(Read Daniel 5:18-20)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. In Friday’s message we saw how Daniel was not moved by King Belshazzar’s offer. Daniel was not motivated by money, power or fame. Daniel knew he was blessed and his only motivation was doing the will of God. Daniel believed it was God’s will to give the king the answer, so he promised to do so. But before he did, Daniel took the opportunity to remind King Belshazzar what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar when he failed to remain humble before the Lord.
Daniel said to Belshazzar, “King, God Most High made your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar a very great and powerful king and gave him great wealth. People from many nations and language groups were very afraid of Nebuchadnezzar because God made him a very powerful king. Nebuchadnezzar killed whoever he wanted and let those who pleased him live. If he wanted to make people important, he made them important. If he wanted to bring them down, he brought them down. 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.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Lord can raise up leaders in the earth and give them great power and wealth.
a) Daniel pointed out the fact that it was the Lord who made King Nebuchadnezzar “very great and powerful”, and it was the Lord who “gave him great wealth”.
b) The Lord made Solomon a great king and the richest man in the world. The Lord said to him, “You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you.” (1 King 3:13).
c) The Lord made Abraham (aka Abram) rich. God called Abraham in Genesis 12. The opening verses of the very next chapter say, “Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold” (Gen 13:2).
2. The Lord expects those in authority to remain humble and to use their God-given power for His glory.
a) Daniel said, “People from many nations and language groups were very afraid of Nebuchadnezzar because God made him a very powerful king.”
b) God gave King Nebuchadnezzar power and wealth, so He is obviously not against either. What God is against is someone allowing power and wealth to change their character and demeanor.
c) If you are in authority and you remember the fact that you are also under authority, you will be just fine. God will continue to bless you as long as you remain humble.
3. The same God who gave you the power and wealth, can take it away if you fail to remain humble.
a) Daniel said, “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.”
b) The quickest way UP in God is DOWN and the quickest way DOWN in God is UP. What I mean is that if you remain humble (small in your own eyes), God will lift you up. But if you lift yourself up and you allow the little-bit of power you have to get your head, God will strip you of your power and you will experience a great fall.
c) If you ever get to the point where you forget the God who gave you the success, you will wake up one morning having been stripped of it.
d) There’s no success like Godly success. But that success comes with a price. God has never required any less than ALL of you.
e) Godly success is not a matter of more trying, it is a matter of more dying. Die to self and enjoy the life God birthed you to live.
f) Just like there’s no success like Godly success, there’s no correction like Godly correction. You don’t want to be humbled by God.
g) Never abuse the blessing God has given you by His unearned grace. Whatever you abuse you will lose!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. Your grace is unearned, unmerited and mostly undeserved. You have been far better to me than I have been to You. You bless me continually and You freely give me all things richly to enjoy. I love You with my whole heart and even my love is an example of Your grace. I could not even love You without You first loving me. Anything I have and anything I do, is all by Your grace. I am nothing without You. I will never allow myself to entertain pride. I won’t even toy with thoughts of self-greatness. Any good in me is because of You. I will never lift myself up. I will never take credit for what You have done in my life. I will never position myself to be stripped of Your blessing or favor. I know myself too well to ever get full of pride. I know how flawed I am. I know how many mistakes I have made. I know — like no one else on the planet knows — how unworthy I am of Your hand upon my life. So I humble myself before You daily. I die to self. I minimize me. I give myself over to You and You freely use me by Your grace. You make holy garments from flawed material. You make champions out of cowards, winners out of weaklings, warriors out of wimps, and overcomers out of those who had been overlooked. You have made me a success — by Your grace and for Your glory — and I will never forget it! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
