One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

King Nebuchadnezzer just didn't get it!

After God had revealed his dream and it's meaning to Daniel, he said "Surely your God is the God of Gods and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries..." (Daniel 2:47)...yet, sometime relatively soon after, he does this: "King Nebuchanezzer made and image of gold, 90 feet high and 9 feet wide...and this is what the herald proclaimed: "As soon as you hear the sound of the (instruments), YOU MUST FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP THE IMAGE of gold that King 'Nebu' had set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship the image will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." (Daniel 3:1-6)

How could that happen so quickly? How could he go from one who is acknowledging Daniel's God as "The One", and then set up a golden statue and FORCE people to "bow down to worship" it?

It's actually pretty easy!

If a person--king or otherwise--believes, or is 'impressed' with God on an intellectual basis, but does not personally bow down to actually "worship" the true God in heart and mind, then God is thought of as a 'religious symbol', or something like that--and is (therefore) easily set aside.

King Nebu had thought of God that way. He was 'impressed', but he never really 'got it' and he never really worshipped God at the core.

Is our faith merely on the level of 'religious belief'? Are we 'impressed' with God and by His works, but not personally committed to a lifestyle of worship and submission to Him? If so, then--believe it or not--we are likely to set up our own 'idols' in our lives. Idols of self-centeredness, and other ways that we set something up in front of God...and we remove Him from His rightful place in our lives...as the "God of Gods and Lord of (ourselves)"!

Endeavor today to REALLY "Worship" God--from your mind, heart, and with all of your life.

Otherwise, we are liable to take 'One step forward, two steps back'.

Grace and Peace, Dave

ps: Bonus point: No matter what someone in a position of power says...no matter what words and phrases they use, if they won't bow down and worship the God of Gods, and if they try to set up some kind of idol for us to 'bow down' to, they are seriously wrong and MUST be resisted!Just keep that in mind...