"I" Disease

“LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath” (Psalm 39:4-5).

King Nebuchadnezzar was ruler of the known world in his day. The Babylonian monarch commanded an army that was feared far and wide. Few dared to stand in His way and those who did suffered the consequences. Nebuchadnezzar had reached the pinnacle of success. But, after a while, the king experienced a crippling disease. He developed “I” problems. Symptoms began to show up one day as he was walking on the roof of his magnificent palace. Oddly enough, his “I” problem revealed itself through his mouth: “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).

God spends the rest of Daniel 4 implementing an aggressive treatment regimen designed to cure Nebuchadnezzar’s problematic “I” sight, including a long period of isolation and large doses of humility. Thankfully, the prescription worked! By the time the treatment ended, the king was able to clearly see his own insignificance in comparison to the True Ruler of the universe. The cure is reflected in the patient’s own words: “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).

I, too, have my own “I” problems. If I am not careful, my own ambitions, my own attainments, and my own possessions can block my vision of God. When that happens, I, like Nebuchadnezzar, also need to be reminded of a simple fact – that in comparison to God, “…every man at his best is a mere breath.”

God loves you!
Mike