Thurs.’s Devo - Nebuchadnezzar’s Humbling

Read: Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21 ; Ps. 119:97-112 ; Pr. 28:17-18 God went to drastic measures to humble King Nebuchadnezzar of his pride. He, instead of Daniel wrote this chapter to tell how God dealt with him. He dreamed it before it happened and it was decreed by a “watcher”. A watcher was an angel, maybe his own guardian angel or the guardian angel over the country. In Ezekiel 9 and 10, Ezekiel mentions men clothed in linen garments. I wonder if these aren’t heavenly priests. They usually have ink horns in their hands like they are recording what they see. The men in linen and the watcher mentioned here seem to have the job of observing and recording what is happening on earth and reporting it to God. Everything that happens is written in books in heaven and in the end they will be opened and read from. That makes me realize the importance of what we do and how we spend our time…someone’s watching and recording what we do. I wonder if they are ever amused and laugh! It took a season of mental break down for Nebuchadnezzar to humble himself before God, but he did. Sometimes it takes drastic measures to get our attention and the attention of those we love too, but this should encourage us that God has a purpose and it is always to redeem. God wants to be able to say of us what he said of Jesus, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.” Lord, may you say that of us. Thank you for your long suffering and your chastening because it speaks of your great love for us.