“And those who walk in pride He is able to abase.”

Daniel 4:37

In today’s devotional reading we understand that our focus should be on the Giver of all gifts, may we consider God’s position in this equation even further. The fact that He is the One who gives us the gifts that we are so reluctant to accept, implies His ownership of them. Only the rightful owner of anything may decide to give it away. “For all the animals of the forest are Mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is Mine, and everything in it” (Psalms 50:10-13, NLT).

In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar learns this lesson the hard way. Within a short period of 12 months, he moved from admiring his kingdom from the balcony to living in the fields and eating grass like a cow. Measuring himself by the great gifts bestowed on him, ended in meeting their rightful owner face to face. “You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone He chooses” (Daniel 4:32, NLT). 

How careful we ought to be, not to do anything which may provoke God to put us out of our senses! God resists the proud.

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Nebuchadnezzar would be more than a man, but God justly makes him less than a man. We may learn to believe concerning God, that the most high God lives forever, and that his kingdom is like himself, everlasting, and universal. His power cannot be resisted. When men are brought to honor God, by confession of sin and acknowledging his sovereignty, then, and not till then, they may expect that God will honor them; not only restore them to the dignity they lost by the sin of the first Adam, but add excellent majesty to them, from the righteousness and grace of the Second Adam. Bible Hub

It is God’s privilege to give whatever He owns to whomever He chooses. Who are we to question God about the gifts that He decides to give us? It is his property to do with as He pleases. Whether the gifts seem too generous or too little, we become stewards when we receive them. Let us honor the wishes of the rightful Owner of everything we receive. Let us trust in God who knows best what to give His children.

Thus, the Lord knows how to abase those that walk-in pride, but gives grace and consolation to the humble, broken-hearted sinner who calls upon Him.

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