Daniel had another purpose of heart. He had purposed to pray toward Jerusalem three times a day. Now those who served the king with him were very jealous. They plotted how they could trap Daniel. Why? Daniel 6:3 says that Daniel distinguished himself because he had an excellent spirit.

Verse 4 says, “…they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.” The fruit of Daniel’s purpose of heart was God’s empowerment to resist temptation, faithfulness, and heart integrity.

They devised a plan and influenced the king to sign a decree that whoever petitioned any god or man, except the king, would be cast into the lion’s den.

Verse 10 says, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

It was his lifestyle since early days. Have you purposed in your heart to spend time with the Lord every day? Are you like Daniel, no matter what your circumstances are, you remain faithful to your heart-purpose?

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record how Jesus went away to commune with His Father. Matthew 14:23 says, “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

Our quiet time is Heart-to-heart communion with the Lord. He is our central focus in this holy time. Our lives are absolutely dependent on Him. Therefore, as we set this time apart for Him, He is present to reveal Himself in ways we have not known before. He longs to impart His wisdom, understanding, knowledge, but also His desires for us and through us.

Daniel is our example of wielding this mighty weapon when faced with a ‘come and dine’ temptation. Daniel 1:5 says, “And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank…”

Here is Daniel’s stance. Verse 8 says, “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…”

Daniel had purposed long before he was taken captive and faced with the temptation to be defiled. His purpose was a lifestyle choice. He had trained his heart to resist any temptation.

Proverbs 23:1-3 says, “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.”

Let me use gossip as defiling food. Proverbs 26:22 Amplified says, “The words of the whisperer or slanderer are like dainty morsels or words of sport (to some, but to others are like deadly wounds); and they go down into the innermost parts of the body (or the victim’s nature).”

Gossip is deceptive food that will destroy relationships. Gossip is a whisperer that draws us into it like a magnet.The enemy uses this ‘come and dine’ temptation. I had a friend that used to put her fingers in her ears and wag her tongue saying ‘la, la, la’ when someone tried to tell her something ‘juicy’ about another.

This deceptive food can come like this. ‘I just found out that they…we need to pray for them.’ It’s a trap. A gossiper meddles in other’s lives. 1 Peter 4:15 says, “But let none of you suffer…as a busybody in other people’s matter.”

Here is our God-given direction. 1 Peter 1:22 says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” Beware of the voice in your ear that says, ‘come and dine.’

The Lord has spread a table with food that will nourish our mind, will, and emotions. It is food that will satisfy the deepest longings in our heart. It is food that causes our spirit man to thrive.

Jeremiah 31:14 says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”

Satiate means to fill to the full. I know what it is like to fill my stomach with good food. I do it every day. Yet, I have to eat again. It doesn’t last. It is the same with spiritual food. We can’t read the Bible one day and then not need to read it again.

Our spirit drinks in God’s word. His word is our sustainer. I love to think of Song of Solomon 5:1 in a personal sense of the Lord speaking to me. The Amplified says, “…Drink, yes, drink abundant of love, O precious one (for now I know you are Mine, irrevocably Mine!…”

Psalm 23:5-6 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

We live in enemy territory – the world. Mark 4:19 is a great warning for us. Beware! Don’t let the desires for other things enter in to choke out God’s word! The Lord has set His desires before us. Let us partake freely.

Psalm 36:8 says, “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.”

Since we are what we eat, what happens to our health if we dine on junk food all the time? Our body doesn’t function as the Lord created it to function.

What food-thoughts cause us to feel grumpy, or out of sorts? Our heart is designed to think, feel, and make choices. What food-thoughts cause us to be depressed? Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

Anxious or glad is the fruit of our thoughts. Have you thought about that before? Proverbs 15:15 Amplified says, “All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil (by anxious thoughts and forebodings), but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast (regardless of circumstances).”

Depression is not rooted in our circumstances but in our thoughts.
Here is my challenge. The next time you are craving something, take notice of your thoughts. What are you thinking or feeling? It has a significant bearing. I have found that when I have a craving it can only be satisfied through the Lord.

