I was reading Daniel 4 today. The story tells of Nebuchadnezzar losing his mind and roaming the countryside as a crazy man would. The sad part of this story is that the whole episode could have been avoided had Nebuchadnezzar simply honored the Lord in his life. It’s not like he didn’t have opportunity to see the greatness of God. In the previous chapter, he had watched as two of his guards died as they threw the three Hebrew boys into the furnace. As he leaned in to see the bodies of three young boys, he saw instead four men walking around in the fire. This sight caused him to praise the name of Jehovah, and give God his rightful place of honor. End of story. Right? Not quite…
The whole reason for God dealing with him this way was because of his arrogance. He looked at his kingdom and commented on what a great king he was…instead of realizing what a great God Jehovah was. Talk about attitude adjustments! Walking around in a crazed state of mind will certainly do that for you!
Two thoughts come to mind…
- God must always be acknowledged as God.
- Our efforts, at best, are nothing compared to God. In fact, the New Testament teaches us that without Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5) Nebuchadnezzar made the mistake of thinking that he was responsible for the success of the kingdom. As an old friend of mine would say, “Wrong again!”
- Experience alone is not enough to sustain spiritual maturity.
- Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the protection of the Hebrew boys that was miraculously provided by God. But it did not stick!
- Elijah heard the still small voice of God while hiding on the mountaintop…to no avail!
- Peter had witnessed the many miracles of Jesus…yet he denied knowing Him!
- The guards at the tomb witnessed the resurrection of Jesus…but sold the secret when they got to town!
Lord, help me to always recognize your hand in my life…and to never take for granted what I have experienced in my relationship with you! Amen…
Thinking Out Loud 