Scripture Passage that Caught My attention today: Daniel 1:12-15. “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.” 14 So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations.
Observation: Several passages caught my attention today, with this simply being the first. Was also struck (no pun intended!) by the vision in Revelation of 100# hailstones, the vision of people cursing God for various plagues, and Nebuchadnezzar’s verdict that if they wise people couldn’t interpret his dream they would be torn limb by limb.
Application: It’s an interesting day for Bible reading for me because all of the things mentioned above are just things that make me curious rather than necessarily offering some sort of profound insight. And complicating matters is the fact that it’s September 11th. For years that day just meant that one of my best friends was another year older. Then there was the September 11th event of our nation. And then today, at just after the day officially changed to the 11th of September, our son went into surgery for an appendectomy (which went well, btw). Plus we had tickets today to go to the OSU/Miami game, which we just sold this morning and I’m missing our other son’s JV game just due to circumstances. So how does one read the Bible when so many things are spinning around in one’s head and there’s nothing in the readings for a particular day that just totally jump out and grab you? Answer: You just notice what you notice and give thanks for another opportunity to be in conversation with God.
What I noticed today was the whole vegetable thing for Daniel and his comrades. Apparently for millennia there have been some people who, for whatever reason, desire and/or wish to eat only vegetables. The Apostle Paul makes reference to such folks as well in the New Testament. And these days there are actually a number of different designations for the various types/degrees of vegetarian eating. I’ve recently read of a few high-caliber fitness people who, for sake of experiment or by way of life, embraced a vegetarian or even vegan life-style for a time to prove that they could gain muscle or compete in figure competitions, etc., much like Daniel did years ago.
I don’t think this means that, because Daniel was a vegetarian, all the rest of us should be too. But it may mean that, if someone does have something that is a matter of personal conscious, and they are willing to put it to the test, they should be able to do so. Daniel realized that how well he fared physically on the diet he personally felt led to follow could well determine whether the person put in charge of him would live or die. And so he was willing to submit to the test.
And HERE’S how suddenly this all may make sense today! I just realized that his is the very issue at stake in regard to the Florida pastor who has been in the news for his initial plan to burn Qurans. His personal right and even sense of divine calling should be able to stand up against its affect on others. The preponderance of evidence suggests that his plan would not pass such a test and so, thankfully, it appears that he will set this plan aside. Based on the Biblical passage above, I believe Daniel would agree that setting that plan aside was a very wise move.
Prayer: Lord, you have such a round-a-bout way of offering insight sometimes. And I love it! Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Scripture Readings Today included: Daniel 1-2 and Revelation 16)
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