Warriors Arise: January 23, 2021
Daniel 5:1-6 (NKJV) Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. 5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
He saw it. You know he knows this is not good. He might be drunk; Scripture mentions him drinking wine three times. Must have been an important point. Even though he is drunk, God can still get His message across.
v.5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
It reads as if it was a very sobering moment, the king's countenance changed. His mind that might have been so sharp a few moments before is now troubled. The impact of how God got his attention physically shook him up, literally, the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. I have definitely known what it is like to be so nervous I thought my knees were knocking but I can't remember when I felt my hips were loose because of fear.
There probably isn't enough wine he could drink to make what he saw go away. Some may try, but the king was rattled to his very core. Trying won't matter. God was making a point and weather people want to acknowledge it or not doesn't mean it didn't happen.
It has been mind-boggling to see all the facts come out over the last year and people want to deny the truth. 20/20 was supposed to be the year when people had clearer vision but it proved that even if a person has perfect vision what is in their mind will alter not only what they see but also how they see it. Do you remember the first time you saw the double picture of the old woman and the young woman? Two people can be looking at the same picture and see two different images. What was so interesting are the people who are shown the picture they didn't see and they still refuse to see the picture shown to them. I have seen a person who couldn't see the other picture, even when the other person pointed out with their finger the picture the individual didn't see. And yet, they still do not see it. Why is that? How could they not see what was clearly pointed out in front of them?
Have we become a nation where the truth doesn't matter? Someone can put the facts right in front of us and our mind will not receive the truth because we are so set in what we think. Then to have someone point it out and we continue to deny what is there before us ,because it can only be what we see/believe, what we come up with or no way at all.
The problem with that stance is there is not room for growth. Meaning, you are done learning and therefore setting yourself up for error. This makes a person's viewpoint invalid, because they may have part of the truth, seeing the old woman but they do not see, or even refuse to see the young woman.
What is worse, is if God is pointing out what an individual isn't seeing and they refuse to acknowledge Him, where does that put them. If God can't get someone's attention then who can? If a person chooses not to see the truth when God points it out what does that say about that person? I am sure Belshazzar had many times when God was trying to show Him the errors of his ways. There are several references in the Bible of ungodly people, like Belshazzar's grandfather, Nebuchadezzar, who were given a second chance. There have even been nations, nations known as the most wicked nation on the earth, who have gotten a second chance, like Nineveh. God has mercy and gives a way out for those who are teachable, wanting the truth and those who are humble, acknowledging they need His wisdom and direction. Our arrogance removes God's hand of blessing and protection from our lives. It isn't that He doesn't want to bless us but it is that we refuse to be teachable; therefore when He tells us the truth or to go in a particular direction, we put ourselves in danger because we refused to be corrected, listen, and follow.
Belshazzar had a reason for his countenance to change, if he hadn't seen, he had heard of the miraculous happening. Two chapters earlier in Daniel 3 his grandfather had seen a fourth man walking in the fire who looked like the song of God. Learning of this part of their history would have been the fun stories of learning to rule. He had heard, if not seen how his grandfather was the greatest king in the world to only be dragged out and cast aside into the wasteland to become what looked like a wild animal. Then his grandfather was restored after having his coming-to-Jesus moment. His grandfather recognized he was not god and there is only one true God. Yes, Belshazzar would have known these fingers of a man writing not he wall were "one of those" miracles of God he heard about.
Belshazzar had a reason for his thoughts to trouble him. As he tried to remember, clearing the fog from the wine, somewhere he knew this wasn't good. He knew no matter how powerful a king he was, there is One who is more powerful than he would ever be. When our arrogance comes into check with the reality that we cannot mock God, there is a reason for our joints to become loose in our hips an our knees knock together.
What does this mean for you and I? Are you willing to check yourself? Are you willing to be teachable? Are you willing to admit when you are wrong? Are you willing to confess your sin of arrogance? Are you willing to search for the truth? Are you willing to shut the mouth of the liars and listen to the voice of truth? Are you willing to open your eyes and see what is before you? Are you willing to stop making excuses for those who are lying to your face? Are you seeing the double standard?
If so, then it is simple. Repent. Confess your sin, pray for others to be freed from their arrogance, and seek the truth. Ask God to guide you. Decide today you are no longer going to make a decision based on a shortage of information that has been twisted. A lot of Americans lost their jobs Thursday. They are Americans and that should matter to us. They had a job and now are out of a job. A lot of Americans have lost their businesses because those in authority would not allow them to open their doors throughout this pandemic. If you have bought anything in the last 9 months someone else has touched it, breathed on it, and passed on their germs. How can we allow some Americans to work and tell other Americans, "You can't! We are taking your job from you and giving it to someone else"? Isn't that ultimately what has been done? It isn't like we are going without gas. We are buying from a foreign country, we are giving other countries jobs that we already had covered. If you are a car mechanic, do you let someone else do the job you can do? No, you work on your own car. You aren't going to pay someone else to do a job you can do. Are your eyes open? Are you seeing what is happening?
So many were upset with President Trump when he didn't wear a mask. It was awful the way people treated him. But then our new president writes into law that everyone must wear a mask in federal government then he and his family go for a photo opp. at the Lincoln Memorial, none of them having masks on. Where is the outrage from the same people who were terrors against President Trump who didn't write an executive order for people to wear a mask for the last 9 months. Where are the billboards that say Biden is killing us because he is not wearing a mask? I saw the billboards against President Trump. These really aren't an issue to me, other than: if your standards changed because of the person then you really do not have a standard. Are your eyes open? Are you seeing what is happening?
If you have been for the peaceful protests that resulted in loss of lives, looting, closing of businesses, and disrespecting of our police officers; yet this week you say, "I'm going to love now that the person I wanted is in office." Then what has happened in the last 9 months has been the adult version of a temper tantrum to get your way. That is called manipulation and in the Bible, manipulation is a form of witchcraft. Witchcraft is of the devil. So you have aligned yourself with satan. How is that any different than what Belshazzar did with the articles of gold and silver brought from the house of God from Jerusalem? It isn't different. Both dishonor God and His people. Are your eyes open? Are you seeing what has happened?
What would happen to America if all Christians stopped praying for God's protection of America?
This is why we pray. God will hear us and restore what the thief has stolen. God will protect those who honor Him.
Father we seek You today for Your truth. I want to invite You to search my heart and reveal where I have allowed the enemy to deceive me. I want You to convict me of my arrogant, selfish thoughts that dishonor You. I pray I would be willing to receive the truth from You. I pray that I would willingly allow You to teach me. I pray I would heed Your word and walk according to the truth. I pray I would turn off the liar and live according to Your righteousness. I no longer want to be swayed by someone's opinion. I want to know the truth and walk in it. I want my mind to be ready for Your answer. I want to honor my fellow Americans. Everyone who wants a job I pray You would provide a job with benefits. Everyone who wants to open their business I pray You would open their doors and customers would come their way. I pray for Americans, each one of us, would open our eyes and see the truth. I pray we would identify the double standard and resist being sucked into to lies and accepting them. I pray we would be discerners of the truth. I submit my mind to You. The enemy is so crafty. I need Your counsel, Your wisdom, Your guidance to lead me into the truth and to live by the truth. I pray You would prevent Americans from losing their jobs. I pray You would open the doors of businesses. I pray we would embrace the purpose for which You created each one of us. I pray we would live to fulfill Your purpose in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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