at the end of the days i, nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and i blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “what have you done?” [daniel 4:34-35]
sometimes i think i can impose my own will on my life. there have been times in my own life that i’ve looked at God and said, “what have you done?”
i think for most of us, we can look back and think of a time when we’ve acted in a similar way or mindset to nebuchadnezzar. pridefully basing our worth or our worthiness on our performance, and therefore life should go as i plan, i deserve what i want, and no one else can tell me what to do. or maybe in a negative way, believing that you’re unlovable, or once you accomplish ____ then God or people will love you.
maybe we wouldn’t verbalize that, but i know i’ve lived it.
can you relate?
despite all of this pride, failure, and lack of repentance, the God of the universe was still kind to nebuchadnezzar and pursued him. we don’t know if this is saving faith or not for him, but it definitely is worship of the God who is worthy.
this same God has been kind to you and i. though in the moment it’s not always comfortable, i am so thankful that God in his kindness is willing to humble rather than give up on us.
would you go so far as to ask God to humble you today? knowing that it may not be comfortable in the moment, but the result would be greater reliance, worship, and relationship with the Father?
it’s a grace that he pursues us in this way. let’s echo king nebuchadnezzar in the worship of the God who has pursued us.
~ john sandman