When Power Turns Quiet, Finding Rest Beneath the King of Kings
Babylon looked big from the balcony; the Lord’s greatness fills the horizon.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace, Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Nebuchadnezzar’s story reads like a mirror for the moments we take credit that belongs to God. The Babylonian king admired the city he ruled, then claimed the glory as his own. In a heartbeat the Lord answered, not to crush a man for sport, but to rescue a heart that had forgotten where breath, life, and kingdoms come from. Bob Hoekstra’s reflection points us back to the kindness of God that brings the proud low and lifts the lowly near.
Pride looks ordinary at first. It sounds like I did this by my power, and for my honor. The Scriptures answer with a better song. All things are from the Lord, through the Lord, and to the Lord. David said it plainly in the assembly, Yours is the greatness, and the power, and the glory. When that truth lands, the shoulders relax, the jaw unclenches, and the soul remembers that Jesus is the center, not me.
Humility is not pretending we are small. It is remembering that Jesus is immeasurably great, then gladly receiving our place in His life. In Him, we are not erased. We are made new. He lives in us by His Spirit, and His presence turns ambition into worship, and anxiety into quiet trust. We remain active, yet we are no longer the source. We offer our bodies to God as living, willing instruments, and He expresses His life through us in ordinary moments.
I am grateful for Hoekstra’s gentle clarity. Nebuchadnezzar is a warning, and also a door. When I own what is not mine, I strain under a weight I cannot carry. When I remember that the Lord is the giver, I can breathe again, I can rejoice again, and I can rest. The Most High rules, and that is very good news.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I dwell in the high and holy place, and I am near to the humble and contrite. I give grace to the lowly. I oppose the proud, not to discard them, but to invite them into life. I set down kings, and I lift up the bowed. I am the Lord who rules over the nations, and I am the Lord who comes close to your heart.
Let the mind of Jesus be in you. He did not grasp at status. He took the form of a servant. In Him you are made new. You have been crucified with Jesus, and you now live by My life within you. Apart from Me you can do nothing. United to Me you bear much fruit. I am the vine of your life, the source of your love, your patience, your quiet courage.
Do not measure yourself by your achievements, or your influence, or your applause. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. I delight in those who look to Me, who tremble at My word, who rejoice that mercy has the final say. I give strength as grace, wisdom as grace, and peace as grace. Receive what I supply. Walk softly with Me.
When praise comes, return it to Me. When success arrives, lay it at My feet. When plans unravel, remember that I rule and I am good. Humble yourself under My mighty hand. In due time I lift you up. Cast every care upon Me, because I care for you. Your life is secure, because your life is hidden with Jesus in Me. Rest there. Move from there. Give thanks there.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of your phone’s camera on a busy day. The lens picks up fingerprints. You frame a beautiful scene, then tap the image and see smears. A soft cloth clears the glass, and suddenly the colors sharpen and the edges return. Pride is like a greasy film across the lens of the heart. It blurs reality and convinces us that everything good begins with us. Humility is the gentle wipe that restores the view. Nothing in the scene changed. You just see clearly again.
Today, when a win or a compliment lands, pause for a heartbeat and turn the lens. Instead of taking the bow, quietly say, Lord, I trust You to express Your life through me in this moment, so let my words and thoughts return the honor to You. For a concrete choice, send a quick thank you note to the teammate who made your success possible, or take a quiet moment at your desk and acknowledge to Jesus that every good gift, including this one, came from His hand. Let Him enjoy the spotlight, and enjoy the freedom that follows.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I already have all I need for life and godliness. Thank You for joining me to Your Son, and for placing Your Spirit within me as the true source of my living. I agree with You that every good gift is from You. I gladly return the honor to You for anything entrusted to me today. I receive Your grace for humble steps, and I rejoice that You lift up the lowly. Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Daniel 4.28 to 37, Psalm 138.6, Isaiah 57.15, Isaiah 66.2, James 4.6 to 10, 1 Peter 5.5 to 7, Philippians 2.5 to 11, John 15.5, Galatians 2.20, Romans 6.6 to 11, Colossians 3.1 to 4, 1 Corinthians 1.26 to 31, Jeremiah 9.23 to 24, Romans 11.36, Luke 18.9 to 14, Psalm 51.17, Proverbs 16.18, 1 Chronicles 29.11 to 13, Acts 12.21 to 23