They all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit. – Jeremiah 40:12

Today's Scripture Reading (September 6, 2026): Jeremiah 40

One limiting factor of growth is leadership. Leadership is required in both our organizations and our individual lives if we are to keep growing. I can't grow those around me past the point where I have the leadership ability to lead. And I will not grow myself beyond the leaders I choose to invite into my life. However, we often don't think about the reverse. If there is a lack of leadership in the organization, we will often fill the void with whoever comes along, rather than wait for the appropriate leader the circumstances require. I believe health might be found somewhere between having all the right leaders in place and continually searching for needed leadership. If we have all the leaders we need, then leadership will be closed, and we will miss out on any benefits from new leaders who may come along. However, if we lack some of the leaders required to keep the organization growing, that lack can result in chaos. Still, the organization can find a healthy position amid the limited chaos.

Judah had leaders, but the leadership was closed. To be a leader in Judah, you had to be born into the position. As a result, under good leadership, the country grew, but under bad leadership, it shrank. Too often, Judah suffered under bad leadership and shrank. As a result, some key Judean leaders lived outside the nation of Judah. However, when Judah's leadership was taken into exile in Babylon, these leaders on the fringes of the nation needed to return to fill the leadership void. And Jeremiah says that is precisely what happened.

The principle is also true for our own personal lives. We are 'led' by key ideas. They shape and guide our lives and help us to grow. But learning also takes a willingness to consider new ideas, incorporate them into our lives, and allow them to lead us. So, without these new concepts to lead us, our lives lose purpose. We become so rigid and closed that we can't accept new ideas, and at that point, we stop growing. Life requires a healthy balance between established concepts and new ideas to keep us fresh and growing throughout our life journeys.

We need to be led by something, but don't be afraid to open yourself up to new ideas. And maybe, even in the chaos, you might have some unexpected fun. Have a great day!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 41

I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 39:18

 Today's Scripture Reading (September 5, 2026): Jeremiah 39

On August 22, 1572, Gaspard II de Coligny was shot by a man called Maurevert. The shot missed taking Coligny's life, but it did cost the French Nobleman and admiral one of his fingers. No one is sure who ordered Coligny to be shot, but the assassination attempt caused French Catholics a problem. Coligny was a prominent Huguenot (Protestant), and the fear was that the attempted assassination would be seen as being religiously motivated. So the French Catholics made a fateful decision. They decided to make a pre-emptive strike against the Huguenots. Many of the Protestant leaders, including Gaspard II de Coligny, were executed on August 24, 1572. After the execution, mob violence would claim as many as another 70,000 Huguenots in what has become known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

Part of what we know about the Massacre comes from a Huguenot who narrowly escaped the violence with his life. His name was Maximilien de Bethune, the Duke of Sully. The Duke escaped death by walking out of Paris with a Catholic book of prayer under his arm. At the height of the violence, Maximilien de Bethune's possession of the book of prayer allowed the attacking Catholics to overlook the Huguenot Duke.

As Jerusalem prepares to fall, the city's inhabitants face a very uncertain future. However, for the leaders in the city, what happens next is relatively certain: death at the hands of the Babylonians. One of these leaders was a man named Ebed-Melek. Ebed-Melek was a Cushite who served in the court of King Zedekiah. One reason we believe Ebed-Melek was a leader in Jerusalem is that Jeremiah says Ebed-Melek went to the king to ask for Jeremiah's release from the cistern where the prophet had been imprisoned and, rather than brushing away the request, the king responded positively to Ebed-Melek's request.

Another reason we believe Ebed-Melek was a leader in the court of Zedekiah is that Jeremiah also tells us the Cushite was worried about his future when the city fell. So Jeremiah assures this leader that because he honored God by getting his prophet out of the cistern, when the city fell, God would find a way to get him out to a place of safety. All because he dared to trust in God.

Amazing things still happen when we dare to trust God. Even when things look bleak, we can trust that God has a plan, and we honor God when we are willing to follow the example of Ebed- Melek and place ourselves in the middle of that plan.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 40

Then the officials said to the King, "This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin." – Jeremiah 38:4

Today's Scripture Reading (September 4, 2026): Jeremiah 38

A theme runs through Jeremiah; it is repeated throughout the book. The external reality of Jeremiah's words is that Judah as a nation is ending. There won't be many more days left in her existence. Repeatedly, Jeremiah comes to the powers that be and tells them what he has heard God say, and they repeatedly reject everything he tells them. The prophecy Jeremiah provides to the officials is not the one the national leadership wants to receive. And they aren't all that different from some of our contemporary leaders; all they want to hear are people willing to tell them they are the best and the nation is lucky to have them. Everyone else is just more fake news and should be silenced and ignored. As a result, Jeremiah pays a price for speaking the truth that he has heard from God to those in power over the nation of Judah.

