Call to Worship
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth (Ps 124:8)
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Meditate on the Lord’s control/sovereignty.
Confession
The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice (Ps 50:1–6)
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer)
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isa 1:18).
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:5–6).
Thanksgiving
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:24–25).
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Dan 4:34–35).
Reflection
We like to be in control. In fact, we might say we expect and demand to be in control. Americans, in particular, have a difficult time with the idea of God’s sovereignty. After all, sovereignty refers to kings, and the American relationship to kings didn’t last long. Our culture is obsessed with the idea of being in control, so we exercise our own independence and perceived sovereignty virtually every moment of our lives. But we aren’t actually in control, and we are not the center of the universe. Of course, we talk about God being sovereign, but I’m not sure we really accept it. We still want to be in control. We still want to do things our way.
Nebuchadnezzar learned this lesson in Daniel 4. He was a great king. He talks about his great achievements in v. 30. He made Babylon mighty. He was glorified and exalted. But the LORD humbles him by striking him with a disease. When he is restored, he offers a prayer to the real King.
Notice his sanity is restored only when he raises his eyes to God. Until we gaze at the glory of the living God, we live in insanity. We live delusional lives disconnected from reality. But when we look away from ourselves and look upon the true God, we are restored. When we realize that God is in control, we can place everything in his hands, knowing that he will care for us.
1. What characteristics of God does Nebuchadnezzar mention in his prayer?
2. How do earthly kings (or: presidents) and kingdoms (or: countries) compare to God and his kingdom?
3. Do your plans ever get hindered? Do God’s plans ever get hindered?
4. Why is God’s sovereignty a good thing? How is God’s sovereignty comforting to you? How does it apply to your anxiety or fears?
5. Meditate on question 27 of the Heidelberg Catechism:
Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?
A. God’s providence is his almighty and ever-present power, whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.
As you slowly pray the Lord’s Prayer, reflect on the comfort of God’s sovereignty as he gives us everything we need, most importantly, himself.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
*For a helpful guide to praying the Lord’s Prayer, download the resource here.