How Do You See God?

I have been preaching a series of messages out of the Book of Daniel for the past couple of months. One thing has been speaking to me lately out of these messages is, how do we see God? Let me try to explain...

If you read the first 4 chapters of the Book of Daniel, you will find one King Nebuchadnezzar who sits on the throne as the most powerful man on the face of the earth during that time period. God allowed him to be in this position, even though he was a pagan, Gentile king. We find Neb taking credit for everything that goes on in the kingdom. My but he is very full of himself. On several occasions we find where through Daniel or his three companions, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, that the king gives God glory but only for a short time period and then he forgets Him again.

Finally when chapter 4 rolls around, we read some of the most God honoring and exalting words ever written about the God of Heaven and they came from the lips of King Nebuchadnezzar.

"How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation." - Daniel 4:3

Wow, how come the big change? Well, it turns out that God had to force Nebuchadnezzar to suffer by having him banished into the field to eat grass like an animal for 7-years. It wasn't until the 7-years were over that Nebuchadnezzar finally dropped his self-centeredness and looked up to Heaven and gave honor to God.

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:" - Daniel 4:34

You see, it wasn't until he had saw God for who He really was that he honored him.

I can't help but wonder how many trials and tribulations we go through all because we refuse to see God for who He really is? Do we see him high, holy, exalted, and lifted up? We should. You see, God is sovereign. Nothing happens without going through him. Somehow we believe that we have done something or that we have made something great out of something. Friends, without God, we are absolutely nothing. Until we realize that and give God the honor and glory he deserves, we will be just like King Nebuchadnezzar, self-centered, self-righteous, self-exalting jerks. What is it going to take? Must we be reduced to being nothing more than an animal before we wake up? I sure hope not.

Friend, I ask you today, do you know God? Do you know his son Jesus Christ who was sent here on earth to die for your sins? If not, I wish you would get to know him. You can start by finding a Bible and start in the Book of John and read it through. If you will read and meditate and think about the Scriptures as you read them, God will reveal himself to you. I'd like to pray for you too. Would you send me an email and let me know what's going on in your life? You can contact me through the church website: www.hbcknox.org. Just click on the "About" tab and find my email and phone number. I'd love to talk to you.