Sometimes I wonder if all the people
who claim to be card carrying, church going, 100% believers really
read the scripture to understand it and learn, or do they read them
to simply pad their resumes for judgment day. I question if they
believe it has any relevance to the world surrounding us today. In
our deepest of beliefs and heart of hearts is there anymore than an
appreciation of a great collection of age old stories and a fairly
accurate early history of a people in early civilization.
For several reasons I have recently
been drawn to and fascinated by the 'Book of Daniel'. The stories of
Daniel in the lions den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego have been
favorites since Mrs. Rutland and Mrs. Young first told them in my very
young Sunday School days. More recently I have been drawn to the
book for some reason or another and have found it full of relevant
lessons for my world today.
A couple of the stories that seems to
be relevant at this particular time have really got my attention. In
Chapter 4 King Nebuchadnezzar (Neb) finds himself in a lot better
shape than any of our world leaders today. He's even quoted as say,
“I Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and
prosperity.”
(Daniel 4:4) His problem came
beginning in v.5 when he had a dream that scared him pretty bad. He
first called on his Secretary of Physic and all that department for
interpretation after offering untold treasures to the one who could
come up with an answer. When the usual fortune tellers and soucerers
could not help he was referred to Daniel. (purportedly a man from a
heaven Neb apparently did not believe in) The scripture gives no
indication why Daniel was not called on first.
The dream was of a great tree in the
middle of the earth. It was a great and mighty tree, it reached to
the heavens, giving shelter to the birds of the air and animals
around it, feeding all the people from it bounty. As the dream
played on the King saw a messenger (a holy one) come down from heaven
who ordered the tree cut down, its limbs and branches destroyed and
scattered, leaving nothing for all that benefited from the tree. The
messenger left the stump and roots and enclosed them in a bronze and
iron ring surrounded by tender grass. The messenger in the dream
then decreed 'let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and let him
live like an animal among the plants of the field for seven periods,
let him have the mind of an animal instead of a human'. The
messenger then said the purpose was to show that the 'Most High'
rules all the kingdoms and has dominion of everything.
Here's where it gets good. According
to the scripture even Daniel was shocked by what he saw in this dream
and honestly I would have not wanted to be in his place. I do like
how he began his interpretation to old King Neb. He started by
saying something about how he wished one of King Neb's enemies had
really had this dream instead of Neb.
Daniel told him the tree represented no
other than the King himself. He was a mighty King as was the tree,
he had grown strong and great, his rule extended across the earth.
Problem was God had declared what was about to happen. He would be
driven out of power, he would lose his mind and live as an animal for
seven periods. At the end of this time, he would realize and
acknowledge God was truly the ruler of all and that Neb would
recognize such and that from the remaining roots and stump he would
be restored.
Now we either believe this happened as
recorded in what we profess to be God's divine Word or it goes on the
shelf with Goldilocks and Harry Potter. I for one believe every
word..
How does this apply to us today. I
believe with all my heart when God's had enough we will know it.
Whether it is our President, Russia's, China's or Rocket Man, God is
in charge. The combined power of all falls desperately short of
God's. If a people turn to God and his ways in their deepest beliefs
and feelings he will honor them. Once we become so self centered and
take God out the the center we stand the risk of following old Neb
out into the fields to eat with the cattle/
I don't believe God will hesitate to
bring about the biggest 'Attitude Adjustment' in the history of the
world. He is forgiving, loving and all caring, but it must be a
two-way relationship. It took a lot to set my Dad off, he loved me
so much. God loves us so much more than we can imagine but he loves
us so much he will not go so far as to let us destroy ourselves.
We may be getting close to 'Attitude
Adjustment' time.
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