Daniel 5:25-31 
“This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is what these words mean: 

Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. 
Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. 
Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 

Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 

That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. 
And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
(New Living Translation)

—

Our days are numbered. Our value is noted. Decisions regarding our futures are being made. This meant certain doom for Belshazzar, the Babylonian king. It didn’t have to be that way. 

Daniel reminded him of Nebuchadnezzar’s experiences with God. He told Belshazzar that he should have learned the lessons his ancestor had lived. Verse 22 is forthright:

“You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.”

Humility is a healthy choice. Arrogance leads to destruction. Belshazzar very quickly discovered this truth. 

Now let’s talk about us. Psalm 139 gives us the perspective we need. Verse 16 says,

You saw me before I was born. 
Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
Every moment was laid out 
before a single day had passed.

This may sound a bit like Belshazzar’s story. It’s not. Verse 17 helps us understand God’s mind toward us:

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. 
They cannot be numbered!

God thinks about us all the time. His thoughts are shaped by his perfect love. His intentions toward us are for good, not evil. His desire for us is that we would know and experience his grace, mercy, and peace day by day and moment by moment. 

Belshazzar’s path is an open opportunity, but it leads where we do not want to go, and it ends badly. 

God’s path for us provides his guidance, provision, protection, and purpose. (See Psalm 23.)

Walking with God is the epic adventure of our lifetimes. It is guaranteed to end well. However many days we have left, they can become the best days ever when we walk with him, talk with him, and discover that he calls us his own. Somebody ought to write a song like that. 

—

I will avoid Belshazzar’s foolishness and choose to walk with God.

—

Our Father, thank you for loving us and drawing us to yourself. May we know you and experience you in all your goodness and glory for the rest of our days. May we engage in lives of fruitful and effective living. May we overflow with your grace, mercy, and kindness so that others may know you as well. Amen.