I am not sure that I believe that everyone can be a Jeremiah. Some of us don't clearly understand what God is saying. Somehow, the message gets messed up in our heads, and we get sidetracked by unimportant issues. And sometimes, we just don't have the opportunity, or don't know how to put God's truth into words; but even though we all can't be Jeremiah, we all need a Jeremiah to speak truth to us, even when we don't want to hear it.

Even though we need Jeremiahs to be in our lives, we often don't accept their presence. The miserable truth is that we aren't all that different from our leaders. We begin to call the Jeremiahs God places in our lives false and purveyors of just more fake news. Nothing really seems to have changed from the last days of Judah and the ministry of Jeremiah. We have the message that we believe is true, and when anyone else says something different, even if they are a Jeremiah, well, they must be wrong. The truth is that as much as we all need a Jeremiah in our life, their presence is often very painful. In Judah, there were many prophets willing to change their messages to something palatable for the King and his advisors. Then again, growth is always painful, and for a Jeremiah, that is the outcome for which they always seem to be searching.

The message Jeremiah gave Israel was not that they had been abandoned, but that God had found a different path for them to follow. It may not have been the message Israel wanted to hear or the path they wanted to walk, but if they were willing to accept it, they would grow and continue their journey with God. However, if they rejected the message, then the result would be even more painful.

If you know of a Jeremiah in your life, thank God for their presence, and then listen to the message that you hear and grow through the times that are ahead. We need our Jeremiahs, and we need to remember that it isn't any more pleasurable to be the bearer of bad news than it is to receive it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 39

This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians will surely leave us.' They will not! – Jeremiah 37:9

Today's Scripture Reading (September 3, 2026): Jeremiah 37

The war in Ukraine has highlighted how interconnected our world is. Our reality is that we really do need each other. The ties between Russia and Ukraine should be strong, but those living in Ukraine would probably like to forget the days that they spent tied to Russia in the U.S.S.R.; however, leaving that history buried in the past seems somewhat unrealistic. Russia's focus is on Ukraine, and to be honest, the focus of Ukraine is on Russia. It has to be. As one Ukrainian worker put it, whenever he looks behind him, he sees the lives of his father and grandfather, and in those memories, Russia is there. That tie is important. Whenever they look into the past, what they see and hear is Russia. The reality is that Russia will not be going away any time soon. Unfortunately, the relationship the two countries should enjoy won't be achieved through war. Note that I am not just talking about Russia and Ukraine. I am also talking about the United States and Canada, or maybe the United States and Greenland, Denmark, or even the United Kingdom. We are linked by history, whether we recognize it or not.

Jeremiah sends a message to the king that should sound familiar. The Prophet tells the king that Babylon's focus is on Judah. In Babylon's case, it is not a shared history that has caused this focus; it is God. Jeremiah's message to the king is that whenever he looks at God, he sees Babylon. Whenever he listens to God, he hears Babylon. The two nations are focused on each other all because God has determined that is the way it needs to be. Neither nation is going away any time soon. Even though Egypt rides out to support Judah (not out of a love for Judah, but out of a fear of Babylon and a belief that the best thing for Egypt's future was an independent Judah that could provide a buffer zone between the two empires), Egypt would be unsuccessful. Babylon was not going away.

As much as we want to spend effort changing our physical realities, that time would be better spent understanding our realities and how we can live within them. I am Canadian. We are defined by saying "eh" (which, just so you know, is rarely actually said in my part of Canada anymore), and by our apologetic, gentle nature. One difference between Canadians and Americans is found in the word "sorry." In the United States, saying sorry is an admission of guilt; in Canada, it's just a way of being polite. Canadians sometimes take issue with the United States being called Americans because we are Americans too; we are full citizens of the North American Continent. But we also try to distance ourselves from the Americans who live to the South of us. We are different from them. When we travel abroad, we sew Canadian flags into our stuff so people know we are Canadian, and so they know we are not from the United States. We have our own character. Our reality is much like Ukraine's. When we look backward, we see the United States. These Americans are our brothers and sisters, often quite literally. We share history with them, and they influence us just as we influence them. Canadians know the United States is not going away, and it would be foolish to think that it was. So our task is to define ourselves as a people in our own right and develop a good relationship with these people, who are also called "Americans."

