But Nebuchadnezzar became proud and stubborn, so his power was taken away from him. He was taken off his royal throne and stripped of his glory. Then Nebuchadnezzar was forced to go away from people. His mind became like the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox. He became wet with dew. These things happened to him until he learned his lesson. He learned that God Most High rules over human kingdoms, and he gives them to whoever he wants. – Daniel 4:20-21

The story of Nebuchadnezzar is a salutary tale, one of a number of dire warnings against pride to be found in the Bible. As we know, pride was the first sin, and it was the sin of Satan. 

Because we are human, we Christians are not exempt from the sin of pride, but we can also tie ourselves in knots in our anxiety not to be prideful. We can be embarrassed if we’re told we are wonderful or something we’ve done is wonderful. We don’t know how to react. Heaven forbid we should be proud, but in trying not to be, we can end up being awkward or graceless.

I found myself facing this dilemma when someone told me that a particular devotional was well written. On rereading it, I confess that I thought, yes, it’s not bad, and I even gave myself a little pat on the back. Immediately, an intense internal struggle began. Was I being vain? Was I getting too concerned with the style at the expense of the content? Was I keeping the glory for myself rather than giving it to God? I got myself in a right stew.

I shared my dilemma with the friend who had made the initial comment and he had a wonderful answer for me. We should treat compliments as if they are a beautiful bouquet of fragrant flowers. On the way to hand them to the Lord we can breathe in and enjoy their sweet perfume, knowing that the flowers belong to him. It is he who enabled us to do whatever it was we did. 

This was the principle employed by members of the British Royal Family, when greeting the crowds lining the streets after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Many people in the crowd carried flowers. As the younger Royals were given these bouquets, they in turn handed them to the equerry hovering nearby, who then placed them at the foot of the memorial to the late Queen. The flowers were for her, not for them, but as they took them, they graciously thanks each person who had given them. 

We can give thanks too, and then have the joy of passing on the beautiful bouquets to our King, who lives and reigns forever in glory.

Nebuchadnezzar came to the same realisation, when at the end of five years, his sanity returned. In Daniel 4:37 we read his testimony: 

“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.”

I’ll end with a passage from David’s prayer of praise to Almighty God, in 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”

With love in him,

Sarah

 

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