At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever. (Daniel 4:34)

We love to hear a dramatic testimony. We delight in stories of radical change in people like the Apostle Paul, who turned from persecuting Christians to building the early Church!

Such stories are woven throughout Scripture because we keep wondering if God can work so powerfully and personally. Sometimes the unlikeliest persons are chosen to make clear that God can work precisely this way for people without any other hope. 

We would have trouble identifying anyone more wicked that Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. He was a ruthless idolator, enslaver, and murderer. Yet, he ended up praising the God of the people of Israel that he had so cruelly enslaved and persecuted. 

This king may be unique in his wickedness but not in his path to God. There is no way that this wicked man could have compensated for his sins to claim God’s love. So how did he come to God?

When he was absolutely incapable of helping himself, he did not point to his achievements, or look down on anyone else to compare his goodness. Instead, he looked up to heaven for God’s help.

God blessed the humility of a man who possessed no good in himself. That’s gospel gold!  God made a pagan king a member of heaven’s family by grace alone. We, too, become members of God’s family by faith in his grace alone.

Look up to the One who sent Jesus down to you. 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for enabling me to be a member of your family – not because of anything I’ve done but solely by your grace. May humility be my path to you.