Psalm 75, Daniel 6:1-28, Revelation 22:1-21 - Lectionary for 11/26/11

Today's readings are Psalm 75, Daniel 6:1-28, and Revelation 22:1-21. As we reach the end of the Church year we finish reading the book of Revelation. See how everything has been restored to its right order. All those who look to God in faith, believing that Jesus is who he said he is and that he has done what he said he would do have full and free access to all heavenly blessings, the throne of God, and the tree of life. We are no longer separated from God by sin, as we have been ever since the third chapter of Genesis. I fear that we often think God is not really in the business of forgiving and restoring his people. We try to work out our own salvation by our good works. We try to persuade God that he should save us, when we actually have no good reason. We try to say that God's will should work in this way or that way because it makes sense to us. The Bible doesn't allow for that. Rather, God works out salvation for his people in his own way and delivers it to them according to his good pleasure. There's a liberation in all this. If God has proposed to rescue us we can have confidence that he will rescue us. Let us rest in the freedom of that thought, which is thoroughly biblical. We bring nothing to the table. There are no negotiations. Let God be God.