Daniel

Chapter 4:34-37 (ESV) - 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?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Question to consider: Can you think of something that God allowed in your life which was painful at the time but ultimately brought you closer to Him?

By his own mouth, Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed that the God of Daniel was indeed the Most High who reigned over the entire host of heaven, and in comparison the earthly kings amounted to nothing. Not only did he recognize the power and authority of God, but that His ways were right and just and worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. I would like to think that after his kingdom was restored to him that he continued in faith and praise toward the God of Daniel.

People often pose the question of why God allows bad things to happen. The question carries an implication that we are somehow deserving of blessing, and often people believe that everyone is deserving of heaven unless they do something egregious on earth like murder or rape.

The truth of the matter is that we constantly violate the first and most important command of God: You shall have no other gods. We put ourselves in place of God, and so we consider “bad things” to be those things which cause us pain or unhappiness. If asked ahead of time, Nebuchadnezzar would have recoiled at the thought of the madness which overtook him for seven years. However, the LORD saw that it was good to bring Nebuchadnezzar low in order to bring him to the place where he could see his sin and need for the righteousness of God. 

If the LORD allowed Nebuchadnezzar to continue down his selfish path where he believed he was the true king of the earth, he would have continued to oppress others and to indulge himself until his body gave out. Then he would have spent eternity separated from God. As difficult as our circumstances can be, we are wise to understand that the LORD of heaven and earth has allowed them to bring us into a true relationship with our Creator. The things of this world are temporary and corrupt. The things of God are eternal and whole. Let us rejoice that the LORD wants good and true things for us which cannot be destroyed.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, thank You for helping us to understand our need for Your continued correction and care. May we gain wisdom during times of blessing in order to draw closer to You during times of difficulty and pain. Amen.