How interesting to see this text just now. I think God is trying to tell us something. He's certainly telling me something.
About 30 minutes ago, I sat down to read my Bible (it's still morning here on the West Coast). I didn't know what I wanted to read. I had just finished the book of Mark a couple days ago and decided to go to the book of Daniel, which I hadn't read in about a year.
I started at the beginning of the book, and then as I was reading through it, just like Paul Tripp, I landed on the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 4 & 5. I noticed this morning something I had never noticed before. Three times in Chapter 4 (and once again in Chapter 5), the text states something to this effect: "
the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes."
God is fully in control, as He always has been. His plans are not thwarted. He wasn't surprised by any of this. He isn't sitting in Heaven fretting over anything.
If you've never read this story in Daniel, do so. God
broke Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king the ancient world ever knew, and reduced him to madness for seven years, until he humbled himself and gave glory to God.
Think about what Nebuchadnezzar represented to Israel. He was their destroyer. He tore down God's temple and put the people of Judah in captivity, seemingly ending the Davidic kingdom. And yet, years later, after coming to be humbled by God, Nebuchadnezzar, the arch-enemy of God's people, writes a chapter of the Hebrew Bible. Read Chapter 4 - it's written by Nebuchadnezzar himself, and he recognizes that, regarding God, "
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation."
God's kingdom
IS, WAS, and WILL ALWAYS BE.
So, be disappointed today, for sure, yet don't let disappointment turn into despair, because God, the only God there is, was, or ever will be, is on the throne, and His kingdom is the real story.
By the way, I didn't want you all to think that I was making this up regarding my study this morning, so I took a couple of photos of the beat up $8 NIV Bible I use for my morning studies. I'm in the habit of date-marking things God teaches me. I wrote that note dated "11/09/2022" about 10 minutes before opening this thread and reading the post that Pineapple shared above.
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