Honor God Who Holds Your Life

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Honor God Who Holds Your Life

Date: Feb. 16, 2025

Passage

Daniel 5:22-31 (ESV)

22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

For information on how the ESV can be quoted, please visit our permission site.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 5:23

but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

King Belshazzar knew all about God’s work in King Nebuchadnezzar’s life. But Belshazzar chose not to humble himself. Rather, he chose to rebel against God, he chose a life of depravity and debauchery, and he chose to praise other gods. He failed to acknowledge that God holds in his hands his life and his ways. Tragically, many people know all about God and the Bible, but they harden their hearts and choose to rebel against God. They want to be the center of their own world.

Daniel read the inscription on the wall that predicted God’s judgment of King Belshazzar. God graciously warned him before it was too late. Though he heard God’s word very clearly and the great servant of God Daniel counseled him, he chose not to repent. That very night, it all came true. Belshazzar was killed, and his empire was taken over by the Medes and Persians. Likewise, God’s warning in the Bible is clear. God will repay each person according to what he deserves (Ro 2:5-10). May we persist in doing good and seek his glory, honor, and immortality. May we also guide the wayward ones to repent and honor God before it is too late and help them to the end.

Prayer: Lord, please help me to honor you with my life and in all my ways. May I shepherd to the end those who have rebelled against you.

One Word: Honor God who holds in his hands my life and all my ways

Live As a Believer in Your Situation

1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Key Verse: 7:19b

For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

Today's Question

See answer and references