God's Field

“The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.” Daniel 2:37

“Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit…But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.” Daniel 4: 14

King Nebuchadnezzar had quite the cushy life as he ruled over Babylon at the point in time when there was no other kingdom like his. It was in a class of its own and was world renowned for its grandeur and opulence. As we learned earlier he took complete credit, glory and power for this dynasty. Daniel points out to the king that God seeded, planted, watered and grew this kingdom into what it was and that God alone determined what He placed under the king’s rule. His dream warned him that God had grown the kingdom and placed it under the king apart from anything the king had accomplished. The prophesy was that he would be cut down and stripped of everything for a period of time. The stump would remain and be bound with a secure foundation in the ground represented by bronze and iron.

When we fail to recognize all the things of the world for which God has placed under our rule we too tend to build up ourselves as we tower in our lives. Nothing we have received was accomplished apart from God’s planting and growing. He places under our rule what He determines we can handle carefully growing us up at His pace. When we move ahead of God we place ourselves over people and things developing an attitude of judgment and self-promotion. God will not allow the trees of His field to take on their own prideful personalities but rather take on the spiritual likeness of the One and only who towers and rules over all kingdoms.

If God determines that He must cut us back in order to grow us up He will not leave nor forsake us. He will place around us a band of protection of “iron and bronze” so we may stay rooted and healthy in Him as He produces new growth, new fruit and new scatterings of revelations in our lives.

The smaller we become in our own fields the greater we will tower in God’s field.