Psalm 98:1-9; Daniel 4:28-37; I John 4:7-21; Psalm 66:1-20
God can drive us to places we don't want to go. As Christians, we are taught to expect that - to follow Christ into difficult places when we commit to serve Him.
But God can drive us to other places, where we have no use. Indeed, King Nebuchadnezzar found himself toppled from his throne and driven into the wilderness, just like Daniel told him would happen. God drove him from power and privilege to danger and darkness, to grovel and scrap for survival with wild animals. Of use to no one, powerless for a time.
The evil spirit that possessed the man in Luke's gospel, who manifested itself in him as many, was driven out of him by a few words from Jesus. They too became powerless over the man, driven to oblivion.
John reminds us that God can drive out anything that blocks love from the world - including our selfish ambition, pride, fear. All God wants to dwell in us is love - for God and for others. As the King learned, [God] is able to bring low those who walk in pride. (Daniel 4:37). As God drives out sin and evil from our lives, through Christ, God brings us low. But God does not leave us there.
The King was restored to his throne with humility - now claiming the One true God: 34When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me. I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored the one who lives forever. For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
Pride was driven out and replaced by the fear of the Lord. Fear, reverence, honor - the recognition that God is God, not us. God has all the power, not the unclean spirits of this world, that tempt us to think we are god, that we can go it alone, that we have it all together, that our needs matter more than justice and peace. God drives us to our knees, God drives us to consider the wasteland of our lives, God drives us to the brink, but God never leaves us there, to fear. For God sent Jesus into the wilderness to drive us home to God, and to dwell with us in love, by love, for love, forever.
13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. (I John 4:13-16).
The wilderness can be a place where purpose and perspective is shaped. And everything else is driven out. So be it to the glory of God.
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