Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, August 9, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
“Whoa, calm down there, Bro,” Daniel seemed to say. The king asks his advisors to do something literally impossible and then, when they can’t (because it’s literally impossible!) he throws a bona fide tantrum and decides to kill all of them. This is melodrama at its finest. It allows the hero, Daniel, to swoop in and save everyone.
Of course, by this point, Daniel has been lumped in with the kings advisors so even though he wasn’t there when good ol’ Nebby flew into his rage, he was included in the group that was going to be executed for failing to do the impossible.
Daniel keeps his cool. “I’ve got this. Just give me a sec.”
Amazingly, the king grants the stay, giving Daniel the chance, with God’s help, to work a miracle and give Nebuchadnezzar what he’s asking for.
I’ll be honest. Patience isn’t my strong suit. I make think fast, process fast, make decisions fast, and then act on them. When I have to wait for other people to do their part in a given situation, I can get kind of edgy. I like to think I’m past the days of Nebuchadnezzarian tantrum-throwing (I’m not proud to say that actually was a thing with me), but I mean, really. Can we just move this along please?
I am grateful for daily spiritual practices that help me let go of control, so that I don’t wind up metaphorically killing not only my own resources, but external resources that potentially hold the answer to my problem.
When has patience been rewarded with outcomes that exceeded my expectations?
