My Fickle and Foolish Heart

Scotty Smith:  A Prayer for Savoring and Celebrating Jesus’ Kingship

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to 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; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” Dan. 4:34-35

Lord Jesus, I need to “bookmark” this passage and return to it very often, for it doesn’t just tell the conversion story of a pagan King; it’s the ongoing story of my fickle and foolish heart. We’re never more sane than when we raise our eyes toward heaven and set our hearts on things above—where you are seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-2). Navel gazing, circumstance-watching, daily-news-fixating never serve us well.

King Jesus, help us to understand the glorious implications of your present and invincible enthronement. Your dominion is the only eternal dominion and your kingdom is the only unshakeable kingdom. November elections and political insurrections; the world economy and temperature instability; earthquakes and terrorist attacks; nuclear buildups and cultural breakdowns don’t affect your reign one micro-bit for one nanosecond.

For your kingdom endures from generation to generation. There never has been, nor will there ever be, any nervous sweat, furrowed brows, or anxious pacing in heaven. There will never be not one moment of consternation or vexation in the corridors of paradise; no need for a plan B to emerge from the “big boardroom in the sky.”

You do as you please with the powers of heaven and the peoples of earth. I praise you for marshalling the powers of heaven for the salvation of ill-deserving rebels like me and the ultimate transformation of the entire cosmos. Though many tried to hold back your hand and many said, “What are you doing?” nevertheless, through the sacrifice of your life and the “foolishness” of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18), you demonstrated the reach of your sovereignty and the riches of your grace.

The only King who could say, “Behold the world I have made,” is the only King who would say, “Behold the people for whom I die.” King Jesus, the greatest sanity is gospel sanity. Keep us sane… keep us gospel sane. We choose to lift our eyes to heaven today and fix our gaze on you—the author and perfecter of our faith, and we cry with unfettered, unabated joy, “Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a salvation!” Your kingdom has come, your kingdom is coming! So very Amen we pray, in your name and for your glory.