Living in the Spirit

November 10, 2021

Scripture Reading: Daniel 12:1-3 and Psalm 16

‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. –Daniel 12:1-3

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
   I have no good apart from you.’

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
   in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
   their drink-offerings of blood I will not pour out
   or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

The lectionary listed two scriptures noted above for today, and I thought about using Psalm 16. It is joyous. The above snippet from Daniel is just a tease about the whole book chosen, most likely because it foretells the coming of a savior.

The morning news often grabs my attention and shifts my thinking in a different direction. Actually, I read this story the first time yesterday. A man in a small Nashville church sitting on the front row rose, turned toward the other congregates, and pointed a gun at them. The Pastor, out of the man’s sight, slipped behind him, wrapping his arms around him, taking the man and the weapon to the floor. Others quickly helped restrain him, and the police soon removed him. No one was hurt. Hopefully, the man who needed mental health services got it. News reports indicated that the congregation credited the Pastor with saving their lives. However, he explained their lives were in God’s hands the whole time.

While I do not enjoy trying to identify all the hidden meanings in Daniel and other apocryphal writings, I do appreciate their message that our lives are in God’s hands all the time. It is to our great benefit to rejoice and be glad in that fact.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for guiding us as we serve you. Open our ears to hear your advice and give us the courage to follow it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.