May 31 – Humble Reminders (Daniel 4:28-37)

“Those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37)

IN WORD:
Somewhere deep inside, we know the truth about ourselves: Everything we have was given to us. None of us asked to be born or specified the conditions under which we came into this world. We did not choose our talents or our physical features. We did not select our place of birth or our native language. We may have been industrious and careful in choosing our paths, but our drive and our wisdom was given to us by our Creator. We did not make our own circumstances, build our own brains, or control our own relationships. Everything we have is a gift.
Even so, we take an awful lot of credit for the good things God has given. We take pride in our work, display our accomplishments, advertise our abilities, and use our relationships for our own esteem. For people who were created, we act an awful lot like creators.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon during the time of Daniel, made that mistake. Having seen ample evidence of God in Daniel’s dream interpretations and in the survival of three guys in a furnace, Nebuchadnezzar nonetheless gave himself glory frequently. He had built a golden representation of himself to be worshiped, and he credited himself with the power and glory of Babylon.
God gave the king a clear reminder that all gifts, all power, all wisdom, and all authority come from above. He humbled the king with insanity. He demonstrated the lowliness of human achievement. He undid the king’s pride.

IN DEED:
God will undo our pride too. Perhaps we aren’t as arrogant and bold as Nebuchadnezzar was, but we often need reminders of our neediness. We can’t relate to God properly unless we understand that all we have and all we are is by grace. When we take credit, we deny God’s generosity. That is not a minor offense. His love will correct us.
Wake up each morning with a self-reminder that your life is all about grace. It will keep you humble and it will open God’s arms to you. It will ground you in the truth.

“He that is down need fear no fall, he that is low no pride.”
-John Bunyan-