But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live like an animal among the plants of the fields. – Daniel 4:15
The stump in this dream typified King Nebuchadnezzar. His pride had brought him to the point of his becoming obnoxious to God. Indeed, he ruled the entire known world and lived in the most magnificent city in the world. His construction of the hanging gardens of Babylon is still considered one of the eight wonders of the world. However, the time came when God had to humble him.
Nebuchadnezzar may have been king, but God is “Chairman” of the “Ways and Means Committee”! He is in charge, and “he is able to humble those who are proud” (Daniel 4:37). God removed Nebuchadnezzar’s intellect and made him eat grass like a cow for seven years. In His mercy, however, He did not totally destroy him, but left him as a stump, restoring everything to him the moment the trial was over.
You may feel like you have lost everything, but in fact, your stump is still intact. God may have disciplined you, but He still loves you. And when God restores you, it will be with “even greater honor than before” (v. 36).
Cheer up, all you “stumps.” The best is yet to be!
