At times it is profitable to take time and reflect on life and all that God has done, and all that He is leading you into. In Proverbs Agur son of Jakeh says that "there are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden" (Proverbs 30:18-19). There are many things in this universe that baffle the minds and hearts of men, for we are creatures with limited understanding, often blinded by our own pride and personal experience. Does this limited understanding, however, mean that we should not ponder those questions that might arise to which we have not the answers? Solomon writes this of wisdom:
"'Now then, my sons, listen to me;blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death'" (Proverbs 8:32-36).
To search after and find wisdom is to find life. This is a search, a journey that will not always be easy, in truth seldom will the quest for wisdom ever be described as easy and I hold it is for this reason, that it is not in the end that wisdom is attained, but instead it is in the journey that we discover all that God has for us. When Christ called those we call the twelve, He asked them to follow Him, to journey with Him. And it was in this journey that they became eleven men who were God's instruments in changing the world forever.
In light of this, do we simply ignore that which is not clear to us or do we press in and discover God's will and heart for us in it? I believe God is eagerly waiting for us to rise to the challenge of attacking all that we understand not, for He desires to show Himself to us.
So what is it that as the writer in Proverbs said, is to amazing for us to understand. And it is in my reflection of all that God has done that I find one such thing. God has been proven time and time again, in my life, in the lives of those around me and all throughout history. His word is without fault and has been shown to be right in every way, without weakness or defect. I know all this, I have seen an experienced all of this and yet if one were to look at my past they would see a pattern of ebb and flow. At time I have burned with a deep, seemingly unquenchable fire for God, and at other times that flame was more like a lingering coal on the verge of being extinguished. How can this be? I know that all the world has to offer cannot even begin to compare with the infinite and awesome splendor that is our God, but I still turn my back on all that He is, majestic and eternal and embrace the world and surround myself with all that is cheap and temporal. In truth this has been a mystery that has baffled me throughout the years. I would fall away but God in His infinite mercy would draw me back to Himself, and I would ask myself why I ever removed myself from His favor for when we have the favor of God then the cares of the world fall away. Notice I did not say they are removed, I said they fall away. The cares remain, what changes is our perception of them and our understanding that we have a Father who delights in caring for His children. In stark contrast, the ways of the world only offer worry after worry. In fact, we encounter more troubles walking in our own path than in the path of God and therefore the burden becomes even more burdensome.
So what is it that causes us to continue in this cycle of the path of God versus the ways of the world? I never have and never will claim to have all knowledge but I believe an examination of the life of Nebuchadnezzar offers us insight into this mystery.
Nebuchadnezzar's life held a pattern that many of us can relate to. He would see God work something miraculous and his response would be to glorify God. This happens at least twice in the first three chapters of the book of Daniel. But was his heart really turned? Did he truly understand who God is and what that realization means? After each of his proclaimations he would turn back to his old ways and go on with life, a pattern we all find all to familiar. ANd when something new would arise and he would call on Daniel's wisdom he would always tell Daniel that he trusted him for the spirits of the gods was with Daniel. He may have recognized that God was a god, and even that God was the supreme god, but he still did not fully understand that God is the only God, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He lumped God in with all the rest of his deities and the attitude this reflected had very deep implications in how he lived his life.
God did not reign supreme over all. Nebuchadnezzar may have claimed with his mouth that He does, but his actions speak more loudly and more truly. For he, Nebuchadnezzar still had pride in his heart, he still ruled his life, or so he thought. He refused to submit to the law and will of the Almighty and oppressed those whom God had charged him to protect. He did what was evil and refused to do that which is right. In these ways we are the same as he. We rule our own hearts, or are at least under the delusion that we do; we may not oppress those around us but we do not love as Christ loves and has called us to love and we do not do what is right in the sight of God. Pride fills our hearts. A pride that tells us we may do as we wish for none but rules us and our decisions and paths are our own to chose and follow. We look at the life we have and like Nebuchadnezzar we declare, "Look at what I have created, see what has come to be by my will," and so we fall. But there is hope, for God is a God of mercy and love, and He will forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
God showed Nebuchadnezzar mercy. For seven years he learned what it is to live as a lily or a bird of the field. For seven years he was without his mind and yet God still cared and provided for him. And he learned that God reigns supreme and it is only by His mighty hand that anything was, is, or will be. For this is the mercy that God showed Nebuchadnezzar. "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble" (Daniel 4:37). God's mercy to Nebuchadnezzar and His mercy to us is that He humbles us.
So far as we know, Nebuchadnezzar continued to walk after God for the remainder of his life. It was not until he was humble that he understood. It was not until he was humble that he truly saw God for who He is. Isaiah look upon the face of God and cried aloud, "Woe to me...I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). When he saw the world as God sees it, he saw it for what it is and he could not help but declare the truth. God humbled him, God broke his flesh just as He broke Nebuchadnezzar's flesh. He removed them from the thrones of their hearts in order that His reign might extend into their lives.
When was the last time you were broken? When was the last time you allowed God to take control of some aspect of your life? He did it with Isaiah, He did it with Nebuchadnezzar. God is supreme and will do what is His will. At times it will be hard, at times it will be painful. But at the end we will declare praise and glory to the King of heaven for all that He does is right and His ways are just, and He has humbled our proud hearts.
Good words, Michael.
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