Most Americans are accustomed to some pleasures, albeit some more than others. But the truth is that we have all got it pretty good. I’ve never been to a foreign country but I have been told “whenever you think you have it bad, just go to another country and you will see how good you really do have it.”

The fact is that God has truly blessed all of us. If we got what we deserved we wouldn’t be living in freedom and enjoying the benefits of America and blessings of God. We would all be in the torments of Hell, burning in agony. Thank God for His mercy!

Well one of the pleasures we enjoy is our ability to control. We go where we want, do what we want, say what we want, and therefore we are in control of what we want. The problem is that there are some who act like they are in complete control, regardless of what anyone says or thinks, including God. Are we as Christians in control of our lives? Are unbelievers in control of their lives? The answer is God is in complete control. As believers in Jesus, the Bible teaches that we are no longer our own, we have been bought with a price. Now we are temples of the Holy Ghost and God is in control. We are no longer controlled by the flesh but led by the spirit of a Holy God.

Well that brings me to my second question. Are unbelievers in control? There is a Bible story I want to share to help answer this question. In Daniel 5 we are introduced to King Belshazzar. This king enjoyed all the worldly pleasures. He had what he wanted when he wanted it. He did whatever he wanted and went wherever he pleased. Or so he thought.

One night as he threw a party he called for someone to bring him the vessels he had seized from the temple in Jerusalem. When he received the vessels he defiled them with wine and other strong drinks. That night as he thought he was in complete control, living it up, and showing off in front of his friends, a hand showed up. It began to write on the wall and this was something he could not control. The message on the wall said to the king that he was going to die that very night. No matter how much he may have done, said, given, or taken, he was not in control and there was not anything he could do to change the time of his demise. He understood then that God was in complete control.

I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about the next 10 years or even the next 10 minutes because I know who the captain of my ship is. Who is in control of your life? Do you think, “Well I’m my own man and I do what I want, when I want?” Don’t become like King Belshazzar. Humble yourself under God’s almighty hand. Surrender your will to His will and let God control your life. He has never taken a wrong turn. God is the original GPS.

Tune in to WBCU 103.5 FM Sundays at noon for the Shining Light Broadcast. I preach a 15-minute message that I pray will be a blessing to those who listen. If you have a prayer concern, comment, or question, please write to: Voice of Victory, Attn: David Burrell, PO Box 1221, Pacolet, SC 29372 or e-mail me at daveburrell@live.com.