The Handwriting on the Wall

"Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way."
Daniel 5:5&6

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The handwriting is on the wall?" This scripture is where that phrase came from. The Babylonian king, Belshazzar, was frightened by what he saw. Even then, he knew that the handwriting on the wall couldn't be a good thing, he summoned his enchanters, magicians, and astrologers to interpret what was written, but they could not understand the words. The handwriting was eventually discerned and it spelled the end of Belshazzar's reign. In fact, he was overthrown that very night.
    By now, you must be thinking, this is not a very encouraging word so far. But there is a hero in this story. The hero is Daniel. He was the one who interpreted the writing, and even though it was the word of God telling the king that his kingdom was to be destroyed, Daniel was elevated to a high position in the kingdom. Although the handwriting on the wall was destructive to some, for Daniel, it was a blessing from God. It changed his life.
    Sometimes we face situations and circumstances in our lives that look very much like the handwriting is on the wall. We think that we are going to be destroyed by the crisis. But we must always remember that, as children of the king of Kings, it may well turn out to be a blessing. Why do we always think the worst is going to happen? Is our God a tyrant? Is he bent on destroying us? No! He is a loving and compassionate God. His love and mercy is immeasurably greater than we can imagine. His intentions are not to destroy us, they are to bless us.
    So if you are facing a time right now that looks like the handwriting is on the wall, consider this: You may be a Daniel, not a Belshazzar. What may look like the end of your world, may be the greatest blessing you have ever received from our loving Father. God moves things, he changes things. Sometimes that process seems violent, but his plan is for blessing, not destruction. The next time you think the handwriting is on the wall, it should bring a smile to your face. God's blessing is right around the corner.