Study from God’s Word… Ezekiel 29: 17-21; Daniel 4; Jeremiah 52: 31-34 [2Kgs 25: 27-30] … Passage for Reflection: Daniel 4: 33 … NIV 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.
My Journal for Today: Today I’m going to take the title from my current devotional shepherd, Dr. LaGard Smith; but I believe I’m being led by God’s Spirit to take a different tack on his highlight text from God’s word today. Today’s devotional from Dr. Smith was most informing and had great Christian application. However, this particular passage from the Book of Daniel has led me to reflect on the lengths God will go in His prevenient grace to pursue and draw one of His elect to Himself. When someone uses the term “Hound of Heaven” to depict God’s relentless pursuit of His elect, it’s an apt word picture.
I think you Bible students will remember God had used some pretty dramatic interactions betweeen King Nebuchanezzar with Daniel and his young friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (their Babylonian names) to get King Neb to realize that the God these Hebrew lads worshipped was very powerful. But it wasn’t until this latter set of circumstances that lowered the King to a state of brokenness where he knew that he, the King of Babylon, needed a Savior. And it was the events of today’s text which led the Pagan King to faith in the Lord of lords. And from biblical story, I remember what it took for God to bring me down to a personal level of brokenness where, like King Neb, I reached out to receive God’s saving grace.
And for those of you who have lost relatives, like I do, I hope you gain hope that God is going to do all He needs to do to bring your loved one to Christ – IF – (and that’s a big “IF”) he or she is in God’s book of life. And my friend, it may be a messy story – or even a painful picture – to watch unfold; but one day God will have His way with those who resist His call of grace on their lives. For me it took two decades of decadence and a lot of personal and marital pain to break me. For Nebuchanezzar it was even a more ugly set of circumstances. For the Apostle Paul, Christ had to knock him off his high horse of pride and even cause him to go blind so that he could ultimately see God’s calling for this disobedient, Christ-hater to come and serve God.
I don’t know if my sister will ever come to know Christ as Savior and Lord. But if God wants her, she will come. Oh, the process of her coming may get ugly; and I pray that if that’s what it takes, it happens. Because I want my lost sister to come to know God the way He has revealed Himself to me, to King Neb, and yes, to the Apostle Paul. And about the only way I can be a part of that is to continue to witness my testimony to my dear sis (which I’ve done and will continue to do), to pray for her (which I do most days), and to be patient, trusting my God, and knowing that he has a plan for my sis. I just hope she doesn’t have to grow nails like a bird for her to come to know Christ as her Savior. But if that’s what it takes, … bring on those nails, Lord!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I praise you for knocking me off my high horse so that I could surrender to Your will for my eternal life. Amen
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