Daniel 5:20, "But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory." 1 Corinthians 10:6, "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."

Think

In the words of philosopher Friedrich Hegel: "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." This proved to be especially true in the case of Babylonian king, Belshazzar. After literally seeing the "handwriting on the wall," Belshazzar was given a family history lesson by the prophet Daniel. Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the pride and arrogance of his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, and the consequences he suffered as the result of not acknowledging God as God. Frankly and truthfully, Daniel warned Belshazzar that he was repeating his family history rather than learning from it. Even though Belshazzar knew his family history, he chose not to learn from it. His pride kept him self-unaware and blinded him to God's truth. As a result, he suffered the consequences. But what about us? Are we learning from the examples and lessons from history? Choosing to ignore the lessons of history will never change the truth of history. However, it will harden our hearts and keep us from seeing the truth of God's Word – even when it's right in front of us. The truth of God's Word should be the basis for the decisions we make in our lives. When it is, we will be made fully self-aware. And decisions made in self-awareness help us move forward with the plan God has for our lives!

Act

Reflect on your personal and family history. What lessons could be learned? What examples should be followed? Have you made the decision for God to be sovereign over your life and your family's life?

Pray

Father God, thank you for providing me with Your Word to learn from. Help me to not ignore the examples You have provided. Let my decisions be directed by You. In Jesus' name, Amen.