The Hospitable Heart

There is a story in the Bible of a king who made a great feast for a thousand of his lords. While he sat, eating and drinking in the company of his lords and wives and concubines, he called for the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem. All his company drank from them and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, and others.

Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the king’s palace. The king was greatly alarmed and his lords perplexed. None of his wise men or enchanters could make any interpretation of the writing on the wall. But there was someone who could read the writing and make known to the king the interpretation. Someone in whom was the spirit of the holy God. His name was Daniel.

Before revealing to the king the message of this mysterious hand, Daniel reminds the king of the greatness of the Most High God. The One who raises up whom he will, humbles whom he will, who rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. The king would have grown up fearing the Most High God as all people had done during the reign of his father before him. Yet, this God in whose hand is the king’s very breath, he did not honor. And Daniel’s charge to him is as such: “You have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven.”

And so the message inscribed is translated and interpreted: (MENE) God has numbered the days of the king’s reign and brought it to an end. (TEKEL) He was weighed in the balances and found wanting. (PARSIN) His kingdom will be divided and given over to other nations.

And so these things come to be.

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It is this middle interpretation that haunts me. See, I recently had a TEKEL moment. I was weighed in the balances and found wanting.

Immediately following a morning of gathering with women who will be leading in studying the Bible this year, I was asked a very basic question: “How was it?”

Now, some appropriate answers might have been:

“It was great to connect with like-minded ladies.”

“I learned some new things that will help me as a leader.”

“I appreciated getting to be with sisters in Christ and see their heart for God’s word and God’s people.”

But alas I said none of those things. Instead, I stood in the shoes of this foolish king whose pride and ignorance left him weighed in the balances and found wanting.

I said “I didn’t learn anything new. I had heard it all before… I’ve led groups like this before so I know what I’m doing.”

Oh I cringe to even remember how ridiculous I must have sounded! I’m actually blushing with embarrassment right now admitting my folly. And this in the company of my husband & friends. My very not humbled heart on display.

This lack of humility sunk my heart into hostility. I was hardened to the opportunity for learning and looking like Jesus. Praise be to the Lord of heaven that I did not remain there. In the place of being found wanting, the Spirit of God squeezed my heart of flesh.

My heart moved from hostile to hospitable in His hands, welcoming a renewed honor of the Most High God who holds my very breath. Who has set me in community, given the gift of His word, and surrounded me with sisters in Christ to study it with. Who set forth the greatest example of being a learner in Jesus taking the form of a baby, humbling himself from his first breath to his last.

Oh that I may remain malleable in his hands and put to death the hostility of my old heart of stone. The writing is on the wall. Where I am found wanting, I am met by grace. Thank you, Jesus.