Psalm 44:3 ‘For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.’

DAILY READING John 14:15-31; 2 Chronicles 21:2-22:12; Psalm 79

The ruins of Babylon, also known as Babel, date back over 3,000 years.
After becoming president of Iraq in 1979, Saddam Hussein conceived a grandiose scheme to rebuild the ruins of that ancient city. He promised that Babylon’s grand palaces and legendary Hanging Gardens which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, would rise from the dust. At that time, Iraq had vast oil wealth which enabled Saddam Hussein to invest more than $500 million toward his goal of restoring Babylon.
He believed himself to be the reincarnation of King Nebuchadnezzar II and was consumed with reviving the glory days of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.
On September 22, 1987, Saddam inaugurated an annual musical event known as the Babylon Festival. At this festival, lasers would light up the sky with images of portraits of President Saddam and the ancient king Nebuchadnezzar.
Just as Nebuchadnezzar had done, Saddam focused the project of rebuilding Babylon on bringing glory to himself and his rule. On the walls were enshrined his pictures and decorated with his initials in traditional Arabic calligraphy. On the bricks were inscribed writings celebrating him and his accomplishments.
However, Saddam’s extravagant plans were interrupted by the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Saddam’s consequent fall from power.
Despite the millions of dollars fuelled into it, few years after Saddam’s fall, his palatial project became a ghostly shell. The expensive building had been looted and broken glass and graffiti were scattered through the once-grand palace halls. Saddam’s ambition to rebuild Babylon and glorify himself all came to an end with his demise.

Saddam had seemed determined to echo Nebuchadnezzar’s bold proclamation: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).
After Nebuchadnezzar made those statements and claimed the glory for building Babyon by his own might, God sent him into the forest to live as an animal for seven years until he learnt humility and acknowledged God’s sovereignty.

Luke 12 gives another example of a person God dealt with for refusing to acknowledge His sovereignty.
Luke 12:16 talks about a certain rich man whose ground yielded an abundant harvest. This man believed he had amassed the abundance by his own power and made plans to continue enjoying his wealth till his old age.
But God said to him “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?”.
The Bible called him a fool, because the fool says in his heart that there is no God and fails to acknowledge His help.(Psalm 53:1).
We must understand that our achievement does not lie in our strength, hard work, or mental smartness. God is the Doer of every good thing in our lives. It is only because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. It is only by His grace that we exist. It is by His favor that we make progress in life.
Psalm 44:3 says ‘For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.’

The favor of God is the unseen hand that pushes us forward in life. It is only pride that makes a man to trust in himself and depend on his own abilities.
It is indeed dangerous for anyone to think they can make it in life without God, because by strength shall no man prevail.
James 4:6 says: …God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
When God resists a man it means he will lack grace in his endeavors and surely end in disgrace.
Let us therefore continually celebrate God’s hand in all our affairs. Everything we are we owe to God; everything we have comes from Him.
We are in a season where God is set to arise and favor Zion. Acknowledging God at every turn and blessing Him at all times is what will connect us to His divine favor.
Therefore, for every little progress we see in our lives, all the glory must go to God.
Certainly, the more we praise God, the more He will raise us. The more we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, the more He will exalt us to great and unimaginable heights.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to always bless and praise You in every situation. I know You are always faithful and I thank You for Your goodness, mercy and favor that continues to prevail over my life in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE;
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222.