Worship God Alone

King Belshazzar should have known better. He should not have tried to put himself higher than God. He knew his father, (some scholars say grandfather) Nebuchadnezzar, had displeased God by taking all the credit and glory for himself after building up Babylon in all its splendor. (As a result, Nebuchadnezzar immediately became like an animal and grazed with the cattle until he came to his senses and repented. Daniel 4:30-37) His son, Belshazzar, should have learned a lesson from this.

So what did Belshazzar do wrong? Apparently he thought it would be no big deal to use the gold goblets swiped from God’s temple in Jerusalem to serve wine to the nobles, concubines and wives who made up the 1000 guests at his banquet. To take it a step farther in the wrong direction, Belshazzar praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood.

Now here’s the eerie part: immediately afterwards, a hand started writing a cryptic message on the wall of the palace. (You can read the account for yourself in Daniel 5:1-31.) Belshazzar’s “face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.” (Daniel 5:6) Belshazzar called in his top astrologers, diviners and conjurers and offered the reward of a purple cloak, a gold necklace and a third of the kingdom to whoever could read the words. But none of them could, which made Belshazzar even more alarmed. Finally the queen recommended that Daniel be called in. Daniel told the king, you “have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this (what happened to Nebuchadnezzar) but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven…” (Daniel 5:22-23) Daniel was able to read the words on the wall, which stated that God had found Belshazzar to be deficient and that his kingdom would be taken from him. Nebuchadnezzar had returned to God and had his kingdom re-established, but his son Belshazzar did not. That same night, Belshazzar was slain and his kingdom was taken over by Darius the Mede (the kingdom to the north and east), just as the words had indicated. What stands today in Babylon is a mound of ruins (but archeologists have found the walls of the castle).

My “kingdom” is rather small compared to Belshazzar’s Babylon, but I always want to “rule” it my way, according to my schedule, and to take all the credit for what I accomplish. But God humbles me and brings me back into line. God is all-wise, way more powerful, and just. His ways are right and He is loving and merciful and faithful. His kingdom endures forever. (Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 111:7, 115:3) Don’t settle for looking to “gods” made of gold, silver, wood, iron, stone, or anything else. Look to and give praise and honor to the one true God. To God be the glory!

Fear God and give Him glory… Revelation 14:7

One of the rewards Nebuchadnezzar offered to whoever could read the three words was a gold necklace. This week we’re going to pretend to wear a multi-million dollar necklace. You will need to concentrate on sitting tall and lengthening your spine. This will improve your alignment and posture.

You can sit either in a firm chair (which I recommend for beginners) or on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. (You may have your knees bent slightly if you are on the floor.) Place your hands on the seat of the chair or floor on either side of your hips and press down slightly. Now check your alignment: your ears, shoulders and hips should be lined up in a straight line and your upper body is perpendicular to the floor. Keep your chin level. It is important to hold this alignment through the exercise.

Now here’s where the necklace comes in. Keeping your vertical alignment, lift your breastbone, as if you were trying to show off this gorgeous necklace you are wearing. Try to create distance between your hips and your lowest ribs. You will immediately feel more space in your lungs for air to come in. Go ahead and take a couple of deep breaths. Lift your head (but still keep your chin level) and make your spine long, as though you were trying to separate the vertebrae. Keep your abdomen firm (Click here for a review on that.) and feel the muscles in your front, back and sides working to keep you upright. Hold for two or three deep breaths and then relax. You may practice this one every day, but at least three times per week.

An important aspect of this exercise is to be aware of what each part of your body is doing. If you can concentrate on your alignment, the lengthening of your spine, and your torso muscles working, you will benefit more. This awareness and concentration will help you master other exercises too. This one will definitely help you achieve length and strength!