Monday 28 November

Daniel 3:13-4:18

He’s a bit of a pantomime character this Nebuchadnezzar.  And for no greater reason than his decree following the emergence of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fire.  He has tried to burn these three blokes to a crisp.  He has done everything in his evil power to eradicate any trace of them.  But everything in Nebuchadnezzar’s power can’t even make the tiniest dent on the power of the Most High.  His fire can’t even singe Shadrach’s robe.  So how does Nebuchadnezzar respond?  He makes this ridiculous decree that if anyone disses the Most High then Nebuchadnezzar will have ‘em.  Hahaha.  Has he learnt nothing?  Has he not understood it at all?  The Most High is well able to look after himself.  He doesn’t need us to flash our illusion of power around in an attempt to protect Him.  He is not just some other stakeholder in our lives that we need to aggressively defend.  He is the Most High.  He can take care of Himself.  He wants us to serve him, not to defend him.  He wants us to obey Him, not to protect Him.  He wants us to worship Him, not threaten others about insulting Him.  In short I think the reason why Nebuchadnezzar seems like a pantomime character is that in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he cannot seem to grasp that he is not the centre of the universe.  Nebuchadnezzar just can’t take his eyes off himself.  And it would be really, really funny if I wasn’t quite so much like Nebuchadnezzar myself.  Oh Jesus, please would you teach me to be humble.

2 Peter 2:1-22

More on humility.  Is someone trying to tell me something?  Peter’s message has been focussed on how big God is and how small we are.  And he sincerely rams this message home with this section on springs without water and mists driven by a storm.  It is the bit on slandering celestial beings that really cuts me.  I don’t really understand the ins and outs of it but I do feel sincerely convicted about all the mouthing off that I have done in my life.  I’ve mouthed off about other believers - people whom God has adopted as sons.  I’ve mouthed off about the church - Jesus’ bride for whom he died.  I’ve mouthed off about all kinds of spiritual happenings and experiences - things that have have richly blessed at least the people who received them if nobody else.  How dare I?  My perspective is so small and my insight is so tiny.  How could I be so arrogant as to slag off the things of God?  All I should be doing is standing on the word of God and speaking the words of the Spirit (which regularly makes pretty harsh declarations about things!).  But I regularly veer off from that and slander others off my own back.  In view of my tininess and God’s awesome hugeness how can I think my own personal perspective is worthy of other’s ears?  I don’t want to become entangled again in such behaviour.  I want to be better than a dog.  I want to steer clear from that vomit.

Proverbs 29:1-9

It is justice, and not a thriving economy, that gives a country stability.  (29:4)