Good Morning Friends,
“Twelve months later, as the king was walking
on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, ‘Is not this the great
Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the
glory of my majesty?’ The words were still on his lips when a voice came from
heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority
has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with
the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for
you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of
men and gives them to anyone he wishes.’ Immediately what had been said about
Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like
cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like
the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” (Daniel
4:29-33)
Nebuchadnezzar took for himself the glory
that belonged to God. He looked at all that he ruled and all that he had
accomplished and believed it was through his own greatness that it had been done.
Nebuchadnezzar was a man filled with pride. God tolerated Nebuchadnezzar’s
pride for many years, but there came a day when God’s patience ran out.
The scriptures are clear about God’s attitude
toward pride.
God hates pride.
(Proverbs 8:13)
Pride goes before a
fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
God will give His
glory to no one else. (Isaiah 42:8)
God made an object lesson out of
Nebuchadnezzar. In an instant, he took the king from his position of honor and
respect and power, to the place of dishonor and ridicule and weakness. Nebuchadnezzar
believed all that had been accomplished had happened because of his superior intelligence
and wisdom, so God removed those. God clouded the king’s mind completely.
Our talents and natural abilities are not our
own, they are a gift from God. It is only by His Sovereign choice that we have
the intelligence, wisdom, abilities, and opportunities that we have. They are not
ours to brag about and be proud of, nor is what is accomplished through those
gifts ours to take glory from. The glory belongs to God – it’s our choice to
give it to Him voluntarily -- or keep it for ourselves, and there will come a
day when He will take it from us.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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