Today’s Scripture Reading (April 22,
2014): Daniel 12
There is a
powerful superstition in hockey. The superstition concerns the touching of
either the Prince of Wales Trophy or the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, the
trophies that are presented to the teams that win the Eastern and Western
conferences respectively. The origin of the superstition is unknown, but the
argument is that it is not these trophies that the players are ultimately
competing for. The trophy that every hockey player dreams of hoisting over
their heads, from the very first moment that they laced up their skates as
kids, is the Stanley Cup. The winning of either the Wales Trophy or the
Campbell Bowl are just necessary signposts on the way to the Stanley Cup – but it
is Lord Stanley’s Cup that they want. So when the team wins the lesser trophies,
they still haven’t achieved anything yet. They need to keep their eyes on the
prize and concentrate on lifting the cup of their dreams.
Daniel has
received a lot of information. Some prophecies have been about things that will
happen in the near future, others have been about things that still belonged to
a time that was far in the distance. And it would have been easy for Daniel to
have gotten lost in all of the images that he had received from God, but God
reminds him that he still has a task to do. He can’t afford to get distracted.
He needs to keep his “eye on prize” and accomplish what it is that he has been
placed on earth to accomplish a purpose – a purpose that was Daniel’s – and Daniel’s
alone. In the end, God assures Daniel that he will rest (die), but that after
that he will also receive an inheritance, His salvation is assured – and so he
can concentrate on the things that God still requires of him.
John speaks
of a similar situation as he closes his gospel. Jesus reveals to Peter the
manner of his death – and of the purpose that God has placed on the rest of his
life. But Peter isn’t content with just knowing about himself. So he asks Jesus
about John’s future. And essentially Jesus reply is that Peter is to mind his
own business and simply concentrate on what it is that God has required of
Peter. God seems to give the same advice to Daniel – keep your eyes on the
things that you have to do. Don’t let yourself be distracted from your purpose –
even by the prophecies of God.
The advice
could be applied to many contemporary Christians. Sometimes we get so wrapped
up in the prophecies of the future that we forget that we are still here to
live out our lives – and that we are to do so with a purpose. The future is
coming, but we are not supposed to be a people that stand around dreaming of
what is yet to come. We are to be a people that live in the present, and a
people that makes such a difference in the present that we change what it is
that will happen the future.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm
137
No comments:
Post a Comment