Just A Thought

 In order to let God bless and direct our lives, we have to trust Him enough to let go of control. We need to decide that we will be ok with whatever God decides. This is a challenge; it is hard to give up our opinions and our control to a God - who we can neither see nor fully understand. Ironically, the more “successful” someone seems to become, the harder it may be for them to let God be God. As a result, some of the “most needy” people end up being most likely to receive healing and provision from God, because they are willing to treat Him like the Almighty King that He is. Conversely, some of the “most successful” people have a hard time trusting God and receiving His blessings, because they don’t want to lose what they have been able to cobble together.

One challenge comes from the fact that humans just don’t understand a lot about life. Listen to what God says through Isaiah the prophet in chapter 55, verse 8 (NLT): “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” So often our limited understanding keeps us from trusting, believing and obeying God... thereby robbing us of the good things God wants to do in our lives.  

There is an intriguing story in I Kings about a non-Jewish king who was taught this lesson in a very dramatic fashion. Nebuchadnezzar II was king of Babylonia from approximately 605 BC to 562 BC. He is considered the greatest king of the Babylonian Empire. He built the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon; one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. 

Nebuchadnezzar is most famous for the conquering Jerusalem in 586 BC. He destroyed the temple and deported most of the remaining residents to Babylon. He was a brutal, powerful, and ambitious king. Daniel chapter 2 records God giving Nebuchadnezzar a dream about the kingdoms that would arise after his own.  He demanded his astrologers and wise men to interpret his dream without him telling it to them. When they were unable to deliver, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all of the astrologers and wise men to be killed. Daniel spoke up and, through a miracle from God, interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king then promoted Daniel to be one of his most influential advisers. When Daniel interpreted his dream, the king declared, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” (Daniel 2:47)

This king was used of God to judge Israel and was given a prominent place in history. Unfortunately, he then became proud, and God did something to give him some perspective. In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is given another dream by God. Daniel interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar and informed him that the dream was a warning to the king to humble himself and recognize that his power, wealth, and influence were from God, not of his own making. Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the warning of the dream, so God judged him as the dream had declared. Nebuchadnezzar was driven insane for seven years. When the king’s sanity was restored, he finally humbled himself before God.

Partnering with God can bring a person great blessing. The trick is to always make sure God is God. Our current world culture has shifted toward making man the center of the universe. That never goes well. But God has repeatedly proven that we can trust Him enough to relinquish all control to Him.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, June 27, 2025