WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
TOPIC: DON’T TAKE CREDIT FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE (1)
BY T. O. BANSO
“Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 New American Bible).
In the Bible, God wanted to punish Judah and decided to use Assyria but she became arrogant attributing her exploits to her power and wisdom. She did not recognize that she was just a tool of punishment in God’s hands. “After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him—for he is proud and arrogant. He boasts, ‘By my own powerful arm I have done this. With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it. I have broken down the defenses of nations and carried off their treasures. I have knocked down their kings like a bull. I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest’” (Isaiah 10:12-14 New Living Translation).
God asked Assyria: “But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?” (Verse 15 New Living Translation). The axe on its own can’t cut. No saw can, on its own, fell a tree. No walking stick can walk by itself!
Assyria was like an axe, a saw, or a walking stick – a tool functioning because somebody is using it. Unfortunately, Assyria didn’t acknowledge that; she took credit for what God was doing through her. Therefore, God said He would punish Assyria for her arrogance, and He did. Don’t take credit for what has done or is doing for you or through you.
After King Hezekiah of Judah had prayed to God, He passed judgment on Assyria and her king. “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city,’ says the Lord. ‘For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake’” (Isaiah 37:33-35 New King James Version).
What followed was a tragedy. An angel of the Lord killed 185,000 soldiers in the camp of the Assyrians (Isaiah 37:36). This was the same Assyria whose king, Sennacherib, was threatening King Hezekiah and mocking his God. Sennacherib boasted that the gods of other nations he had defeated couldn’t deliver them and disdainfully sent word to Hezekiah: “Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, ‘Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria’” (Isaiah 37:10 New King James Version). Saying that God would or could deceive was blasphemous. It showed how arrogant Sennacherib was. He had no regard for God.
Following the mysterious death of 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian camp in one night, Sennacherib was devastated and fled; thereby, fulfilling God’s word that he wouldn’t enter Jerusalem. But that wasn’t the end of his trouble. At home in Nineveh, he was struck with the sword by his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch, his god, and they escaped into the land of Ararat (Isaiah 37:37-38). What a shameful end for a man who had boasted and acted as if he was unconquerable! It was a cheap death for a man who appeared unstoppable.
Whatever your success, always recognize that you’re a mere instrument in God’s hands. The beginning of the end for Sennacherib was his failure to acknowledge God in his success which moved him to engage in blasphemy. Don’t take credit for what God has done or is doing. Always give glory to Him.
Nebuchadnezzar’s pride
Nebuchadnezzar made the same mistake Assyria and her king made, and God punished him just as He had punished Assyria. “At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?’” (Daniel 4:29-30 New King James Version).
Nebuchadnezzar did not acknowledge God. He said he was the one who built great Babylon for a royal dwelling and the honour of his majesty. He said he built great Babylon by his mighty power. He didn’t make any mention of God. He had forgotten that God brought him to power.
Because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar was driven from the throne and men immediately; he ate grass like oxen. His body was wet with the dew until his hair had grown like an eagle’s feathers and his nails like a bird’s claws. He was in this condition for seven seasons (Daniel 4:31-33). Just imagine a king with hair all over his body like an eagle’s feathers and his nails like a bird’s claws! He was not a fascinating sight.
Some scientists have said Nebuchadnezzar was inflicted with a disease medical science calls lycanthropy, a mental disorder in which the patient believes that he is a wolf or some other nonhuman animal. Some others have equally said the disease was boanthropy, a rare psychological disorder in which the sufferer believes he is a cow or ox. Yet others have described his disease as Insania Zooanthropica, a rare mental illness that causes human beings to think of themselves as animals and act as such. They are similar. Whatever modern science may call Nebuchadnezzar’s illness, the Bible says following God’s judgment, he wasn’t a normal human being for seven years.
Nebuchadnezzar should have avoided the tragedy that befell him because Daniel, who earlier interpreted his (Nebuchadnezzar’s) dream to him, warned him (Daniel 4:24-27). God was patient with him for twelve months to repent but he didn’t then. Therefore, His judgment came. But after being in that negative condition for seven years, he obtained God’s mercy and was restored to his throne. Hearing Nebuchadnezzar speak later, one is not left in doubt that he had learnt his lesson. He preached a powerful sermon!
Those who take credit for what God has done or is doing, in particular, will be wise to read Nebuchadnezzar’s words: “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding 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 is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:34-37 New King James Version).
Like Nebuchadnezzar, many people today have lost their understanding of the supremacy and sovereignty of God. Your understanding must return to you that God is the one in control, not you. You must come to your senses not to take credit for what God has done or is doing in your life or through you. Always give glory to Him.
Paul said, “Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 New American Bible). Paul said he wasn’t qualified to take credit for anything. Are you? The Contemporary English Version says, “We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do.” God enabled or qualified Paul and the other apostles to be ministers of His new covenant. Therefore, they must never take credit for what had done, and they didn’t.
Don’t take credit for what God has done or is doing in your life or through you in other people’s lives. People may praise or honour you but always give glory to God. Don’t take the glory that is due to God. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1 New International Version). The Contemporary English Version says, “We don’t deserve praise! The Lord alone deserves all of the praise, because of his love and faithfulness.”
Don’t take credit for what God has done, is doing, or will do. I will conclude this topic in tomorrow’s devotional.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I thank You for all You have done for me. Forgive me for any way I have taken credit for what You have done. Holy Spirit, help me never to take credit again for whatever God has done, is doing, or will do for me or through me.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
