That
same night the Babylonian king Belshazzar was murdered. Darius the Mede was
sixty-two years old when he succeeded him as king.
I heard a story about Belshazzar’s death. He had
appointed a couple of men to guard the palace doors, commanding them to kill
anyone who tried to break in, anticipating that it would be the Medes or the Persian
army. Then to check on the progress of the ensuing battle with the Persians he
went out of the palace by another exit. When he tried to re-enter the palace
through the barricaded door, he was killed by his own doorkeepers.
The prophesy of the handwriting on the wall was
fulfilled. Belshazzar died and his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes
and the Persians. That was the end of the Babylonian empire. So far through all
the years that Daniel was in Babylon he has remained true to his God and never
became part of the Babylonian life of worldliness and corruption.
At times our lives may seem much like the
Babylonian life—although we are engaged in spiritual, not physical, battles. We
need to rely on Jesus to fight our spiritual battles as He is uniquely equipped
to do just that. Trust in the Lord with
all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight—or direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB). Do you trust the Lord to direct your steps—to show you
what to do and where to go? Our spiritual battles are unseen—we may not even be
aware that they are going on around us. By staying in God’s Word daily and by
memorizing it, we gain spiritual strength. Do you regularly study God’s Word?
Are you “hiding” it in your heart by memorizing it?
Lord Jesus—guide us as
we walk with You. Show us daily what we need to do to honor You and give us
spiritual strength to show and share you with others.
© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Scripture from The Message, except where noted.
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