ODJ: memento mori
September 3, 2011
The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against Me (v.2).
READ: Isaiah 1:1-28
Memento mori, a Latin phrase, is translated, “Remember you are mortal.” Historians believe the phrase was used in Rome when Julius Caesar returned after many years of fighting abroad. As the cavalcades of victory and the general himself paraded through the streets, a slave was behind Caesar repeating the words “Memento mori.” These words were a reminder to Caesar that his lofty highness could be brought to lowness at any moment.
Perhaps King Nebuchadnezzar should have had someone behind him, calling out those words: “Memento mori.” King Nebuchadnezzar had become great and influential, but he failed to acknowledge that all of his power was derived from God—the One who truly possesses all power. God reminded the king, however, that he was only human. He caused him to have a dream that gave him great anxiety and terror. Because the king couldn’t understand the dream, he summoned all the wise men of Babylon to see if they could interpret his strange vision. They couldn’t, so Daniel, who served the Lord, told him the meaning. God would humble the proud king until he acknowledged that only God was sovereign over all kingdoms. He advised the king to renounce his pride.
Then, a year later—while Nebuchadnezzar was basking and boasting in his own majesty—God humbled him with a form of insanity. It was only when the king acknowledged and praised God as the Sovereign Lord that his sanity and humanity were restored.
When we feel powerful, may we hear the Spirit whisper to us “Memento mori.” Let’s lift our eyes to heaven, praising, honoring, and glorifying the Most High as the One who lives forever. For We are most human when we boast in the sovereign God. —Marvin Williams
When has God reminded you that you are mortal and He is the Sovereign One? Think about God—who He is and what He has done. What praise will you bring Him today?
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