The Handwriting on the Wall

Coral Ridge Ministries

The Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel 5:5

January 26, 2024

“Immediately 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 back of the hand that wrote.”

— Daniel 5:5

As noted before, one night, Belshazzar the king of Babylon held a great drunken feast. They brought out the golden vessels and silver goblets which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple in Jerusalem before he destroyed it. And so Belshazzar called for the vessels and the goblets of the temple of Jerusalem so that his lords and princes, his women and wives and concubines might drink out of the golden goblets from the temple of Jerusalem. “Where is the God of Jerusalem—where is the God of the Jews?” they might have asked.

But then a detached gigantic hand appeared and wrote inscrutable words on the wall. What did they say? Only Daniel was capable of providing the correct interpretation. Belshazzar had been weighed according to God’s righteousness and was found wanting.

Therefore, his kingdom was to be broken apart and given to the Medes and the Persians. While Belshazzar had been drinking from the goblets of Jerusalem, the army of the Medes and Persians had diverted the River Euphrates which flowed from one corner to the other corner of the great city of Babylon and his soldiers had come under that dry river bed. They had thrown open the mighty gates of Babylon, and now the whole hosts of the armies of the Medes and Persians had filled the city. The proud, taunting king died that very night. Babylon the great came to a sudden and final end. It is not wise to taunt the living God. Lord of the nations, You alone are holy and not to be mocked. We thank You that You do avenge and that Your justice will prevail. In Your mercy and patience, You postpone judgment, but help us to remember that it will come…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND IN HIS TIME, NATIONS AND PEOPLE WILL BE JUDGED.

You May Be the Only Bible Many Will Read

January 31, 2024

“…let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ…” — Philippians 1:27 You and I are the clothes that the Gospel wears in this world. How well are we adorning the Gospel in our lives? We are the only Christ that many will see. Are we attracting people to the Savior or are we repelling them from Him? Paul makes it very clear that it is vital that we do the former and not the latter. Here there is a shift in that first chapter of Philippians—from “I” to “you,” from personal testimony to spiritual exhortation. If you go back up the previous verses of the first chapter you will see that Paul has been giving for almost the entirety of this his own personal testimony. You see that he says, “but if I live,” and “for me to live,” and “I shall not be ashamed,” and “I know this,” and “I am set for the defense of the Gospel.” He has been giving his own personal testimony. He knows that the Philippians needed to be encouraged by hearing what was happening with him and his resoluteness in the face of his suffering, his rejoicing in Christ even in prison, but they also needed to be exhorted unto godly living. Since we may well be the only Bible many people ever “read,” it is sobering to consider that some of us may need revision. Someone once said, “Don’t be so worried about what other people think of you. Be concerned about what they think of Christ because of you.” Lord, give me the strength to live such a righteous life that people will want to know You and walk with You. My Master and Lord, help me to live a life honoring You in all ways. Help me today to do something kind for someone who does not know You… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE WILL SHOW CHRIST TO OTHERS.

Is Your Life An Offering to the Lord?

January 30, 2024

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” — 2 Timothy 4:6 God only calls a small percentage of those who follow Christ to be martyrs for Him. Certainly, Paul was one of those. Paul’s last epistle was 2 Timothy, and in the poignant 4th chapter he writes, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” He is ready to be offered, the sacrifice is ready to be poured out. This is now his second imprisonment. He was released after the imprisonment during which he wrote Philippians, then he continued his missionary journeys, probably traveling all the way to Spain. But now he has returned, has once more been captured, taken prisoner and thrown into a dungeon, and this time there is to be no release in this world. Paul is not afraid of death because Christ has conquered the grave. When he was drawn up out of that prison, led out of the city of Rome down the Appian Way, and the headsman’s ax flashed in the Roman sun, the Apostle Paul experienced immortality, and he received the crown of righteousness. We can indeed rejoice that in Christ death has lost its sting. Whether martyred or not, we should live for Christ in such a way that we, too, can look forward to receiving a crown of righteousness. Lord, give me strength to make my life an offering to You. Help me to avoid carrying a burden You have not given me, but also help me be ready to follow You even unto death… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE ARE A LIVING SACRIFICE.

Holding Forth the Word of Life

January 29, 2024

“…sons of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world. Hold forth the word of life…” — Philippians 2:15-16a Paul tells us that we should bear witness to the world, both by the lives we live and by the word which is the Gospel. This is a twofold duty and responsibility, which is laid upon every Christian, that we are to be witnesses to Him both by our lives and by our lips, that we are to shine and we are to hold forth the word of life. And so, dear friend, I would ask you, are you doing that? Did you hold forth the word of life to anyone recently? We should ask God to place opportunities in our path in which we might share the good news that has changed our lives. May God grant you the determination to say, “I will indeed determine to be a light in a dark world and hold forth the word of life to a dying world that they may hear the Gospel and be saved.” Paul says, “…that I may rejoice on the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:16). This is an amazing openness on the part of the apostle. He calls upon them to show a godly life and to hold forth the word of life that he may rejoice in the day of Christ. May God give us the grace that we be faithful followers of Christ, shining as lights and holding forth the word of life, bringing many to the knowledge of the Savior. Jesus Christ, Light of the world, thank You for being my light and my salvation. May I hold out Your light today, both in my words and by holy living… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN BE LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD.