For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. – Isaiah 9:4

Today's Scripture Reading (May 6, 2026): Isaiah 9

Muhammad Ali once commented that "It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe" (Isaiah 9:4). It is the small things that shape our lives. The insignificant things.

Specifically, Isaiah talks about the days of Midian, and the tale of the defeat of the Midianites is the story of Gideon. Gideon was an insignificant farmer who had an unexpected meeting with an Angel, and the Angel, somewhat sarcastically, calls him a mighty Warrior. The irony was not lost on Gideon, but he answered the call anyway. He built an army that God called too big; Gideon cut his army down twice at God's command until he had only 300 soldiers to go up against the strong Midianites, who deserved to be called "Mighty." And even these 300 were not the best and brightest. They were the insignificant. And yet, with God, they won the war anyway.

One of the most famous conversations Jesus had with the crowds who followed him begins with some of the strangest words we have ever heard. You know the words.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3-10).

It is almost like God is screaming out, "Blessed are the insignificant." And yet we seem to work so hard not to be insignificant, even though God says that that is when we are blessed.

Every December, the people where I live are entertained by a meteor shower. The meteor shower is called the Geminids. They are called the Geminids because they appear to come flying out of the constellation Gemini. But that is not where they come from. The meteor shower that we see every December is from an Asteroid named 3200 Phaethon [FAY-e-thon]. 3200 Phaethon is an Asteroid that circles the sun. At its closest approach to the sun, it passes halfway between Mercury and the Sun. At its farthest point from the sun, it is on the other side of Mars. So, 3200 Phaethon crosses the orbital path of all four of the inner planets and does so regularly – thus the meteor shower that we see every December. 3200 Phaethon has a diameter of 5 km (3 miles). To put that in perspective, the Earth's average diameter is over 12,700 km. The mean diameter of our moon is 3500 km. The diameter of the object that gives us one of the two great meteor showers every year is 5 km. In a galaxy as large as ours, 5 km is insignificant.

But throughout history, God has worked through the insignificant, just as he did with Gideon. And that means that he can do wonders through you and me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 10

The LORD spoke to me again: "Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks. - Isaiah 8:5-7

Today's Scripture Reading (May 5, 2026): Isaiah 8

The waters of Shiloah have traditionally been identified with the Pool of Siloam in the Southern Part of Jerusalem. It is a major water reservoir in Jerusalem that has played a key role in the city's water conservation. The pool is fed by the Gihon Spring. Here, Isaiah might be referring to an earlier version of this pool, although this passage may have been written late in Isaiah's life. The Pool of Siloam was an engineering marvel of its day, believed to have been built late in Isaiah's life during the reign of King Hezekiah.

Part of the marvel of the Pool of Siloam was how gentle the pool was. A rushing river didn't feed it, but by a gentle spring. Theologian Harry Bultema (1884-1952) makes this comment;

The little stream of Shiloah sprung from Mount Zion on the southwesterly side of Jerusalem. It flowed as softly as oil without any murmur. Jerusalem's existence and continuation depended on it (Harry Bultema).

Isaiah uses this gentle water source as an example of leadership. Isaiah argues that a gentle leader is of great value. If he is writing this during the reign of Hezekiah, it might be this Judean King that is on his mind. Brash leaders might quickly accomplish things, but they often burn themselves out, and the things they accomplish just as quickly disappear. History books are filled with leaders like this. Israel had depended on these brash leaders, and they had been swept off the pages of history. The same could happen to Judah if the nation weren't careful.

Assyria, the bully in Isaiah's day, had its capital city, Nineveh, built on a great river, the Tigris. And Assyria acted much like the Tigris, flowing all over the nations in its path. Isaiah's message seemed to be that the people of God needed to be thankful for what they had, because God could send them something else, but they wouldn't like that either.

Part of our faith is found in being content with what God has given us, trusting that He provides what we need. But we also need to value the gentle leaders who walk among us. They are the ones who will shape the future, not the loud, brash, and demanding leader who causes a fuss and then burns out and disappears.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my daughter, Alyssa.

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. – Micah 7:5

Today's Scripture Reading (May 4, 2026): Micah 7

In her novel, "Haven," Hope Collier writes, "That's the thing about trust. It's like broken glass. You can put it back together, but the cracks are always visible--like scars that never fully heal" (Hope Collier). It is an unfortunate truth. We can forgive someone for broken trust, but it will never be the same. It is true in our interpersonal relationships and in our relations between nations. Trust is hard to rebuild, even when the parties want to rebuild the relationship.

Micah makes a further comment: broken trust is a result of sin. When we refuse to place our trust, or Micah says our hope, in God, then trust is easily eroded. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is filled with sin and, therefore, with broken trust.

Most of us have stories of trust broken, sometimes by us and sometimes by a neighbor, friend, or even a spouse. The protection against broken trust is always humility; it is wanting the best for those around us, those who share this life journey with us. As long as we do that, trust can be maintained and, to a certain extent, even rebuilt.

It was a principle Jesus taught: when you present yourselves, do so with great humility. If you want to maintain trust, humility is often a key ingredient. And it is often missing in our contemporary relationships. Jesus told this parable.

When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Luke 14:8-11).

When we react with humility, trust can be protected. When we put others first, even if we are greater, we won't be tempted to break trust, and therefore, nothing needs to be repaired. However, when we think we are the best, trust is easily broken, and it can never be repaired. It is a message we all need to heed in every relationship we maintain on this journey, and humility protects us from the cracks that result from broken trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 8

With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? – Micah 6:6

Today's Scripture Reading (May 3, 2026): Micah 6

I recently reread Leon Uris's classic Novel "Exodus." The novel reminded me of two things. First, it reminded me of what a complicated situation the relocation of Jews after World War II was and really still is. And the second thing I was reminded of was that we really didn't do justice.

Let's start with the idea that it is a complicated situation, because few justice cases are easy. Part of the problem with Palestine/Israel/Canaan is that it has a long history. When Abraham came to the area, and God promised the land to his descendants, people were already living there. Abraham was living near Sodom at the time. During Abraham's life, we know that most of the people in the valley were wiped out, but many others remained in the land. When Israel came into the land after the Exodus, they had to dislodge some of those people before they could live in the area of Palestine.

Just as had happened during the times of the Assyrians and Babylonians, the Romans came and dislodged the people living in the land. This time, the banishment of Jews from Canaan seemed more permanent. As a result, the Jews lived in places all over the known world, suffering prejudice almost everywhere that they went. And a people group we call Palestinians came to inhabit the Canaan. However, the Second World War and an attempt to get rid of the Jews with a " final solution" showed us that something needed to be done. Eventually, we decided to give the Jewish people back the land that God had promised to Abraham. However, there are currently too many Jews to live just in the Promised Land, so other nations had to be willing to welcome the Jewish people, places like Canada and the United States.

Still, the change in Palestine created another problem; in giving the land back to the Jews, the Palestinians, who had lived in the land for almost two thousand years, ever since the Romans defeated Israel three decades after the ministry of Jesus, were displaced. The Palestinian people became the new Jews. Recently, it has become readily apparent that no one wants the Palestinian people either. The only home they have is also the only home that Israel has, and so the situation is neither easy nor simple. And it is also the reason why most experts have leaned toward what we call "the two-state solution." Because there are two nations that can say that Palestine is the only home that they know.

Maybe it was because the situation was complicated that there wasn't an immediate decision to help the Jewish people in the wake of World War II. Instead, Jews were told that they had to stay where they were living. Polish Jews were told not to leave Poland; Britain, which was in control of Palestine, prohibited Jews from coming there. And if the Jews came, they were placed into concentration camps that were sometimes as inhumane as the Nazi camps, except that the prisoners weren't gassed in these new camps. The camps did not have enough food, enough water, but there was enough barbed wire and guards with automatic weapons, all to incarcerate a people whose only crime was that they wanted to go home. Justice seemed to be absent.

The more that I think about the Palestine-Israel situation, which still isn't solved today, the more I see parallels in my own life. When my ancestors came to this New Land, it was not empty either. There were already people living here. And this land that I call home was taken away from those inhabitants. At the same time, my claim to this land may not be "from time immemorial," but my family has lived here for about 400 years, which means there is still nowhere else I belong. What does it mean to "do justice" in these situations? We can't just say that it is too hard. We need to do something.

Part of our "do something" is to do "Land Acknowledgments." Our form has been;

We are grateful to those whose territory on which we reside. Treaty 6 was entered into in 1876. For 150 years, we have been living, working, and growing on this land that is the ancestral and traditional territory of the Cree, the Nakoda Sioux, the Dene, the Saulteaux, as well as the Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. We acknowledge this land is also within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland, which includes the North Saskatchewan River Territory, the Lesser Slave Lake Territory, and the Lower Athabasca Territory. We acknowledge the Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders, both past and present, and are grateful for their contributions that helped keep this land beautiful. We make this acknowledgment as an act of reconciliation. Thank you for our shared unity as we live together on Turtle Island.

And I get it. Not everyone likes the land Acknowledgments. Some argue, and I agree, that it doesn't really do anything. Okay. But the Biblical standard is to do something. Don't just argue for the status quo or say that the situation is too big for us to do anything. When Micah talks about justice, it is an action. Act justly. Act in ways that remind us we all share this planet and that our dreams are vital. Do something. It is part of what God requires of us.

Micah asks a rhetorical question of how we should come. And his answer is: just come.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 7

Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod. – Micah 5:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 2, 2026): Micah 5

A number of years ago, I received a prophecy from an unknown prophet and he asked me to read his document. I have been the recipient of many prophecies over the years, and they basically fall into three categories. Some are incredibly accurate. Others are accurate, but not in the way that or for the purpose the prophet imagined. The last group of prophecies is the predictions that are simply off base or false. Often, I find that this last group of prophecies is the one in which the prophet has attempted to predict what seems right, but things don’t turn out the way we think they will. Life can often be surprising. In this case, the prophecy I received fell into that last group

The prophet had written his prophecy, but he had tried to give it the look of a biblical prophecy. He did this by breaking his writing into chapters and verses, making it look much like the Bible we read. I frequently have to remind myself that the verses and chapters we use to divide our modern Bible are artificial, and sometimes, in my opinion, the people who did the dividing got it wrong.

That is the case with Micah 5:1. I would argue that this verse actually belongs in the previous chapter. It is closer in subject matter to Micah 4:13 than it is to Micah 5:2, and the Hebrew Bible in fact does just that. In the Tanakh, this verse is actually designated as Micah 4:14 in that copy of Micah’s prophecy.

What is so earth-shattering is that Micah is prophesying during the reigns of King Ahaz and King Hezekiah, around the time of Israel's fall to the Assyrians. Micah experienced the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.E. The prophet lived about 5 years past that traumatic event, dying in 696 B.C.E., and what is so weird is that he actually mentions Babylon. The last part of verse 10 reads: “You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies” (Micah 4:10b). Micah accurately describes exactly what is about to happen to Judah more than 100 years after he died. (Micah died in 696, and the Babylonian Empire did not rise to be a major player on the world stage until 626 B.C.E.; for those of you who struggle with the math, that is 70 years after Micah’s death).

Micah 5:1, or 4:14, shouts to the people of Judah that it is time to wake up. You think that you are immune to all the bad. You think that God has put a hedge around you and that nothing bad can get to you. You think that the mysterious disappearance of the Assyrian army, which happened in 701 B.C.E., means that nothing bad can happen to you. You believe that you can have peace. But I am here to tell you that you are wrong. Peace only comes from God, and even now you refuse to follow Him. There is a bad boy who is in his infancy right now, but he will grow up, and he will destroy any thoughts of peace that you might have. And even though it is more than a hundred years in the future, I am talking about this as if it is in the past because the seeds have already been planted, and those trees are about to grow up. There is no peace.

It reminds us of a carol that we sometimes sing at Christmas. The words were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the midst of the American Civil War. Longfellow hated the war, and in the middle of his Christmas song, his hate is revealed.

            And in despair I bowed my head

            “There is no peace on earth” I said

            “For hate is strong and mocks the song

            Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 6

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law, Laurie. Have a great day!

But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. – Micah 4:12

Today's Scripture Reading (May 1, 2026): Micah 4

One of my pet peeves is the tendency to judge historical writing by the standards that we hold today. One example might be Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." The book sometimes seems to be the object of jokes. In an episode of the situation comedy, "Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," Rory, the young son of Paul and Cate Hennessy, in frustration, asks at what point in the book does this bird die? I didn't read Lee's book until I was an adult, but I am disturbed by the recent movement to ban it. I wonder if those who wish to ban the book, whose grounds extend to a word used in it, have ever read it? The book actually teaches against the use of this word, but does so at a time in our history when the word was much more acceptable than it is today. We can argue that the attitudes were wrong, and from today's standards, that is true. But judging yesterday by today is problematic.

I recently had a conversation about whether the Bible should be declared hate literature. There is no doubt that some passages in the Bible make me uncomfortable. However, that would seem to be judging the Bible by our belief systems rather than by the belief systems of the day in which the words were written. Such writings can help us understand yesterday, but banning the entire book because of them seems like overkill. The message of the Bible, as a whole, is one of peace and love. Yes, there are places where that seems not to be true, but that is not the message of the whole tome.

Sometimes, we seem to take the wrong message from the writing. Most commentators seem to see this passage as the wrath of God being carried out against the nations that refuse to follow Him. I am not sure that is true. If Micah spoke of the chaff or the impurities being swept away, I might agree with their conclusions. But that is not what I read here. In fact, Micah himself argues that the nations oppose God because they do not understand God's plan or God's purpose in our world. Micah argues that God has gathered the nations as a farmer gathers sheaves. Sheaves are not gathered to be discarded, but rather gathered because they are valued. Nothing is worse in a world filled with hunger than grain that is wasted and left in the field to rot.

God loves the nations, but they have rejected him. But maybe even more importantly, the nations refused to treat what God values most, people like us, with love and respect. And for that reason, these nations that God has gathered will suffer violence. But it didn't have to be that way; it never does. And as Christians, we love even when love makes no sense, because we don't understand the thoughts of God either. But we do know that God loves and wants the best for all of his creation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 5

Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel … Who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot? – Micah 3:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 30, 2026): Micah 3

One of the most radical teachings in the Christian faith originates in Jesus's Parable of the Good Samaritan. We know it, but its message seldom reaches the core of who we are. Does Jesus really expect us to love those who, in every other way, stand against us? The surprising answer is yes, a point that Jesus makes clear in his "Sermon on the Mount," which I believe is at the pinnacle of the Bible's teaching.

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48).

The Parable of the Good Samaritan puts this teaching in story form. It tells of a Samaritan, who was a natural enemy of the Jews, coming to the aid of an injured Jewish man, even when the leaders of the injured man's own society had passed him by. It would be like a present-day Iranian Jihadist pausing to help a hurt American citizen, or maybe a downed American pilot. It is love so tangible that it is almost unthinkable.

Jesus's comment that we love those who love us or support our own people is an example of how our world works. Political leaders often defend their nations, sometimes at the expense of foreigners. It is what we expect from our national leaders, provincial or state officials, and even civic leaders. We have elected you to fight for us and our regional needs.

But the situation Micah speaks about in Israel takes this "normality" a step further. These are leaders who are pursuing personal goals at the expense of their own people. They are getting rich while the people are dying. It is a situation that Micah can't imagine. It is as if the political leadership of the nation has turned to the cannibalism of their own people. They remove the skin and break the bones in the same way a cook would prepare an animal for the pot, so that a meal could be prepared. It isn't just a lack of love for an enemy or a foreigner; it is a lack of concern for those the leader should love automatically.

This lack of concern for those they should love is something Micah couldn't imagine. Who would do that?  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 4

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance. – Micah 2:2

Today's Scripture Reading (April 29, 2026): Micah 2

I have some good friends who lived through the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide. They were Congolese Tutsi who found themselves on the wrong side of a tribal conflict. Some of the stories they tell reflect the terror of the moment. The Hutu-led government perpetrated the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi people. And while we can date the Rwandan genocide to April 7 to July 19, 1994, the struggle between the Hutu and the Tutsi continues even today in East Africa.

One story I heard before I had any connection with the Hutu and Tutsi of that area was a story specifically from the genocide. The storyteller was a moderate Hutu, and during the genocide, he had been part of the movement that attempted to move the Tutsi out of the area. Every night, he would smuggle Tutsi from his house to the next site on an underground railroad reminiscent of the railroad that smuggled enslaved people from the Southern United States to the Northern free states or Canada. This man had a feud with his neighbor, who suspected that he was doing something wrong. As a result of his suspicions, and maybe just coveting what his neighbor had, this man would throw rocks at his children when they left for school in the morning or on their way home in the afternoon. It was not a time in his children's lives when playing outside was an advisable activity.

One afternoon, he looked outside to see one of his kids lying in the street, bleeding from the head. A rock, thrown by this neighbor, had connected in just the right spot with the force necessary to send the child into unconsciousness. It was the moment the man decided he had to quit his position in the Underground Railroad and take his family to safety. The next night, he smuggled his family out of the country using the same railroad that he had used to help so many Tutsi in the past.

How many people died in Rwanda is hard to ascertain. But it pales in comparison to the pain that has been spread throughout the area, and that refugees still suffer through today, more than three decades later. The storyteller of the Rwandan story returned home after the genocide to find another family had moved into his home. It was the brother of the next-door neighbor who had thrown rocks at his children. Maybe that had been the motive of his neighbor's action all along. The storyteller finished his story by discussing the steps he took to get his house back, as well as the effort he made to forgive his neighbor and rebuild their relationship. For me, the most embarrassing part of the story is that while he tried to repair a relationship when he had every right to hold a grudge, we often build up lifelong feuds over Facebook posts.

Micah's comment is a warning to those who plot evil against the people with whom they come into contact. They covet what others have and seek ways to steal it. It is the neighbor's attitude in the story, and sometimes it is ours too, but it can't be. In Christ, I am commanded to want the best for everyone in my life, even when they don't want the best for me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 3

All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem? – Micah 1:5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 28, 2026): Micah 1

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 B.C.E. until 164 B.C.E. He was the son of King Antiochus III the Great. From the very beginning, Antiochus Epiphanes was fighting an uphill battle. Antiochus III was a confident King. While he began his reign with military losses, he later achieved significant victories and ultimately expanded his territory. Rather than having future historians give him the epithet “The Great,” Antiochus assumed the title “Basileus Megas” (Great King) for himself. In many ways, Antiochus III might have been the Donald Trump of his day.

It was this image to which Antiochus Epiphanes measured himself. Antiochus Epiphanes was not the direct successor of Antiochus III the Great. His oldest brother, Antiochus, ruled with his father but died before his father. Another brother and son of Antiochus the Great, Seleucus IV Philopator, reigned but was assassinated in 175 B.C.E. Seleucus IV Philopator was succeeded by his son, another unnumbered Antiochus. Little Antiochus was only five at the time. Uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes took control of the empire at this time, and within another five years, Antiochus the unnumbered was dead, and Antiochus IV Epiphanes was on the throne of the Seleucid Kingdom. But as a result of the way he became King, Antiochus Epiphanes was considered to be a pretender throughout the rest of his reign.

Antiochus sought the approval of the people by cultivating an image of an extravagant and generous ruler who gave unexpected gifts to people he didn’t know, supported military parades, and donated money to the Athenian Temple of Zeus.

However, what Antiochus IV Epiphanes is most remembered for is reversing the Seleucid policy of tolerating the religion of the Jews and, instead, beginning to persecute them. He outlawed all of the rituals of the Jewish faith, he put out the immortal lamp that was meant to burn forever in the Temple, and forced the priests to eat pig flesh, which was considered unclean by the Mosaic Law. He also sacrificed a great swine and sprinkled its blood on the altar in the outward court. All of this meant that the Temple had been defiled, and Jewish worship couldn’t take place there until the Temple had been cleansed. It was also the backdrop to the Maccabean Rebellion, which resulted in Israel briefly gaining its independence.

Micah is speaking about Israel's transgressions. What is important is that the sin of Israel is not because of some outside force. The sin Micah speaks of is not because Antiochus IV Epiphanes came into Jerusalem and defiled the Temple and the city. Jacob’s transgression can be laid at the feet of those living in Samaria, another name for the northern Kingdom of Israel and its capital city. Judah’s sin was highlighted by the sin of the people living in Jerusalem and those who worshipped at the Temple, which was Judah’s high place or proper mountain of worship. Israel and Judah didn’t need an Antiochus to defile them; they were doing that all by themselves.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 2

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my Grandson, James. Have a great day! (And thus the month of Birthdays in my family begins)

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. – Isaiah 7:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 27, 2026): Isaiah 7

Ahaz seems to have been the exception in a very good line of Kings. Ahaz was the thirteenth in the line of David, and his father (Jotham), grandfather (Uzziah), and great-grandfather (Amaziah) were all noted as the best of the Davidic line. Ahaz's son, Hezekiah, was the most noted of the five generations for his godly faith; some historians argue that Hezekiah was the best of all the Kings of Judah. But somehow Ahaz missed all of this. He married early in life and, if the Bible's chronology is correct, his son Hezekiah was born when he was just 11.

Within a few years of Ahaz becoming King, Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Aram marched against Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah under Ahaz's leadership. It is into this situation that we are presented with one of the best-known prophecies of Christ. And the prophecy is found in a conversation Ahaz had with Isaiah amid the King's fear of the damage these two kings might wreak in Judah. The prophecy? "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). But Isaiah isn't talking about Mary and Joseph. He is talking about King Ahaz and his young queen; the word we have translated as "virgin" could also be translated as "young woman of marriageable age."

Isaiah was about 20 when these kings threatened Judah. The more experienced Kings of Israel and Aram had joined forces largely to face the threat coming from Assyria. And they intended that either Ahaz would join their coalition, or they would destroy Judah and make her their ally by force.

God's message to Ahaz is: "I know that you are scared. I know that you are tempted to join with the Kings of Ephraim and Aram. But I know what you don't know. Within sixty-five years, Aram and Ephraim will be gone. I know how unbelievable that sounds, but within sixty-five years, Ephraim will be totally defeated. And if you put your future with them, you might share their fate. Trust in me, not them. I will not allow them to overwhelm you. They will not overpower you now, or at any time in the future."

Here is the truth. Ahaz did not actually have to wait 65 years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. The real number was twelve. In twelve years, Israel would be defeated. The alliance that threatened Judah and Ahaz here in twelve years would fall to the Assyrians. But Ahaz didn't know this, and, in this conversation with Isaiah, he had to decide where to place his trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 1

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." – Isaiah 6:6-7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 26, 2026): Isaiah 6

We are people who have sinned, whether we admit it or not. And when we come to the point where we recognize our sin, we will face a decision about what to do about it. The choice that stares us in the face is to argue that it's not our fault and we can't do anything about it, or to confess it. Which reaction is up to us.

