Good morning, Team!!

I am kinda trusting you are not super sick of reading about Daniel, because I sure know I am not! LOL! Yup, I got up and plunged right back in that book — and right into Chapter 4, and whoa! What a good story there was in store for me today. (And hopefully for you too.) 🙂

It all starts with King Nebuchadnezzar. (Yes, try spelling that last name when you are in kindergarten.) 😉 There he was, strolling along in life after learning such a great lesson through the “fiery furnace fiasco” show that there is ONLY one GOD who is the giver of all good things. And, well, if we look at it, this king’s life IS sooooo super good (armies, riches, money). And, well, maybe even great … and actually, pretty darn wonderful. And really, ALL of it is ALL from HIM!

And the “HIM” this king is referring to is NOT GOD but, well, himself! And I had to laugh and chuckle because, well, aren’t WE just like that??

We love to come running to GOD when life is getting a wee bit crazy and chaotic and out of control. But when life is good?? Well, no thanks, GOD, I so got this. (And by the way, it is all because I set that up all by myself anyway, thank you very much.)

Yes, King Neb knows he is in control of it all, creating his own GOOD LIFE … until he begins to dream a dream that, well, he can’t stop from coming. (Have you ever been there??) And, whoa, NO ONE seems to know or be able to interpret just what it means. And so, just WHO does he call to come give him the correct interpretation??!!

Duh, duh, DUH!! Of course, good ol’ “DO the different” Daniel tells GOD’S truth behind the dream, and it is this — what a total collapse is coming IF he doesn’t change his prideful ways and follow God’s faithful ones.

Hmmm, sound familiar? Choices and options and alternate answers?? So, just how clearly are the potential directions laid out for this king?

We’ll take a peek at Daniel 4:27, and you will see that there are definitely options A and B:

1. Well, one believes that YOU are in control of all things you do and good in your “glorious life.”
2. And the other says GOD can do whatever HE needs to bring your prideful heart humbly right BACK to his. (Just because he is trying to be mean and nasty and make our lives miserable, right??)

And so, which option did this oh-so-human king choose to DO?

Like most of us, he chose option A and went along his merry way….

Until one year later, all came crashing down all around him. And then, and only then, does he have a “painful-pride” pop, and he truly learns, and begins to acquire, the number of qualities of a Lord-led leader. Can you guess what it is??

HUMILITY.

Yup, THIS is Jesus’ whole gig: leading from the front by serving from the back. And so, take a look in your life, and you will likely begin to see a pattern that those who lead WELL lead from a heart full of humility.

And THAT is just what King NEB had to learn and has been one of the BEST LESSONS from the LORD this girl ever had to learn. (And like King Neb, it went down the hard way.) 😉

Yes, this cycle is not new. My life gets comfortable, I get prideful, I ignore warnings, I take my course, I go around “toot-tooting” my own horn (even if it is only in my own head). :):) And then?? GOD says, “Sorry, sister, for you to be a better Lord-led leader for me, you need some key HUMILITY!!”

And down I go … only to realize, when down below, I can only look up and into the eyes of an oh-so-wiser-than-I-will-ever-be GOD. And like King Neb, by the end, I get HE loved me way too much to let me live my life full of purposeful PRIDE (Daniel 4:34-35).

Yup, seems sometimes I need a little break from the “BIG ME” in me to build up a bit of healing-my-heart HUMILITY.

So, don’t resist when HE brings something along that feels a bit like a bite or sting to you. It could be the perfect “prick to pop your pride” to begin to grow a NEW girl who is better in your soul than ever before (Daniel 4:36).

Thank you for your time, and thank GOD for this TRUTH.

Carol 😉