Episode 66: Daniel 4

11/20/19 • 7 min

None of us like to be told we’re wrong. We like it even less when the other person turns out to be right. Remember, the business deal everyone said was too good to be true? Or the relationship everyone warned you about that ended badly? Or that time in high school when the urge to “live a little” turned into a misdemeanor — just like they said it could.

Refusing to take advice is a form of pride. It’s the haughty spirit Proverbs 16:18 says leads to destruction. And, it’s the pride that led to Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall in Daniel 4.

Daniel pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways, saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper” (Daniel 4:27, NLT).

Twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar still hadn’t changed, and everything God revealed came to pass (Daniel 4:28-30). It’s easy to read Nebuchadnezzar’s story and assume it could never happen to us. But no one is immune to pride.

We don’t have to be rulers to build kingdoms. We do it every day in big and small ways. We build companies, playgroups, online communities, and Snap streaks. Then, like Nebuchadnezzar, we stand back and admire our accomplishment, saying “Look at me! What a great thing I’ve done!”

The truth is nothing we have and nothing we build is ours, but for the grace of God. When we work hard, when we build communities, the goal is not to draw attention to us but to Him.

It took hitting rock bottom for Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge that God alone deserves our praise (Daniel 4:34-35). But we don’t have to wait for an inevitable fall. God loved Nebuchadnezzar enough to send a warning through Daniel. And God loved each of us enough to show us a better way through the life, death, and resurrection of His son.

When God brings pride to our attention, it’s not to shame us but to save us. How much heartache could we miss if we were to listen and repent?

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Refusing to take advice is a form of pride. It’s the haughty spirit Proverbs 16:18 says leads to destruction. And, it’s the pride that led to Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall in Daniel 4.

The truth is nothing we have and nothing we build is ours, but for the grace of God. When we work hard, when we build communities, the goal is not to draw attention to us but to Him.

When God brings pride to our attention, it’s not to shame us but to save us. How much heartache could we miss if we were to listen and repent?

Support the show

Previous Episode

Episode 65: Daniel 3

Government officials and commoners alike are gathered in the public square for the unveiling a new statue. A trumpet blows, the order is given and everyone kneels before the statue in worship as the band plays.

Imagine the conflict in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the wrestled with whether to kneel or stand. The penalty for not participating was death, and they were government officials. People were watching. To kneel was to betray their God, and to not kneel was to betray their king.

Eventually, we all come to that moment when everyone else is doing one thing, but God has called us to do something different. To choose purity can impact our dating lives. To choose integrity can affect our upward mobility. To choose love makes us vulnerable in relationships.

God has promised to be with us when life is hard, but often our hearts struggle to believe it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t know they’d find Jesus in the fire when they walked in the furnace. But they allowed their faith, not their fear, to guide their actions (Daniel 2:17-18).

Faith rarely makes reasonable sense. So when people see faith in action, they need an explanation. As a result of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faith, the king acknowledged God’s power and people stood in awe.

When we stand up for what we believe, the same thing happens. In the eyes of the world, suffering is all pain. But in the eyes of God, suffering is a vehicle for hope.

Our faith might lead to suffering. But we take heart in those moments, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3-5).

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Episode 67: Daniel 5

If you’re younger than 30, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of Adam West or Val Kilmer. But Adam West, Val Kilmer, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, and Michael Keaton all have one thing in common. They all played Batman on the big screen.

Ask people from three generations to describe what Batman looks like, and you’ll get three different answers. With each iteration, Batman changed to reflect the times — moving from the caped crusader in a cartoonish black and gray leotard to the brooding dark knight we know today.

Batman’s evolution is a picture of the ever-changing standards we put on our heroes. What’s cool in one decade is lame to the next. What portrays strength in one generation is cheesy to the next.

If we chase people’s standards, we’ll always chase a moving target. That’s a reality Daniel understood all too well.

When Nebuchadnezzar was king, Daniel was his trusted advisor. But many years later, a new king was running things with a new group of nobles and influencers. Daniel had fallen out favor and been forgotten until an emergency caused the queen mother to remember the wisdom and insight Daniel gave to Belshazzar’s father (Daniel 5:10-11).

Belshazzar was prepared to give power, money, and authority to the person who could explain the message he’d seen on the wall, but Daniel wasn’t interested (Daniel 5:17). Daniel knew that even the influence that comes from following the Lord can quickly fade.

Daniel’s focus wasn’t on what he could gain by following the Lord, but on being faithful to follow the Lord. He spoke the words God gave him — nothing more, nothing less.

Like Daniel, we don’t follow the Lord for fame or fortune but to know and serve God faithfully. Our cool factor and influence might change over time, but the peace that comes from knowing and obeying God will last forever.

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