The imagery in this passage is very strong. Can you imagine having a hot coal placed on your lips? Dave Browning wrote a song titled "Take Me In," and the chorus includes these lines.

            Take me into the Holy of Holies

            Take me in by the blood of the Lamb

            Take me into the Holy of Holies

            Take the coal, cleanse my lips, here I am 

When we come before this thrice-Holy God, whose glory fills our world and who reveals our sins for what they are, the most painless way to handle that sin is to say that it is not my fault. If fault has to be assigned, it is to someone or something else, not me. Sometimes, we even blame God, I mean, He made us this way, and he has the power to change us and our circumstances if he wants to. But he doesn't (Somehow the events of the Garden of Eden fall away at this point in our argument). 

Our only other option is to take personal responsibility for our sin, confess it, and allow God to come and cleanse it. To take coal and cleanse our lips. From experience, I know that if confession isn't painful, then we haven't really taken responsibility for our sin.

I had a conversation with a friend several years ago. Some issues arose and changed the course of his life. And now we were sitting across a table in a coffee shop, talking about it. I remember asking him which part of the experience he owned, which is just another way of asking, "How have you sinned?" He responded that he had sinned by allowing people to take advantage of him, by allowing other people's behavior to influence him. It was his fault for not cutting off these relationships earlier. 

And all of that might be true, but he still hadn't confessed sin. He had just restructured old arguments in a more personal way. Basically, he argued that he took personal responsibility for someone else's actions against him. It's still not my fault. It is still someone else who did it to me.

If confession isn't painful, then I don't think you have really confessed. It is so much easier not to take responsibility. But we still need the coal to touch our lips, regardless of how painful that might be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. – Isaiah 5:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 25, 2026): Isaiah 5

In the second episode of season four of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Captain Jean Luc Picard goes home to visit with his brother, Robert, and his family. The episode, appropriately titled "Family," tells the story of a broken Picard returning home to a strained relationship with his brother. And a vineyard plays front and center in the conflict. Robert is a vineyard owner, and the vineyard takes up a lot of Robert Picard's time. Robert carefully tends his grapes, ensuring they are healthy and free of disease; after all, that is what a vineyard owner does. Robert doesn't understand why Jean-Luc decided to give up the vineyard to journey through the stars.

Owning and caring for a vineyard is a time-consuming project. The vines have to be pruned, disease needs to be spotted quickly, and sick vines need to be cut off before the disease spreads to healthy vines. Maybe that is why vines make an excellent illustration of the relationship between God and his people. Jesus used vines as an illustration on the last night he spent with his disciples before his crucifixion.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:1-8)

Here in Isaiah, the message is clear. God is the vineyard owner, and we are the vineyard. And God will take all of the time that is needed to care for and protect his vineyard. Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) makes this observation:

No possession is dearer to a man than a vineyard, and there is none that demands more constant and persevering toil. Not only, therefore, does the Lord declare that we are his beloved inheritance, but at the same time points out his care and anxiety about us (John Calvin; Commentaries on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 1-32).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6

It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. – Isaiah 4:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2026): Isaiah 4

The American rock band "The Killers" released their hit song "Human" in 2008, though they admit it was written while they were recording their second album, "Sawdust." "Sawdust" was released in 2007, but it was recorded over a long period, starting in 2002, which gives us a rough estimate of when the song was written. The band admits they could have released the song on "Sawdust," but purposely held it back for their third studio album, "Day and Age." "Human" was the first single released from the album.

"Human" has received a bit of controversy over one key lyric in the chorus. In 2014, the song was voted as having the "weirdest lyric of all time." The problem is grammatical: the first and last lines of the chorus, which are identical, don't quite make sense.

            Are we human or are we dancer?

            My sign is vital, my hands are cold

            I'm on my knees, looking for the answer

            Are we human or are we dancer (B. Flowers, D. Keuning, M. Stoermer, R. Vannucci Jr.)?

Shouldn't the line be either "dancers" or maybe "denser," but not "dancer"? The band has been frustrated by the controversy. Brandon Flowers says the song was a response to a negative comment by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who argued that the United States was "raising a generation of dancers, afraid to take one step out of line."

I think Isaiah would have understood the lyric. He and many of the Prophets of Israel almost always found themselves on the outside when it came to the people's religious beliefs. His message is that if you are willing to follow God, you often won't please the nation's religious elite. Professing God's ideals will often set you against culture, even religious culture.

Moses was not always accepted by the people of Israel that he led, even though he followed God. Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh, rejecting God's path in favor of a cultural route. Elijah was called a troublemaker by the king because he followed God. Jesus was crucified, and most of his students were persecuted and killed, all because they were following a God who demanded something different from them. He didn't want them to dance to the beat of the cultural drums. But Isaiah knew that even in these times, God would give shelter from the storms and the rain to those who followed him and dared to step out of line.

