The Writing on the Wall // Jeremiah 31:33

National Handwriting Day celebrates something simple but meaningful: the written word. We celebrate it on January 23 because of John Hancock’s birthday, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. His signature stood out and was indeed to draw attention to the importance of the matter.

Handwriting is personal—it carries intention, care, and identity. In Scripture, writing often carries even greater weight. One of the most striking examples appears in Daniel 5, when a mysterious hand writes on the wall of King Belshazzar’s palace. The words Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin as found in Daniel 5:26-28 were not random. They were God’s handwriting: deliberate, clear, and authoritative. God declared that the king’s days were numbered, his life had been weighed, and his kingdom would be divided. What made the moment so powerful was not just what was written, but who was writing. This was not a human opinion or a passing note—it was a divine verdict.

National Handwriting Day reminds us that writing reveals the heart of the writer. In Daniel, God’s writing revealed His justice and sovereignty. Today, God may not write on palace walls, but He still writes on hearts. Scripture tells us that God’s law is written not on stone, but within us (Jeremiah 31:33). Our lives become living letters, read by the people around us.