Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:12-19

DAILY LECTIONARY

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:12-19


Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

My Beloved, we cannot, we dare not use holy, sacred things for unholy purposes.  We cannot mock God and hope it will go unobserved.  God will not overlook acts  done deliberately to profane what is consecrated and set aside for use in worship and for His glory.

King Belshazzar had heard that Daniel was a man of wisdom and could interpret dreams but he had no use for him.  We are the same, we too have been given all we need for our sanctification and spiritual growth but we ignore them, preferring to live life on our terms.  It was only when the king was shaken out of his drunken stupor by the vision they had all seen and after trying every other remedy which failed him; did he turn in terror to ask for Daniel the man of God whom he finally remembered. 

We too forget that God is always with us and we only turn to Him when we experience distress and difficulty and we realize that everything we once counted on has no power to help us.  The king thought he could tempt Daniel with promises of honor and wealth in exchange for his help but Daniel refused knowing that it was God who had blessed him with the gifts of wisdom and the ability to interpret dreams and visions.  

We too often think we can bribe God in exchange for the favors we ask of Him but God's gifts are not for sale.  We must guard against profaning the sacred, worshipping creatures instead of  the Creator and worshiping the gifts rather than the Giver.  In God alone must our soul make its boast.
 
Daniel 3:62-67

Everything in nature points to the Creator and all creation gives praise to God alone from whom we receive every good and perfect gift.  It is He who controls nature and all its elements.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord who holds all things in perfect balance and orders all things well and for the good of all.

Luke 21:12-19

My Beloved, persecution has almost always been the lot of Your followers.  You have said clearly that if they persecuted You then we can expect to be persecuted too.  You suffered rejection, hostility, hatred, calumny, unimaginable suffering and ultimately death.  Your accusers knew You were innocent.  We can expect no less as Your followers but You assure us that we need not be afraid.  We can remain in perfect peace confident in the knowledge that You will give us strength and wisdom through Your Holy Spirit and in the end, even though we may have to lay down our lives in imitation of You, we will take it up again and live in glory with You eternally in heaven.

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