Luckily, he still provides that shelter, and those who preach a radical love and acceptance of God often need it. As do those who teach about the church's responsibility to "the least of these" in our struggle against the mainline culture, which seems to desire to demonize the poor and persecute the outsider, neither of which is approved by the Jesus of the Christian Church.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5

The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. – Isaiah 3:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2026): Isaiah 3

For the past few years, I have been convicted by the "Sin of Sodom." I also have been bothered by the church's flirtation with Sodom's sin. Here is the problem: I think we have misidentified the sin. We have made the sin of Sodom about homosexuality, and we have taken a stand against that sin. Part of the reason why we have misidentified the sin is that we do not have many LGBTQ people in our midst, and the ones who are attending are deeply closeted. As a result, there has been no pushback. So, for most of the Christian Church, we can identify homosexuality as Sodom's sin and, with the same breath, say that we don't have a problem. The problem is out there somewhere. Then we can point at the others who identify as either homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual, as the ones caught in this sin. Worldwide, about 10% of people self-identify this way.

We treat Sodom as if it were a city full of gay men. After all, the story seems to make that accusation.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them" (Genesis 19:3-4 – italics mine).

The author of Genesis doesn't say "some," he says "all the men." It should be the first clue that something unusual is at work here. Add to this that the story is not just about Sodom, but Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain, do we really believe that all of these men had adopted a gay lifestyle? For me, that doesn't make sense.

So, if the sin of Sodom is not homosexuality, what is it? I think the answer to that question is hospitality. Sodom refused to welcome the strangers and make them feel welcome and safe. They didn't want visitors to the city. They refused to offer assistance to the stranger. They persecuted people whom Jesus called "the least of these." And they had decided that the best way to keep visitors away was to humiliate those who came to their cities and then let them go to tell the story of Sodom. They paraded their sin, were even proud of it, and they wanted people to know.

I think we still do. We parade our ideas about the people who are not welcome in our midst. And the LGBTQ community is only a portion of the people that we don't want in our fellowships. Visitors quickly understand that they are not welcome. I have had to discipline church leaders who went to people and declared, "We don't want your kind here." It is something that every church needs to guard against.

I belong to a congregation that enjoys handing out candy to children on Halloween. I get it, Halloween is not really our holiday, but kids are out and wandering the neighborhood. So, we hand out candy. Three to four hundred children, together with their parents, stop by for candy, a free hot dog, and hot chocolate during the evening. They can warm themselves by a fire and dance to the Halloween-appropriate music, assisted by a laser light show. Last year, we were picketed by people who believed we were welcoming people into the church who shouldn't be invited into the Christian community. I couldn't disagree more. I am proud to be part of a group of people who just want to use any excuse to roll out the welcome mat.

The sin of Sodom was alive and well in Jerusalem and Judah. And it is alive with us as well. The truth is that we need to find excuses to welcome people, because the sin of Sodom is insidious. Unless we are on guard against it, it will find its way into even the best-intentioned congregation of Christ's believers.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 4

See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. – Isaiah 28:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 22, 2026): Isaiah 28

Tornado season has arrived. I live in the colder northern part of the world, which means that for a significant part of the year, tornadoes just aren't a worry. Blizzards, snow, and cold temperatures are the things we worry about during the winter months, and those are conditions under which tornadoes don't develop. In my part of the world, the first tornado of the "tornado season" usually occurs between late March and May. Usually, these tornadoes aren't very strong and cause very little damage. Dangerous tornadoes occur when the mercury rises and the days get hot. One of the worst tornadoes to hit this area happened on July 31, 1987. The tornado was rated F4 and stayed on the ground for just over an hour. Twenty-seven people died in the tornado, and it caused 332.27 million dollars in damage (the adjusted value in today's dollars is 796 million). I had a close friend who lived through the tornado. He was in an area destroyed by it, and he still remembers what sounded like a freight train rumbling through his neighborhood. Thirty years later, my friend still goes into a panic whenever he hears a tornado warning during the summer months. I don't blame him. I can't imagine what it was like to be that close to such a dangerous tornado.

Nature can have a powerful effect on our lives. Tornadoes and hurricanes are just the tip of the dangers nature poses to those of us living on Earth. Isaiah has seen some of the worst that nature can throw at an area. He speaks of hailstorms, something else that I see a lot of during the summer months, and destructive winds. Isaiah knows the power of driving rain and flooding that accompany various kinds of storms, which still afflict the Earth. Many of the worst storms are caused by an interaction between the hot and cold air currents. But the cause doesn't ease the damage these storms inflict on the people of the Earth.

