Our country is in the midst of the arduous process of electing a new executive officer. For some it is a nail biting experience. For others it is an annoying interruption to their weekly sitcom. As Christians we have a slightly different perspective. Our world view has been filtered through our heavenly one.
The longer that I am a believer, the more assured I am that Christ is the only answer to our society’s many woes. As hard as government tries, it just can’t fill the hole in our hearts. It just can’t provide enough to satisfy us. It just can’t establish enough programs to ensure security. We will always have inequality. We will always have the homeless and poor among us. We will always have illiteracy. We will always have evil. We will always have sickness and disease. We will always feel vulnerable.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a lasting Kingdom is our answer. Nations will rise and fall. National and world leaders will rise and fall. Dynasties and monarchs will rise and fall. But the Word of God and
Another answer we can learn from Nebuchadnezzar is that God is the executive officer of the world, period. And when men try and assert that role, God will humble them to the lowest degree. Thirty years or so into his reign, Nebuchadnezzar got the “big head.” In his eyes it was justified. He had built one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. Among other things he had established
Nebuchadnezzar explains that during a time in his life he truly thought the world revolved around him. In his words, “Look at this,
Well, while the words were still dripping from his lips God humbled him. Our mighty God struck and literally turned his mind from that of a man to that of a wild beast. Nebuchadnezzar goes from eating the feast of kings to grazing on all fours in a field. He goes from drinking the best of wines to licking dew off the blades of grass. He goes from living in the most majestic palace on earth to huddling under the branches of a tree.
Our God is good. He gave Nebuchadnezzar a second chance. Humbled, the king looked to heaven and his mind was restored to him. As a result he said, “I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to Him, “What have You done?……Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”
Have you noticed that God continues to humble leaders both in our nation and around the world? Rogues rise up and slay. Armies invade and capture. Conversations get recorded by some unknown means and then get published. Young aids come clean of the improprieties of their boss. On and on we see the proud being brought low.
Well, no matter what side of the aisle you root for, let’s hope that our new leader has faith and humility. Let’s pray that our new CEO regularly looks to heaven and acknowledges that God is truly our country’s and the world’s CHIEF EXECUTIVE.
Charlie