CAC Living Water Daily Devotional For July 8, 2022 : Topic – What are your resolves?
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Christ Apostolic Church Living Water Daily Devotional Guide
Friday, July 8, 2022
What are your resolves?
Read Daniel 1:8-14
8 But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself.
9 Now God made Daniel to find favor, compassion, and loving-kindness with the chief of the eunuchs.
10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear, lest my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink, should see your faces worse looking or more sad than the other youths of your age. Then you would endanger my head with the king.
11 Then said Daniel to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove your servants, I beseech you, for ten days and let us be given a vegetable diet and water to drink.
13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat of the king’s [rich] dainties be observed and compared by you, and deal with us your servants according to what you see.
14 So [the man] consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days.
MEMORIZE: For Ezra had prepared and set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord [to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn for it], and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances. (Ezra 7:10).
EXPOSITION
Resolutions, determination and decisions are matters of the heart. Of course, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12v34). Resolution is a firm decision to do something. It premises on firmness of mind or purpose, and is more of an answer to a problem. This is also the firm idea conveyed by the word ‘resolve.’ The Scripture says of Ezra that he had prepared his heart to take those enviable steps in relation to to the law of the LORD (Ezra 7v10). The preparation, or better still, determination, started and was seated in his heart. The heart matters more than any other thing in taking one’s stand for the Lord.
One does not need to search too long and far, for why Daniel was so successful in His stay in that foreign, gentile land of Babylon. Daniel 1v8 answer that emphatically: But Daniel purpose in his heart not to do that which could defile him from the point of view of the Lord God of heaven and earth. He made up his mind (GWT). The resolve to stand for the Lord in this corrupt generation, notwithstanding the risk involved, is a thing of the HEART!
What do you purpose, prepare, resolve, decide, determine in your heart to do wherever God has graciously placed you in this generation – righteousness or evil? Whatever you planning to do concerning the temptation from that wealthy woman to be ‘servicing’ her while she takes care of your ephemeral needs? Remember Jospeh versus Potiphar’s wife! What do you intend to do as to falsifying some documents (age, birthplace, financial) to please some people or get some benefits? They can’t survive eternity. God charges you to choose His righteousness, notwithstanding the risks involved (Deut.30v15ff). You can never regret it!
HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 724
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, fill my heart with the spirit of courage to stand for You in all situations.
2. I resolve to stand by Christ’s Gospel and righteousness; I damn the consequences. O God, help my resolve.
3. Pray for youths who are dilly-dallying as to the temptation to do crime in any way.
Extra Reading for Today: Psalms 145-150
Author: CAC Worldwide