The Prince

The Prince

“Now no one in Israel was as handsome as Absalom. From head to foot, he was the perfect specimen of a man.”

I Samuel 14: 25

Prince Absalom brushed his luscious locks of wavy thick hair and arrayed himself in his royal clothing. He then hailed his royal chariot and the fifty men that ran before him and made his way to the city gate.

He was so cool! He was so grand. He was everyone’s dream boy. And the people swooned when in his presence.

“Oh, Absalom Absalom, what a guy…what a man...what a prince! Ooh Ah, Ooh Ah!”
All day long they would pass his way and if they had a question or a problem Absalom was there to give an answer—one they wanted to hear.  

“It’s not right. I ought to be king. Everyone loves me! Father has really made a

mess of things in Israel. Besides I’m young, Father is getting old, and… I look…

                                                             like a king.”

So the battle lines were drawn and a prideful son took up arms again his own father.

But look how Absalom met his end.

 Absalom rode speedily on his mule through the thick forest from his enemy.

Suddenly he ran under a thickly boughed oak tree and the rest of the story

                         is unreal!

“He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was too heavy"

  

“My hair! It’s caught in the tree. What to do? Help! Come back, mule,

I’m hanging by my hair!”

But he had already been spied by the enemy and three swiftly thrown darts pierced his heart. It was over! Absalom, the pompous, physically perfect prince—was dead. The king was a father—deeply grieved.

Great people give glory to God, not themselves. Absalom is remembered for his pride. 
Greatness? This is not the way!

Dear Lord, Search me and see if there is any wicked way in me. Thank you and change my heart. I want to be great…for You!

The Beast - Great People Give God Glory

The Beast

“and boasted, ’Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!’"

Daniel 4:30 (MSG)

A once mighty monarch sat in the wilderness. He had long since gone wildly insane and become like a beast in the field.

As he ate the tender grass alongside the oxen, tears streaked his once regal face and he shrieked, “Oh my God, what have you done to me?

Look at my hands, Lord. My nails are like birds’ claws. My hair

has grown like eagles’ feathers. I loathe this grass and the dew wets my body each day.”

Cries pounded his broken soul. “I have become a beast. My kingdom is stripped away just as Daniel said. I paraded through my palace… was in awe of my grandeur. I…was the great

Nebuchadnezzar!

My pride has repulsed you. Now I am judged. Is there yet hope for me, God? Will you hear my plea, see my heart?  I have sinned against you. You…are God. Only you…are to be worshiped.”

And the great king fell on his face before God while sobs wracked his body. What happened next is not a fairy tale but the Word of the living unchangeable God!

“And I, Nebuchadnezzar, the once mighty king of Babylon had my mind restored

and my hands became once more virile and strong. My hair was transformed and glistened in the sun. And I rose up and worshiped the one true King and my kingdom was returned to me.”

Today you will find King Nebuchadnezzar somewhere around the throne of God

He will be worshiping the King whose kingdom has no end!

Dear Lord, I bow my knee to you. Use me for Your glory. I surrender. Thank you!

The Egotist - Great People Give God Glory

The Egotist

“First pride, then the crash - the bigger the ego, the harder the fall”

Proverbs 16:18 (MSG)

Young David looked into the mocking eyes of the giant who stood a whopping 9’7” tall.

God had already helped him kill a lion and a bear that went after his father’s sheep. God would do it again. 

Goliath sneered, “You’re dead meat, a joke, an insult to me! I’m gonna to feed your flesh to the buzzards. You’ll be toast today.”

David shot back unafraid, “It is the God of the Armies of Heaven that you spit upon today. He will hand you over to me and I will cut off your head.”

And—David did!

Another true story

David Wilkerson was a skinny teen. As a young boy his family moved quite often. He hated this. He could always count on a new bully.

When he set foot on the next campus his peers told him to get ready. He was going to be approached by Billy, the campus bully. Everyone took note of Billy. He was BIG!

David prayed, “Help, Lord!” A scripture flashed through David’s mind.

“It’s not by power, not by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord,”

Zechariah 4:6

The dreaded day came. As David walked home from school he saw Billy on the opposite sidewalk—Billy crossed over.

“Look at you, you skinny kid. I’m gonna knock your brains out.”

Under his breath, David began to whisper, “It’s not by might, not by power, but by My Spirt…not by might, not by power, but by my spirit…”

And as he circled Billy, David felt courage rising. He just kept circling with raised fists and whispering the verse! Nothing—ever happened. Billy walked away—mystified by David’s courage, confidence, and his fearlessness!

The next day, Billy hailed David a hero, a tough guy.

If you want to be a champion, turn to God, and give Him glory.

And a sure fire way to loose, refuse to trust in God—be an egotist.