We are nothing without God

Who are we but just mere handbreadths? Mere wildflowers that grow in the field. Here in the morning but by the evening, blown away by the wind, and its place remembers it no more. 

Yet, many of us never see or appreciate this fact. We can do nothing by our mere human strength. Rather, we need God holding our hands at every turn of our lives. 

We may never see or come to know it, but there are many instances in which we were headed for destruction if the hand of God had not been upon us. 

That is why we need to acknowledge God in all our ways as the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 and Hebrews 11:6. This means to accept that indeed, we are nothing without God and to live our lives in a manner that praises Him. 

In 2 Chronicles 6:4, after Solomon had finished building the temple and bringing in the ark of God, he acknowledged that he wouldn't have done all that if he didn't have God on his side. 

Solomon praises God for doing with His hand that which He had promised to David — his father and predecessor — with His mouth. It doesn't mean that God was among the workers who were laying brick upon brick during the construction of the temple. 

However, it means that God's power was at work throughout the construction of the palatial structure. As David says in Psalm 127:1, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. 

Solomon's attitude towards God is a complete contrast to that of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in Daniel 4:30. Having built a great empire, during which God allowed him to take the Israelites into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar became puffed with pride and glorified himself for all Babylon had achieved. 

He is standing on a balcony, admiring his kingdom, and thinking to himself: "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

What happens next is a lesson in humility for all of us. Nebuchadnezzar was banished to the wilderness, where he ate grass like an ox and crawled on all fours until he eventually looked up to heave and acknowledge God as the Most High.

Unfortunately, many people make the same mistake as Nebuchadnezzar and seek their own glory for the things achieved in their lives. Their spiritual sights are so blinded that they cannot see God's hand at work in their lives as Solomon did. 

These are the times we give ourselves fancy nicknames to describe our prowess in certain things. We find our hearts so fixated on the things of this world and not on the things above, where Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand. 

Pride is a snare and we should beware of it, lest God humbles us in the most unpleasant way.