Day four of CIY Move was another rain soaked day of growth, learning, and fun. The theme today was, “You Are God” and we took a look at who God is through the experiences and eyes of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, and Belshazzar in Daniel 4-5. It’s plain to see through the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar that God will not be mocked, and that was part of what came to the surface today. The narrative of Daniel 4-5 gives us a window into what happens when pride creeps in and begins to take ahold of a person. That pride, as Jim Johnson said, sometimes causes us to “shake our tiny little fist at God and say, ‘I’m going to do what I’m going to do.'” And God often allows us to make those choices and deal with the consequences.

Later in the evening, Scott Kenworthy wrapped up the night with a challenge from the life lessons of King Belshazzar… and the words from the “writing on the wall” (Daniel 5:1-30) of “numbered, weighed, and divided.” It’s difficult to think about the fact that like Belshazzar, our days are numbered; but  it’s a reality many of the students are all to familiar with, having lost friends, classmates, and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The weight of that reality has been heavy on us all.

The fact that we also are “weighed” reminds each of us that our deeds have been weighed and we have been found to fall short. Aside from Jesus, making the way, we have no hope on our own. The good News is that we do have an opportunity to know that hope that Jesus brings in that He paid the price for our Sin on the Cross.

Finally the word “divided” reminds us that everything we do for our own ‘kingdom’ will ultimately crumble; we can build our whole lives building something we hope will last… but it won’t. The only thing that will always last is the Kingdom of God.

We wrapped up the night with a challenge to write three words that we felt that God might be impressing upon us, like he did to Belshazzar. Some of the words our students wrote included; forgive, trust, let it go, love, give up, no longer conform… and so many more. It was amazing to see the ways that God is at work in revealing Himself to so many students who are honestly seeking Him. We look forward with eager anticipation to the ways that those words that were given will continue to be fleshed out in all that’s ahead.