Reading from Sunday, November 28

I have had a pretty killer week. I was responsible for putting together a photo montage video for my company's annual "Town Hall" meeting. This was usually pictures set to music, but we were pretty low on pictures. So I got the wild idea of video taping people around the office dancing and lip syncing to the song "Dynamite". I was pretty happy with how it came out, but the office loved it. I have been getting stopped in the halls for the past two days with people wanting to tell me how great the video was. This included the big boss, which was a huge honor.

I felt like a nerdy rockstar to a bunch of Client Service Support personnel.

Reading for November 28
Daniel 5:1-31
So in Nebuchadnezzar's exiled absence, his son, Belshazzar, filled his father's role as king. He was holding a huge banquet and praising the gods that god his dad in trouble with God. All of a sudden a floating hand appeared and wrote these words on a wall:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

What. In. The. Hell. As would any of us, Belshazzar freaks out and tries to get anyone at all to decipher the words' meaning. No one can do it, until Daniel comes in. Basically the words mean the same thing that Nebby's tree dream meant - you're too proud and you will be humbled because of it. Especially because you saw what happened to your father and you didn't change your ways, stupid.

Because Daniel was able to determine the meaning, and even though it was unfavorable to the acting king, he was made third in command over all of the Babylonian kingdom. The next night Belshazzar was murdered and another dude took over.

This sounds like 1 and 2 Kings all over again. History repeats itself. Sometimes within a single religious text.

2 Peter 2:1-22
This reading talks about false teachers and how they will be punished by God. I'm not really feeling any of this stuff, so I'ma skip it.

Psalm 119:113-128
It's funny. You would think someone so apparently holy wouldn't need to pray for God's protection, but rather assume it would be given to him. This may be the best example of humility I've ever seen - just a reminder to all of us that it can't hurt to overpray for something.

¹²¹ I have done what is righteous and just;
   do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²² Ensure your servant’s well-being;
   do not let the arrogant oppress me.

Proverbs 28:19-20
 ¹⁹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
   but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
 ²⁰ A faithful person will be richly blessed,
   but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Verse 20 is tricky. It leads you to believe that if you have faith, you'll get a million dollars. I don't think that's the intention. I think it means blessed with a rich life, not money.