Read Daniel 5:17-31
“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it” (v. 26).
Effective witness is based on God’s Word. When the strange message appeared on King Belshazzar’s wall, no one could understand its meaning. Not even the wisest astrologers and soothsayers of his kingdom were able to decipher the words that had materialized. What could the king do?
The queen recalled a man named Daniel, in whom was “the spirit of the holy gods,” a man of excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding, who had interpreted dreams and dissolved doubts (vs. 10-12). The king called Daniel and presented him with the problem — and God gave His prophet the meaning of the words and conveyed through him the divine message.
Philip also used God’s Word as the foundation of witness when he spoke with the eunuch on the Gaza road. The eunuch was traveling in his chariot, reading a scroll, and puzzling over the words of Isaiah 53. Like Belshazzar, the eunuch read words he did not comprehend. “Does this man speak of himself or of someone else?” he asked (Acts 8:34). Evangelist Philip, using Isaiah’s words as his text, “opened his mouth . . . and preached unto him Jesus” (v. 35).
Salvation comes by way of God’s Word. We are saved through faith in Him and His promises, not by human platitudes or pronouncements. Using appropriate Scripture is a key means of giving effective witness. (SEH)
God delights in the sharing of His Word.
This week’s featured devotional is the Tuesday, May 16, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!