‘All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.’ God gave him one year.
This happens when people seek the Lord and then leave off and conviction goes away. Nebuchadnezzar had been deeply disturbed by his dream, but up till now he had never truly humbled himself before God. The seeker can say things which indicate that the fear of God has gripped his heart, but the ground is still stony, or the thorns are still there and they grow up and overwhelm any conviction. It is very important that the one who is searching for God does not do so on a hit and miss basis, being very concerned one day, and almost forgetting about it the next. If we put our hand to the plough, and look back, we are not fit for the kingdom of God.