Daniel 1: 8 "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: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

Daniel was young – in a foreign country – and under the authority of the ungodly!
Yet he did right. How was that possible?
Because he knew “Purpose Proceeds Performance”If we want to do right – we must purpose in our hearts to do right.   
The challenge of righteous behavior starts not with what we do but with what we purpose.
Today let each of us examine the “purpose” of our life.
Let us surrender the purpose of our heart to what pleases God in every area and at every time.

This morning I was reading my devotions in Ezekiel 28-30. Within this passage we see God's response to pride. He will not accommodate it, nor will He ignore it.

The verse in James 4:6 came to my mind: "But He gives more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
 
Today let us take inventory of our hearts.

Are we cultivating or accommodating a prideful spirit?

Have we developed an over-inflated view  of our own significance?

Is our pride eclipsing the work of the Spirit and causing us to be unusable in God's purpose?

If the answer is yes, if pride is found abiding in our hearts, let us confront it with a vengeance.

Let us confess it and forsake it. Let us take our pride to the feet of the cross and lay it down!

God wants to work in us and through us today. He wants to sustain us and empower us by His grace.

Let us humble our hearts so that we can surrender our lives.

May God be glorified today in each of us as we surrender our pride and replace it with total dependence and devotion to the One who loves us most!