Do you ever think about just getting away from it all? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? As you examine your thoughts you might find that you are dissatisfied.

Psalm 107:9 is the answer to dissatisfaction. It says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Maybe you haven’t really tasted of the Lord lately. Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Filled means to be satisfied with food in abundance. Those who eat of God’s word, bringing it into their heart and ruminating on it, will find what they truly were craving.

This is a newspaper article that my friend wrote which was published Saturday. May you be encouraged by her words

Who are we when our world falls apart?

It is not very often when life around us is at complete peace. Our worlds are usually bombarded with affliction, whether it’s financial strain, loneliness, loss, an uncertain future, or something else. A rapidly changing and chaotic year is nearly behind us. But though the end is near, many of us seem to be left with the ragged end of a tapestry. Maybe dreams crashed when a deadly virus destroyed our peace, and maybe even took the lives of those we love. Perhaps hope sank with the results of the presidential election. Storms in our personal life paired with the ongoing tumult of the universe can often seem like too much to bear.

In response, we react. In affliction, we are hurt and may strike out. Our hearts may harden from pain’s past and we may find it difficult to soften. Our world falls apart. We may become a people scarred from tribulation, wavering in our faith and stable in our doubt. Perhaps we become the people we know we shouldn’t, the people we don’t want to become, but still, reacting is easier than responding.

But is there another way?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” In three short sentences, Paul gives us the secret to a joyful life: rejoice, pray, and give thanks. But is it possible to rejoice always? To ‘grin and bear it’ even in the most hopeless of circumstances? It is perhaps one of the most difficult things we can do – rejoicing in the midst of burdensome circumstances. But joy doesn’t come simply by feeling joyful. We can’t ‘fake it till we make it’, nor should that be expected.

Joy is more than a feeling. Joy is a choice. As Paul says, in order to rejoice, we must first be grateful. And in order to be grateful, we must pray: openly thanking our Father for what He has given us. When we voice our thankfulness to our Father, our perspective changes. While old habits die hard, new habits become stronger if they are able to overtake the old ones. If we can remind ourselves of the things we are grateful for and openly thank God for them, we are promised joy. This truth is more than just pulling us through the hard times. It is completely transformative. How much more could we be transformed if we didn’t just thank God for the good gifts, but for everything? What if we thanked Him for the trials, heartbreaks, disappointments, and losses, because we know that sometimes good things can only happen in darkness?

As Paul urged us from a prison cell to be joyful and shine like stars in the night, we can learn to overcome the darkness of our own jail-like circumstances and be the people we need to be through our hope in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17). Is anything – a virus, an election, a hurtful relationship – out of His hands? In anticipation of this holiday season, let us take the opportunity to thank God for everything we have – the good and the bad. We can choose to have joy in the good things of today.

And as for the storms of today, let them be tomorrow’s light.

McKenna Vietti is a writer, passionate about missions, mental health, and sharing the love of Jesus Christ. You can reach her at mckenna.vietti@yahoo.com and find more of her work on Instagram @mckenna_jaine.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” If you listen to what you are saying, you will know what you are thinking.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” Pleasant words come from a heart that dwells on pleasant things.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and FEED on His faithfulness.” That is exactly what Jeremiah did. Lamentations 3:1-20 are Jeremiah’s edible thoughts in a downward spiral. Verse 21 he literally turned them around. It says, “This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.”

As he began feeding on God’s faithfulness through his thoughts, he ended verse 24 with an ! mark. It says, “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, there I hope in Him!”

Here is another edible thought. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”

Here is one of my favorite verses about edible thoughts. Psalm 103:5 says, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.”

How is your physical, emotional, and spiritual strength? If it is weak, you might check out your thought life. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”

We are what we eat. Let us draw our food from God’s nourishing word. It is the food that our roots thrive in. Psalm 145:15 says, “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.” When we open God’s word with expectation, He will feed our hearts with food that satisfies.

