Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.” Daniel 5:17
The offer was a generous one, a prestigious opportunity. I had to decide if this was God’s provision or a test. Ten days later, after a lot of soul-searching, I turned the offer down.
My life hasn’t turned out exactly like I thought it would. After having spent several years in career ministry—working with high school students and their families—I took a job in the corporate world. At that moment, I figured I would probably spend the rest of my life in business, receiving a “for-he’s-a-jolly-good-fellow” party and gold watch at the other end.
But after only ten years of the decorum and routines of business and following the closing of my publishing company, I moved my office into our home. It was in the basement, but we preferred calling it “the lower level.” Starched dress shirts and dark suits gave way to cotton golf shirts and jeans. Business lunches with colleagues over linen tablecloths were replaced by peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread at the kitchen table. I loved this, but as I said, it’s not exactly what I expected.
How did I make the decision not to accept the lucrative offer to return to corpo- rate life? Well, I took the advice of a seasoned veteran of the faith. His counsel was straightforward: “If you want to know what God’s will is for tomorrow, look where He’s blessed in the past. Then just keep doing that for the future.” In other words, this decision ought to be as clear as handwriting on the wall.
King Belshazzar was enjoying a raucous party. And right in the middle of all the debauchery, “the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall” (v. 5). Can’t you see the king trying to shake the cobwebs out of his inebriated head, watching this incredible thing? “His face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself and his knees knocked together” (v. 6). Truthfully, all of this was Belshazzar’s associates’ fault. Friends never let friends see visions from God while drunk.
Although he didn’t find out whose hand it was or what it meant until Daniel told him later, Belshazzar knew at that moment that something miraculous had hap- pened to him. God’s visible interventions in human history tend to be more than a little overwhelming.
Looking back over your life, there should be absolutely no question in your mind that God has been up to something for a long time. You can chronicle those places where His blessing has been apparent or where doors of opportunity have been mysteriously closed. Then there have been those nagging places where God seemed to have blessed the other guy and not you. This should tell you something.
Use these historical events in your life like stepping stones to the future. Make tomorrow’s decisions based on what you experienced yesterday. The past can become prologue. Remember His faithfulness yesterday in order to strengthen your trust in Him for tomorrow. God’s plan for your life will always contain some measure of pure faith, but His past activity in your life ought to send you off in the right direction.
Don’t be confused about knowing God’s will for your life. Taking time in His Word like you’re doing right now is a great place to start. It should be as plain as the nose on your face—you know, as obvious as handwriting on the wall.