Isaiah is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which he calls Ephraim. And he seems to be surprised by the pride of what he calls "Ephraim's drunkards." Ephraim has benefited from many things that are an accident of nature, yet they seem to miss that God put them there. Some dangers are threatening Ephraim, but God is strong enough to handle the threats that are coming, if only the nation would trust him. And if they need proof, all they need to do is look at the power of nature. If God can destroy with a hailstorm or with the wind, if these natural processes are at his command, what more does Ephraim need to know? He has the power to protect, if only the people would trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29

You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. – Isaiah 2:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 22, 2026): Isaiah 2

Leave no one behind. It is the oft-repeated motto of various military groups. We will not leave anyone behind, whether they are healthy, injured, or even dead; we will bring every soldier home. It is an encouraging thought, especially if you are fighting in foreign lands. I have watched with interest the dignified transfer of soldiers coming home from various conflicts over the years. These moments serve as a reminder that every person is important and worthy of being brought home.

However, sometimes military personnel are forced to leave someone behind. In 1940, Allied troops were forced to evacuate from Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France. Between May 26 and June 4, about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops were removed from the French Port to the United Kingdom. That is almost 340,000 soldiers, and it was an amazing operation. Military vessels were assisted by civilian boats in getting individuals off the French Coast and the European mainland. The Dunkirk evacuation was an exciting moment in military history and the story of World War II.

What we sometimes forget is that we didn't get everyone. As massive as the evacuation effort was, and even though 340,000 soldiers were removed from France, at least 40,000 British troops and another 40,000 French troops were left behind. Many of these soldiers who were abandoned at Dunkirk were summarily executed. Those who were lucky enough to be captured were abused and mistreated with actions that were a violation of the Geneva Convention guidelines that governed how sick and wounded prisoners should be treated. They were denied food and medical treatment and forced to drink ditch water and eat rotten food. Sean Longden writes this:

These dreadful days were never forgotten by those who endured them. They had fought the battles to ensure the successful evacuation of over 300,000 fellow soldiers. Their sacrifice had brought the salvation of the British nation. Yet they had been forgotten, while those who escaped and made their way back home were hailed as heroes (Sean Longden; Dunkirk: The Men They Left Behind).

Isaiah speaks about the coming judgment over Judah and Jerusalem and the approaching "Day of the Lord." And he makes this jarring statement: "You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob" (Isaiah 2:6a). Luckily, he also explains that the people have become entangled in the superstitious beliefs of eastern nations; they practiced divination like the Philistines and willingly embraced pagan customs. It is like God had sent the people of Jerusalem all the ships they needed, but they chose to stay behind rather than be rescued by their God. The people chose to be abandoned; it was not an action that God initiated. The people could have been saved, but they chose not to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 3

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." – Isaiah 1:18

Today's Scripture Reading (April 21, 2026): Isaiah 1

We need God; we can't be good enough on our own. God's promise to his people has always been that He will make us clean. If we rely on just what we can do, we will keep coming up short. What we need is God; Isaiah understood that dependence. He preached it to those around him. When the Assyrians attacked, he told the king to rely on God, and God would take care of the enemy.

We need God. The only way that we can be all that we are designed to be is with God's presence in our lives. Anything else is not enough. We need God's action to make us clean.

Holy Humor Sunday was a couple of weeks ago (April 12, 2026). It is usually the first Sunday after Easter, and it is always a day to tell good jokes. I know I am late, but let me leave you with a couple of humorous stories.

Attending a wedding for the very first time, a little girl watched the service, fascinated by everything happening around her. At one point in the service, she whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"

Her mother smiled and replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'

The child thought about this for a moment, then turned her attention back to the events at the front of the church. But soon, a puzzled look came over her face, and she turned once more to her mother with a follow-up question. "So why is the groom wearing black?"

Or maybe this one;

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Sunday School. As she ran, she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'

She continued to run and pray, but in her haste, she tripped on a curb and fell, skinning her knee, tearing her dress, and getting her clothes streaked with mud. But the little girl got up, brushed herself off, and started running again toward the church and her looming class.

As she ran, she began to pray again, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late…But please don't shove me either!'

One more?

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-old students. She was trying to explain to the eager ears around her the intention of the fifth commandment; 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' After discussing the various ways we can honor our parents, this teacher asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shalt not kill.'

Holy Humor Sunday arose out of the idea that Easter is God's joke on the devil. Just when Satan thought he had won, God raised Jesus from the dead. But the continuing practical joke on the devil is us. Regardless of the lies we have been fed, God resurrects his church by raising us from all that should have killed us. And every time that Satan feels that he has a leg up on the people of God, God raises us once again, making us into a Righteous People, through whom God's Justice reigns in all the places that he sends us. In the presence of Satan, he continues to make us white as snow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2