Contemplative Bible Reading

Daniel 4:27 (New Living Translation)

King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.

This is what Daniel told the man who was practically king of the world. The advice is:

1. stop sinning
2. do right
3. change from a wicked past
4. be merciful to the poor

How did #4 get in that list? The first three make sense. Change your life because you are going int he wrong direction.

#4? Mercy to the poor? How about reforming the government? How about improving commerce throughout the land?

Oh, and, how about letting the Jews who were captured, enslaved, and hauled into Babylon for 2 1/2 generations go free and go home. That would be a pretty good #4, huh?

No. Be merciful to the poor.

Me. Today. All four are pretty good advice to me every day. Well, I’m not an evil king who… No. I’m me, and all four are pretty good advice to me every day.

Daniel 3:29 (New Living Translation)

Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

Nebuchadnezzar, who was practically king of the world, is speaking. Note two things. First, he singles out the God of these Hebrews. That god is separate from all other gods. The Hebrews have only one god. He doesn’t say, “no one may speak against the gods of these three men.”

Second, Nebuchadnezzar proclaims that no other god can rescue like this. The God of the Hebrews, the Creator God, has power that no other god possesses.

The king of the world recognized the existence and power of God the almighty. And on what occasion? The execution of three Hebrews for insurrection. How did one event lead to the other? There is no possible way that…well, there we go.

There is no other god who can turn one event like this into a second event like that.

Ezra 8:21-22 (New Living Translation)

21 And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.”

Ezra and his group were about to begin a long, difficult, and dangerous journey. (When was the last time I took a dangerous journey? How about never.) Ezra could have requested and been granted a large military escort. He was embarrassed to do so. God would guide and protect them during their travels.

Was Ezra tempting God? Was Ezra speaking for God out of turn, assuming authority he didn’t possess? God’s hand of protection was on them.

Missionaries die. Evangelists die. They are intercepted, beaten, robbed, and killed. It happens and will continue to happen.

Still, Ezra was confident that on this occasion, on this journey, at this time, God would protect them. The group humbled itself and through itself on the mercy of God through prayer and fasting.

They could have all died on this trip. God, however, gave them safe passage. God, this time, used their perilous but safe journey as a message to others.

I wish I could predict when God would do these things. If I could, however, then I wouldn’t have any faith, i.e., I would be believing in only the things I see, not the unseen. Please God, help my in my unbelief.

Daniel 2:28 (New Living Translation)

But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

Daniel is speaking with the King, Nebuchadnezzar. The King had a troubling dream. He couldn’t remember it. It was known only to himself, i.e., it was a secret. Daniel plainly tells the King about God the Creator, the Lord Jehovah or YHWH. Jehovah reveals secrets.

There is nothing in creation that is secret from God. That is a sobering concept. It is so sobering that we all deny it often.

“No one knows about this but you and me, so…” How silly is that? God knows and God can reveal it to anyone He chooses at any time.

Got a secret? Sorry. I don’t, and the sooner I admit that to myself and act like I know it, the better. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Mark 14:29-31 (New Living Translation)

29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”

30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

31 “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.

Peter proudly proclaims, “I will never desert you! I will never deny you!”

We know how the (hi)story ends. Jesus knew how the (hi)story would end. It was all predictable and predicted.

Yet, Jesus let Peter rant on and proclaim himself on the path to failure. Why did Jesus do this? Why didn’t Jesus step in and tell Peter, “Stop talking now. Otherwise you will make a fool of yourself.”

God allows us to do these foolish things, to proclaim ourselves on the path to failure. I hope that I always learn in hindsight. I hope that one day I will recognize my foolishness before I open my mouth or put my fingers to the keyboard.

How many of the others present on this occasion thought what Peter was saying but kept their mouths shut. And, oh, by the way, Jesus knew their thoughts. Ooops.

Daniel 2:17-18 (New Living Translation)

17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.

The king had a troubling dream. One of those where you know you are upset, but you can’t remember what it was that upset you.

The king had a crew of smart people. It was there job to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant (a tough job). If the smart people failed, the king would kill them all and replace them. Who wanted to be a replacement?

Daniel and his three friends were among the smart people.

“We are all going to die. Let us pray together. Perhaps God will help us to do something that will show God to these people through us.”

Hmm, sounds like something I should pray everyday. The Lord willing, I am going to die. Perhaps God will help me do something that will show God to everyone around me through me.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (King James Version)

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

I oft forget the blessings of God. Such is my human failing.

God’s compassions do not fail. From God’s compassions come mercies, and those mercies save me from being consumed by the world. God’s mercies are renewed daily. That is good news because it seems that my failings are also renewed daily. Why don’t I learn (faster)?

And for those who claim there is no God, read the verses above. The writer of the lamentations was blessed by God with the words. The translators from the early 1600s were also blessed by God. Such does not originate in the mind of lowly mankind.

Lamentations 3:25-26 (New Living Translation)

25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.

26 So it is good to wait quietly

for salvation from the Lord.

Read softly and slowly: Let us pause. Let us consider what it is we do. Stop all things and first seek God and depend on God.

Scream and read quickly: But I have lots of things to do. You don’t understand what is happening in my life and there are people who…oh what wait sorry I had to answer that call and look at that text and you know things are hopping here and people need me to answer right now and…

Read softly and slowly: After the first task (two paragraphs, not one paragraph above), it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

Scream and read quickly: Wait? Okay, I can wait, but I can’t waste time. I have lots to do. While I’m waiting (and could you hurry it up a bit, huh?) I’ll tend to these other things. Oh look just what popped up on Insta-tweet-face! Why that’s cute, but they really shouldn’t say that. I have to correct the world on that point, so hold on a minute, but look you distracted me and someone else beat me to the punchline, well I’ve got another one for them and it will top them and…

God, please help me to breathe deeply and quietly. To wait for your salvation and to seek you alone while I wait.

John 14:27 (New Living Translation)

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

Jesus is speaking to His followers about the future. He is about to leave this world. He will leave behind many gifts. One—something many of us have trouble accepting—is peace of mind and heart.

Cursed and crushed by worry of impending doom? Grasp the peace of mind and heart given.

There is much to fret in this world. Look around a moment and grasp the temporary and failing nature of just about everything in sight. Worry? Maybe not. Concern? Certainly. Peace of mind and heart? When I focus on God, yes. Why don’t I focus on God more often? Great question with no good answer.

Please God, help me in my unbelief. Help me to accept the gift of peace of mind and heart.

Lamentations 3:22-25 (King James Version)

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

How many things can I write regarding these verses? Today, let’s focus on verse 22.

Living in a sinful world, it is possible and probable that we are consumed by the worst this world has to offer. What saves us? The Lord’s mercies. His compassions never fail.

God blesses us eternally. God blesses us temporarily. Now 60 years old, it is sometimes difficult  for me to describe this life in this physical body as temporary, but it is. It is merely one part of my soul’s existence with God. The compassion of God, the mercies of God, allow me to survive this portion of eternity.

Praise and thanks to God for his mercy and compassion.