Have you ever wondered why God allows
certain people to prosper and others to fail? I know I have. I have been guilty
once or twice of thinking that certain people should or should not be
prospering because of the things that I see in them, such as: they’re kind
hearted, they’re smart, they serve God, they’re talented OR they lack talent,
they have a horrible attitude, they are mean, they don’t listen to authority,
they don’t serve God, and the list goes on and on. However, today’s reading
showed me that we all have our journey as God draws us unto him by making us go
through vastly different situations (Jesus said before his death, “The time for
judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast
out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” John
12:31-32).
Nebuchadnezzar (I’ll call him Nebby for
short because I can’t continue to retype all of that!) and David are prime examples
of this. Most people think of David as a
spiritual icon and Nebby as a sort of “Wicked King of the West”. But let’s
examine some similarities between them:
Nebby:
·
Was
a king
·
Was
respected and feared in his territories and the surrounding ones- everyone
except 3 feared him so that they bowed to his idols
·
Was
a dreamer- God showed him a dream to portend of his future
·
Overcame
many enemies-destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, etc.
·
Had
advisers and cronies- Daniel, Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego
·
Had
multiple wives/women- Amyitis and more
·
Disobeyed
God- obviously…
David:
·
Was
a king-took over Saul’s throne
·
Was
respected and feared in his territories and the surrounding ones- people literally
sung his praises
·
Was
a dreamer- aspired to have a legacy
·
Overcame
many enemies- killed thousands!
·
Had
advisers and cronies- Absalom, Joab, etc.
·
Had
multiple wives/women-Bathsheba, Ahinoam, etc.
·
Disobeyed
God-again, obviously…
Really, these two are a lot alike, even
in their faults. They had different paths to the Lord, though. David was raised
to honor God from his youth, while Nebby did not learn of and accept God until
later in his life. God made himself apparent to Nebby and “at the end of the
time[b] I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes
to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and
praised and honored Him who lives forever” (2 Samuel 8:34).
This just goes to show that we all go
through things in life and we all have our distinct journeys, and later stories
to tell, about our lives. After reading this, I know that I won’t be so quick
to form my own opinion God’s treatment of people, because at the end of the
day, he is drawing us ALL unto him. And despite our shortcomings, if we accept
him as David and Nebby did, we WILL see Heaven. Remember, it’s not about how you get there, just get there!
Merciful Mondays: Jael
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31
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