Integrity is a high watermark of an authentic follower of Christ. What is a watermark? It is a faint design or imprint made on some types of paper during manufacture, that is visible when held against the light. I use watercolor paper in my art designs. Every piece has a watermark on it.

When we walk in the light, our integrity-watermark is clearly visible to those around us. You cannot counterfeit the watermark of an authentic believer in Jesus. Pretense does not ring true. The inner betrayal thoughts will surface at some point in your actions.

I love John 3:20-21 says, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Light-dwellers have nothing to hide. They love the light. They want the character of Jesus to shine through their lives. Character is what we do behind doors as well as in the open.

Circumstances don’t change or alter their heart integrity. Integrity is like a stamp on the heart that bears the image of Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” Image is the word for character. There is a song. The chorus ends, ‘stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.’

Integrity is maintained through intentional thoughts. It is inward truth that governs actions. Inward truth is the fruit of God’s word hidden as a stronghold’s rampart. It stands as a sentinel that warns when a betrayer thought is lobbed.

Listens to Jesus’ words through His disciple John. 1 John 1:5-7 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

If you would like to read more about the watermarks that authenticate a true believer, I encourage you to get my ebook “Watermarks: authenticity of a follower of Jesus.” It is also chapter five in Victorious Garden: true heart forgiveness. Both on Amazon.

I love this verse in Proverbs 11:3. It says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.”

Why do we have betrayal thoughts? They come from the enemy’s fiery dart-lies to destroy. Remember John 10:10? It says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Heart integrity is rooted in loving truth. Perversity is the fruit of suppressing truth. Do you desire to please yourself or the Lord? David understood what pleased the Lord. Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You make me to know wisdom.”

Integrity is an excellent character quality. We have the capability to lie because we were born in sin. God does not have that capability. He cannot sin. There is no sinful nature in Him.

Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Man will fail but the Lord never fails. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

I value integrity. I love Franklin Graham’s statement about his father. He said that he was the same at home as he was in the pulpit. Billy Graham exhibited the character of heart integrity.

How do we get pulled off an intentional path of integrity into betrayal thoughts? One big reason is that we lack accountability. Everyone needs an accountability partner. Without it our thoughts can lead us into the perversity of going against God’s ways.

Numbers 32:23 says, “…take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Mark 4:22 says that nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed. Join me and others in praying that all the hidden betrayal going on right now in our nation will be disclosed.

Let’s continue with Ephesians 5 to help us understand what the will of the Lord is. Verses 18-19 says, “…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Jude verses 20-21 gives us a path of righteousness to follow. They say, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Righteous thoughts keep us on His path of righteousness. Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”

Betrayer thoughts will suppress the truth. They will block His truth from leading us. Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who SUPPRESS the truth in unrighteousness.”

Yesterday was a challenge to keep my thoughts righteous. Betrayer thoughts of complaint rose up from hiding. Psalm 144:14-15 says, “…that there be no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”

We are created to endure. That is the will of God. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Verse 38 says that the just shall live by faith. It is time to stand in truth which will never be altered or shaken. Ephesians 6:13 says that when we have done all we can to stand, then keep on standing!

Our faith will always be tested. The enemy seeks to undermine it through planting his lies. The Lord uses our trials to purify our faith by exposing the hidden lies. Be aware of betrayer thoughts of doubt, fear, and unbelief. They are landmines. Titus 3:2 is another way to quell any betrayer thoughts. It says, “To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.”

I love the Amplified definition for righteousness. It is conforming our thoughts, purpose, and actions to God’s will. A betrayer thought is the exact opposite. It opposes God’s will.

What is God’s will? Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Note the words wise and unwise.

Where do we get wisdom? Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 2:6-7 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.”

Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” Our thoughts come from our heart which is our belief center. What we believe influences our thoughts.

Our calling is to walk in righteousness. That is how we exemplify the Lord is every aspect of our lives. Romans 1:17 says of the gospel of Christ, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Are you a living example of the gospel? Is His power evident in your life? Are your fruit-words succulent or bitter?

Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”