In the summer of 1961, my life was changed. I was in seminary, serving as a summer intern at a church in Northern California.

I was struggling with some of the more profound truths in the Word of God during those days—especially, the sovereignty of God.

Candidly, this doctrine frightened me.

Cynthia and I were uncertain about our future. Our marriage wasn’t as strong as it needed to be. And she was carrying our first child, causing both of us to feel somewhat anxious about being parents.

So that summer I dug into the book of Daniel and came upon a truth that changed my life.

In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, dreamt about a mighty tree being chopped down by an angel. None of his wise men could interpret it. So he consulted a Jewish prophet named Daniel. 

With divine courage to look Nebuchadnezzar in the eye, Daniel, like all true prophets, told him the truth, “The tree...is you, O king” (4:20–22 NASB). He explained the dream and visions and then challenged Nebuchadnezzar to do something about it.

You [will] be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place [will] be with the animals of the field, and you [will] be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. And...your kingdom will remain as yours after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. (4:25–26 NASB2020)

A chill still runs up my spine when I read these words in verse 25, “until you recognize,” and in verse 26, “after you recognize.”

Recognize. The NIV renders the Hebrew word as “until you acknowledge.” You can recognize something and not be involved in it. But you can’t really acknowledge something without involvement and acceptance.

Think about the word sovereignty. There’s a smaller word nestled in the heart of it, reign.

Nebuchadnezzar conducted his life as if he reigned over it. Daniel said, “God has given you this dream so you will know that the eternal God of heaven, your creator, not only made you and gives you breath but reigns over you.” A tough pill for Nebuchadnezzar to swallow.

God patiently allowed Nebuchadnezzar to let that truth wash around in his mind for a full year.

But the king concluded that Babylon was his, which he had built by the power of his might. As he mumbled these conclusions to himself on his rooftop, God interrupted from heaven saying, “Sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind” (4:31–32 NASB2020).

Nebuchadnezzar went insane. Totally removed from the realm of reason, this once-proud sovereign lived in the wilderness like a beast (4:33).

But the story isn’t over.

God returned Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity to him, which led him to bless the Most High in full acknowledgment of His Sovereignty (4:34–37).

I vividly recall that morning in Palo Alto when I circled six statements in Daniel 4. Verse 34: “His dominion” and “His kingdom.” Verse 35: “His will” and “His hand.” Verse 37: “His works” and “His ways.” Everything the king had experienced and everything that followed his insanity was orchestrated by God who “does according to His will.”

Staring at Daniel 4:34–37, I broke out in a sweat as I struggled with what I had read. Finally, I invited the Lord to take charge of my life, my marriage, and the birth of our firstborn. I surrendered my entire future to Him. And I finished the time on my knees weeping in wonder and relief. From then on, it would be “God, and God alone.”

I share this story not to sound dramatic or pious but because it transformed me. Good times and hard times. Happiness and hardship. Gain and loss. Promotion and demotion. Joy and sorrow. Ecstasy and tragedy. Confusion and clarity. His sovereignty covers it all. God, and God alone, is in full control.

That summer morning in 1961, I decided my entire life would be His dominion and His kingdom, not mine. It would be His will shaped by His hand, not mine. It would be His works and His ways, not mine, that I would spend the balance of my life proclaiming and promoting.

His way is always right. It doesn’t always make sense. It isn’t always pleasurable and fun. But it is always right.

Not until Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God’s sovereignty did true reasoning return to him. Not until we acknowledge God’s sovereignty will we be able to understand life according to God’s Word. 

Adapted by Insight for Living staff from Charles R. Swindoll, The Mystery of God's Will: What Does He Want for Me? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Kindle ed., 1999), 75–81. Copyright © 1999 by Charles R. Swindoll. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com