Monday, May 10, 2010

The Boomerang Principle (Daniel 4:34-37)

Boomerangs are cool...IF you know how to throw them.

I've seen people throw these things and make them go in a large circle and come right back to them. Pretty cool! I try, and it goes mostly straight--making me go further to retrieve it.

The Boomerang Principle is something like that. By this, I mean the tendency we all have to require being taught the same life lesson over and over again before we finally learn it.

King Nebuchadnezzer is a good illustration of this.

Despite learning about the God of the Hebrews through Daniel (ch.1), through Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego (ch. 3), and supposedly understanding that this "Most High God" was worthy of praise and allegiance, and despite Daniel's warning, King Nebu went ahead and praised...himself! Nebu's pride was amazing, and he convinced himself that he had 'arrived' based on his own wit, wisdom and vigor...NO Humility at all.

Therefore, exactly what Daniel had predicted came true...Nebu's sanity was taken from him and he was driven out to live in the countryside, rejected from all his servants and all his people. (Daniel 4:1-33).

Fortunately, he isn't required to stay there...
" 34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting,
and his kingdom is eternal.
35 All the people of the earth
are nothing compared to him.
He does as he pleases
among the angels of heaven
and among the people of the earth.
No one can stop him or say to him,
‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before." (Daniel 4:34-36)


King Nebu "looked toward heaven", and his sanity is restored.

That is the Boomerang Lesson that Nebu--and we--have to learn. Sometimes we have to learn it over and over again.

YOU--no matter who you are--ARE NOT THE POINT! GOD IS!

You did not get your intelligence, popularity, position, power, etc. because 'you're all that'...rather, you did because God allowed you to. You and I need to humble ourselves with that reality.

Finally, his response seems real and personal:

"I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal." (v.34)

The result? He was restored...better than ever! And he continued to praise God.

37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”



He "raised his eyes to heaven"...and so must we. This takes humility, because in order to raise our eyes to heaven in faith, we must--of necessity--acknowledge that God is above us.

It's a good thing to remember and to teach our children...so that we don't have to learn it again and again.

Presumably, King Nebu kept it in mind and taught his kids this, right?

Tune in next time and find out!

In the meantime, may God humble us and keep us on our knees!

Grace and Peace,

Dave

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