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Devotion by Ben Stuart
- You have been weighed and found wanting (Daniel 5:27)
Belshazzar was weighed in God’s balance and found wanting… or lacking. His refusal to repent led to his downfall. Similar to Belshazzar, we all feel a sense in which we have been weighed in God’s balance and lack righteousness within ourselves. We are helpless within our own means before judgment…
However, the beauty of the Gospel is that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the world’s greatest moment of love, Jesus bore our judgment so that we could have his righteousness. Unlike Belshazzar, we do not turn inward to find righteousness within ourselves (because it’s lacking!), but we turn to Jesus, who became our righteousness on the cross.
- You did not honor the God who holds your life in His hands (Daniel 5:23)
Daniel’s rebuke of Belshazzar hits hard: You have not honored the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways. Belshazzar failed to recognize that his life and his kingdom were derivative from God.
We often forget that every breath we take is sustained by God’s hand. This moment reminds us that every aspect of our life is under God’s sovereign control. Do you live with an awareness of God’s constant provision in your life? Do you honor Him in the way you live, work, and interact with others?
Prayer:
Father,
Help me to live with a heart
that is humble before you.
May I live each day with a sense of your holiness
and a deep desire to walk in your ways.
I love you, LORD.
Amen.