GIVE GOD CREDIT

"If it had not been THE LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:" - Psalm 124:2

I'm currently at that place in life where I'm trying to figure things out. (i.e moving out, getting married, being an adult etc.) 

IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY AT ALL. In fact - whenever I try to make moves - something happens that tries to push me back. It's definitely a constant effort to keep going and keep pressing forward. I constantly tell myself everything is ok and I'm way too young to be stressing this hard. 

One thing that I've learned in these last few months of pushing and pressing is sometimes I struggle with giving God credit where it's due. In all honesty God deserves all of the glory, honor and praise. Wherever I get to in life - it is a product of His grace and mercy. I would've (and should've) been long gone by now, but God sees fit for me to still be here. That's a blessing for sure, and I have to realize that it's not me or anything else that caused it to happen. I'm not the reason that I'm still here - I'm not the reason that I'm still alive. I'm here because God is good. If I'm feeling sick and one day I feel better; it's not because of the orange juice....it's not because of the medicine...it's all God. If I get in a car accident and survive it's not because I'm great driver. It's because God protected me.

We as Christians can't get to a point in life where we think that we are the reason we are blessed. We can't get to the point where we actually believe that we are the reason we made it this far. Pride will get you every time. Let's use king Nebuchadnezzar as an example. I won't go into extreme back story detail, but in the book of Daniel (chapter 4), the king had a dream and asked Daniel to interpret it for him.

23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

So he got the interpretation, a warning, AND advice. Let's continue though.

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. 

As we can see, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." -Proverbs 16:8 (kjv)

We will continue to struggle if we keep thinking that we can do this life thing all by ourselves. Jesus came to the earth so that we could be saved and that alone goes to show that we couldn't/can't do it on our own. What amazes me about the whole king Nebuchadnezzar situation is the fact that 12 months later - an entire year after the dream interpretation - what was said came true. I wouldn't be surprised if the king had been prideful before that situation, but for some reason that particular statement was the final straw. It may be because he said it out loud... Or maybe it's rooted in what he said. That was a pretty prideful statement.

30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Imagine if he replaced "I" and "My" with "God" or "The Lord"...  You really have to be careful with those "I's and my's" when describing your blessings. Even then - God is still amazing. God could've just taken him out - but instead He humbled him. He humbled him for a very long time though - seeing as "his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claw of a bird. " How long does it take for your hair and nails to grow that long? Yikes.

Anyways, it wasn't until Nebuchadnezzar realized WHO was the reason for his success that his success finally returned to him.

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;
    his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth
    are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
    with the powers of heaven
    and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
    or say to him: “What have you done?”

³⁶ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Take this as a lesson - you don't have to go through what he went through. Just be humble from the beginning!

He already paid the price so Give God Credit! 

[Click here to read all of Daniel Chapter 4!]

God bless. 

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Also, if you haven't already made the decision to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, I suggest that you make that decision today! 

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

After that -- join a good faith based Bible based church -- get baptized -- read The Word everyday! Pray everyday! Trust me, I did it. It's still and will forever be the best decision that I have ever made in life!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the faith. 

Let's figure it out together with God. livingoutvisions@gmail.com