when the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
[proverbs 28:12]
gospel thankfulness, and legalistic control
the good news of the gospel is that every good thing has already been accomplished for us by Christ on the cross—if we only believe, the fullness of God’s glory is our inheritance. it should be no surprise, then, when righteous people give God glory when they triumph, and when it’s easy to see God getting the glory when the righteous find success. they already had everything in God himself!
when the wicked rise in power, thinking they earned it, they naturally live in fear of losing what they’ve achieved. paranoia, severe punishments, and abuse of power follow all the great conquerors, nebuchadnezzar included.
in the midst of nebuchadnezzar’s paranoia, God put daniel in a place to bring Him glory in an incredible way. in the midst of this evil pagan empire, God is the one getting the glory!
how do you respond in triumph? do you fight to protect God’s gifts in fear of losing that which isn’t yours anyway? or are you able to rest in God’s peace rooted in thankfulness? there is an incredible peace that comes from owning nothing: we were designed to steward God’s things on this earth, not try and own them ourselves.
the earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord.
[psalm 24:1]
Lord, forgive us for trying to take ownership of things that belong to you. teach us the peace that comes from owning nothing, that comes from submitting to steward your things instead of trying to claim them for our own. we long to trust you more; help us in our weakness!
~ stephen hall