A protected stump...

You heard me right, a stump! :) I’m in a Bible Study on the book of Daniel, and I just finished watching the fourth session (which corresponds with the fourth chapter in Daniel). Oh my gosh! I just have to share. This was such a moving section on how God works in our lives. I was humbled by what I heard… brought to my knees in thanks for the ways in which He protects us when we believe we’ve been abandoned!

Just a brief background: King Nebuchadnezzar is king over Babylon, who has grown to be a strong ruler, but believes he deserves the honor and glory. He has a dream about a tree that bears much fruit that extends up the sky, animals find shelter underneath it and many eat the food it provides. In his dream, the tree is cut back to a stump, stripped of its beautiful leaves and abundant fruit. Animals flee and nothing finds shelter from it. ‘But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.’ (v15) Daniel interprets the dream and tells King Nebuchadnezzar that he is that tree, and that if he renounces his sin and does what is right, he may avoid being the tree and his prosperity will continue. Needless to say, Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t renounce his sin and he indeed becomes the stump.

Okay… here is the amazing part! Often times God has to cut us down to stump… We need to be cut back to almost nothing in order to see that God is sovereign. There is something even more beautiful in this though… did you catch the words of the verse I threw in? The stump’s roots, which were bound with iron and bronze, remained in the ground. Those roots were protected!! Beth Moore’s description was that God protects us during that time, and that nothing else can harm HIS child! Even though it feels like we’re walking through those very dark and desolate times alone, He is still with us. God will only allow us to be stripped back so far; far enough to really open our eyes to what He needs to us to see, renounce our sin, and declare that He is sovereign and most high.

At the end of that period (likely 7 years), King Nebuchadnezzar renounces his sin and realizes that the Most High is sovereign, and he praises Him. My prayer is that each of you come out of your times with the same conclusion. Pride is such an ugly thing, and often times we don't realize that we're packing it around. Have enough blessings bestowed upon you, work hard enough, and sooner or later you begin thinking like you've got it all under control. ‘…And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.’ (Daniel 4:37) Don’t let pride stand between you and God… HE WILL HUMBLE YOU! (If you’ve been humbled before, you know that you don’t want to be humbled that way again!) Remember that He'll not only humble you, but He'll bind your roots with iron and bronze and protect you during those times. Get on your knees... remember the One who has blessed you with all that you have. It's ALL because of Him my sweet friends... all of it. :)

I love you!