🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Don’t Be So Arrogant That You Ignore God

Scripture: Daniel 4:27, 30 (KJV)

Daniel 4:27

“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.”

Daniel 4:30

“The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”

Devotion:

Have you ever tried to warn someone that they were headed in the wrong direction, but they were so full of themselves they wouldn’t listen?

Maybe you told them,

“You need to slow down.”

“You need to stop hanging with those people.”

“You need to pray about that before you do it.”

But they wouldn’t hear you.

Why?

Because pride has a way of making people believe they don’t need advice, correction, or even God.

Whewwww!

One of the greatest reasons people ignore God, besides ignorance, is arrogance and pride.

A prideful person mainly hears, sees, and cares about themselves.

They love people who praise them…

But often become uncomfortable around people who praise God or give Him the credit.

Isn’t that crazy?

Here’s a simple example.

Someone receives a promotion at work.

Instead of saying,

“God has truly been good to me.”

They say,

“I earned every bit of this. Nobody helped me. I did this all by myself.”

Whew!

Be careful.

Hard work is important…

But who gave you the strength to work?

Who gave you the favor?

Who opened the door?

Who protected your mind and body long enough to get there?

Everything we have ultimately comes from God.

Now let’s look at today’s scripture.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream.

God lovingly sent Daniel to explain it and warn him.

Daniel didn’t just interpret the dream…

He gave the king a chance to change.

He said,

“Break off thy sins… Show mercy… Turn from your wickedness…”

In other words,

“King, God is warning you because He wants to spare you.”

What grace!

God could have judged him immediately.

Instead…

He warned him first.

My, my, my!

But what did the king do?

He ignored God.

Then twelve months later, he walked through Babylon looking at everything around him and proudly declared,

“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built… by MY power… and for MY majesty?”

Did you catch that?

My power.

My kingdom.

My majesty.

Not one word about God.

Not one ounce of gratitude.

Not one acknowledgment that everything he possessed was only possible because God allowed it.

Whewwww!

This man had become self-righteous…

Self-serving…

And self-obsessed.

That’s a dangerous place to be.

Here’s something the Lord impressed upon my heart while studying this passage:

When people start taking God’s credit… they start losing things.

Whew!!

That could have been today’s title!

God may use us to build something wonderful.

He may bless us with influence, success, wisdom, finances, ministry, or favor.

But the glory always belongs to Him.

Never us.

Three Checkpoints to Guard Against “Nebuchadnezzar Syndrome”

1. Who gets the credit?

When something good happens, is your first response,

“Look what I did!”

Or,

“To God be the glory!”

2. How do you respond to correction?

Do you become defensive and offended…

Or do you humbly stop and ask,

“Lord, is there something You’re trying to teach me?”

3. Are you dependent on God… or only on yourself?

Do you pray before making major decisions?

Do you seek God’s direction?

Or do you only ask Him for help after your own plans fall apart?

Whewwww!

Take a moment today and examine your own heart.

Pride doesn’t always announce itself loudly.

Sometimes it quietly whispers,

“You don’t need God for this.”

Don’t believe that lie.

Everything we have…

Everything we’ve accomplished…

Everything we’re becoming…

Is because of God’s grace.

Next week we’ll continue this story and look at what happened immediately after Nebuchadnezzar spoke those prideful words.

Trust me…

It’s a lesson none of us should ignore.

God bless you!

Reflection

Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:

Have I been giving God the glory… or have I slowly started taking credit for what only He could have made possible?

A humble heart will always make room for God.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for every blessing, opportunity, accomplishment, and victory You have allowed in my life. Forgive me for every time I have taken credit for what only You could have done. Guard my heart against pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency. Help me to remain humble no matter how much You bless me. Give me ears to hear Your warnings, a heart that welcomes correction, and a spirit that quickly obeys Your voice. Lord, I never want to become so full of myself that I leave no room for You. Remind me daily that apart from You I can do nothing. May my life always point people to You and not to me. Thank You for Your mercy, Your patience, and Your grace. I choose today to give You all the glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏼🕊️