God always responds in love to a humble heart, and He always rejects a proud one. One moment King Nebuchadnezzar was boasting about having built the world’s most advanced civilisation. The next moment he’d lost his mind and was crawling on all fours, eating grass like an animal. But when he repented, God restored him to his throne. He said: ‘I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me… Now I…praise…the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down’ (vv. 34, 37 NKJV).
To fall is bad enough; but to fall and not cry out for help, or refuse to repent of your sin, is worse than the fall itself. Maybe you’re ashamed to let anyone know you’ve fallen. Is your public image so important that you’re willing to continue on in your pitiful state? Are you so deceived that you refuse to acknowledge you need God? Stop being so proud! Isn’t that what caused you to fall in the first place? Pride is dangerous because it forces you to languish needlessly in a helpless state for days – sometimes years. The truth is, if you’d asked for help sooner you could have gotten up and gone on with your life. But the good news is – it’s not too late to repent and acknowledge your need of God. When Nebuchadnezzar did that, his reason and understanding returned, and he was restored to his kingdom. And the same can happen for you.
2 Sam 9-11, John 18:19-40
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