As we continue to look at Daniel chapter 5 and king Belshazzar's prideful attitude toward Jehovah God, I want to share a little more on one of the points I made last time that contribute significantly to man's stress and worry levels, and that point is "living life by our own set of rules". Daniel represents the man who honors God through obedience and faith. Belshazzar represents the man who thinks he knows better than God, and that he can make his own rules to live by. The mindset represented by the second man may be received better by our sinful and selfish ears; and it might work some what for a while, but you can rest assured that every time man has decided to play and run his life by his own rules, the end result for that man is trouble and great distress.
Notice three key rules that men are tempted by Satan to make for themselves. These three rules were offered by Satan to Jesus during Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). First, that money and power will buy happiness (7:16-17). How much more stress is brought into one's life the more money, power, and influence they have? The second rule/lie is that God's discipline and judgment does not apply to me (7:20-23). When we live our life as if we don't have to live by God's Word, then we are setting ourselves for a great collapse. And the third rule/lie spurred on by Satan is to get us to believe that we are number one (7:23), and that no one else matters. We live in a culture that glorifies the lifting high into the air the first finger beside our thumbs. Our sinful nature is bent toward self-exaltation. If you and I buy into any one of these three lies, then we then set ourselves against God's will for our lives, and rob Him of the glory He deserves. And usually a thief has more stress in their life than peace. Until next time, keep walking close with Christ.
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