Courageous Humility
Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”
DANIEL 2:27 – 28 Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful, brutal, and intelligent king who one night had a disturbing dream. He woke up worried about what this dream could mean for himself and for his people, so he summoned his advisors and said, “Interpret my dream for me.” These charlatans thought, Let’s just make up something. How will he know the difference? So they asked the king to describe his dream. But King Nebuchadnezzar knew his men. “Before you tell me what my dream meant,” he demanded, “you must tell me what my dream was.” The advisors objected, “Nobody can do that, not even the gods!” Their rash response angered King Nebuchadnezzar and he replied, “If you can’t tell me my dream and what it meant, then I’ll have you all executed.” So the king issued a blanket order to decapitate his advisors and bury their corpses in dung heaps. As advisors-in-training, Daniel and his three friends were included in this murderous order. So when Daniel heard about it, he asked for a little time. He and his friends prayed earnestly, and that night God implanted in Daniel’s mind the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. The next day, Daniel appeared before the king. When the king asked if Daniel could describe his dream and interpret it, Daniel humbly replied that no mere mortal could do so; however, he knew a God in heaven who “reveals mysteries.” Then Daniel told the king what he wanted to hear, thus saving the lives of all the king’s advisors. Daniel refused to take credit for what only God could do. The king got his answer, but only through what we might call courageous humility — confidence based on submission to God — something we could all use.
O Lord, thank you for showing me, in the life of Daniel, what can happen when courage meets humility. I know from Daniel’s story that you used him in great ways for many years, for he never lost either his courage or his humility. May that be true of me too as I seek to emulate the perfect example of Jesus Christ. I pray these things in his name. Amen.
ONLY GOD CAN DO IT!
Depend on God
“Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy.”
NUMBERS 11:13 – 14 At some point in their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites grew tired of manna, their “bread from heaven.” They wanted meat and demanded that Moses give it to them. Angry and frustrated, Moses cried out, “Lord, I can’t do this by myself!” Notice that he didn’t say, “I can’t do this.” Rather, he said he couldn’t bear his burden without God’s help. When we feel overwhelmed with anguish or bereft of confidence and hope, we should remember Moses’ cry. We would do well to follow his example and cry out, “God, I can’t do this by myself. I need you!” In times of acute need, let’s reaffirm our ties of dependence upon God Almighty. Troubling experiences often bring this truth to our consciousness. In dark times, we learn that we cannot depend on ourselves alone. We go through a period of anxiety and fear, and then, finally, we put our faith in God — not easily, not quickly, not as a matter of certainty, but because we search our hearts and souls and say, “I’m not able on my own to face these circumstances. I must turn to God Almighty." We all have troubles in life. Maybe we set a goal for ourselves that lies beyond our ability. We may lose someone we love or suffer serious illness or face a temptation we cannot overcome. At such times, we often feel reluctant to admit our inadequacy and instead blame our troubles on other factors. And so long as we refuse to rely on God, we continue to suffer. Let’s not do that. The next time we feel inadequate or overwhelmed, let’s seek a divine partner in prayer and depend on God’s incredible wisdom and strength.
Lord, when I feel overwhelmed by life and imagine that my burdens are too heavy, help me remember that you are the answer to my difficulties. You promise to help me through my Savior, Jesus Christ, who died to wipe away my sins. Use my troubles to lead me to a greater life, a successful life as measured by your holy standards. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Those Who Wander
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'”
REVELATION 7:17 Sheep win no awards for intelligence. Since most have no mind of their own, they tend to follow whoever’s in front. That’s why shepherds have to watch their flocks all the time. If they don’t, some their sheep almost certainly will wander off. Sheep may seem big at first sight, but once you shear them, they shrink. Once on a visit to Australia, we stopped at a farm during sheep shearing time; and when they discovered I used to shear sheep on our farm as a boy, they trained a TV camera on me and made me shear one of those poor animals. Somehow I got through the process, and by the time I finished, that sheep looked very small (I won’t tell you what else it looked like). A sheep shorn of its wool shows its utter vulnerability — not a pretty sight. The Bible compares us to sheep because we reflect many of the animal’s unflattering characteristics. We don’t always adhere to our beliefs and convictions; too easily we get led off into sin and error. So the prophet Zechariah noted, “The people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd” (Zechariah 10:2). In fact, the Bible often uses the phrase “like sheep without a shepherd” to describe us (see Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Matthew 9:36). Without a shepherd, we have little hope. But thank God we do have a Shepherd, Jesus Christ, whom Peter calls “the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:14), the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20), and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). And as our Shepherd, he will lead us to springs of living water, where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 7:17). It’s really not so bad being a sheep — so long as Jesus is your Shepherd.
O God, thank you for revealing yourself not only as the Shepherd of Israel, but also as my Shepherd. Too often I wander off and make myself prey for all sorts of wolves. But you are always there, watching over me, directing me, and protecting me. Thank you for bringing me into your flock — and as you have blessed me, so make me a blessing to others. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.
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