purposed in his heart. He did not conclude that God had forgotten him, or that God was not strong enough to resist the Babylonians, or that God had not kept His promises. Instead Daniel purposed to walk by faith regardless of circumstances. He chose to see his suffering and limitations as God’s invitation to enter into a more intimate relationship with Him. And what intense encounters
with the living God he enjoyed as a result. —M. MacMullen
Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone
Dare to have a purpose firm, and dare to make it known. —Philip P. Bliss