Jeremiah's basic instruction to the king is simply that Babylon is not going away. The best, and most God-honoring, thing for the king to do was to figure out what life looks like in the new reality and in relationship with Babylon. To do anything else would be foolish, and God never instructs us to act the part of the fool. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 38

So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. – Jeremiah 36:4

Today's Scripture Reading (September 2, 2026): Jeremiah 36

Community and team are both recurring themes in the Bible. These ideas are sprinkled liberally throughout the pages of the books, indicating their importance. So it shouldn't be a surprise to find that Jeremiah lived in a community. Jeremiah was actually part of two communities. Jeremiah's primary community was the nation of Judah. In a day when most of the world existed in small communities, centuries before a national social consciousness would rise, Jeremiah already existed within a nation-wide community. His prophecies and warnings were directed at the national community of Judah, where he lived. Judah was also a community Jeremiah loved. Jeremiah's love for Judah strongly motivated the Prophet's actions. He was willing to suffer for his community, hoping they would understand their place in God's purposes because of the words God spoke through him.

A second community that Jeremiah was part of was a smaller community; a community of maybe only two people. This community included Baruch and possibly a couple of other local scholars who understood the truth Jeremiah prophesied. These people were Jeremiah's team. Jeremiah did not minister and prophesy alone. Through Baruch, his prophecies were written down and reached people who lived beyond the reach of Jeremiah's voice, a reach that, because of Baruch's faithful service, includes us.

In this small community, we see something that is part of God's design. No one is intended to work alone. None of us are equipped to accomplish anything by ourselves. Like Jeremiah, we stand in need of community, and I am convinced that possible Baruchs surround each of us. We just need to be willing to reach out to them and ask them to come alongside us, or be willing to come alongside someone and be a Baruch to them.

As much as we remember the name of Jeremiah, Baruch was just as important to the team and just as essential to the community. Jeremiah may have spoken the words we read, but it was Baruch who wrote them down for us, which made Baruch an essential part of Jeremiah's team.

We have three choices in this life. We can find our own Baruch to help us with our endeavors, or we can be a Baruch for someone else; we can exist within the confines of the team and the community and make a difference. The only other option is to be happy living a life of inconsequence, never really making a difference in anyone's life.

My advice? Don't pick that last option. Go and find your Baruch or your Jeremiah, become part of the team, and make a difference.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 37

Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads. – Jeremiah 35:7

Today's Scripture Reading (September 1, 2026): Jeremiah 35

A story is told about Mahatma (a title meaning "high-souled" or "venerable" one) Gandhi attending a meeting with the King of the British Empire. The meeting took place in the days when Britain still ruled India as a colony. In the story, Gandhi heads for the meeting wearing the same rags that he had always worn. A reporter greeted him on the way and asked where he was going. Gandhi responded by describing the meeting he was about to attend. The reporter then apparently questioned whether Gandhi was really heading to such an important meeting with the King dressed as he was. Gandhi apparently smiled and told the reporter that he was sure that the King had enough clothes for both of them.

The story underscored Gandhi's identification with people experiencing poverty in his nation. He never ceased pursuing India's independence, but with as much effort as he expended on the nation's independence, he also interceded for the poorest of the poor and ended the practice that rendered certain people within the culture untouchable. Gandhi desired both independence and financial equality for the people of his nation and worked toward them even at meetings that had nothing to do with either.

Jehonadab lived three hundred years before the Book of Jeremiah was written, and he had taught his descendants the value of living humbly. Jehonadab believed the root of war and disagreement was the affluence of one party, so he advised his family to shun possessions so they could live in peace wherever they chose to be. For three centuries, his descendants followed Jehonadab's instructions and lived in peace. His descendants shunned possessions, living as a nomadic people and never building a house or planting a vineyard that would encourage them to settle in one place.

Some might consider Jehonadab's instructions to his children simplistic, but if we are going to work toward world peace, we have to begin to erase the distance between those who have and those who live in lack in our world. World peace is more than just speaking the words (or, in some cases, changing your name). Economic equality is vital if peace is what we are really after. But it is more than just a war against individual poverty; we also need to address it at the national level. The truth is that Jehonadab was right; to live in peace requires living humbly. The slogan "make poverty history" could easily be rewritten as "make affluence history." But either way, the financial paths of our world need to be balanced if we are going to dream of lasting peace between people, tribes, or nations.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 36

Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. – Jeremiah 34:17

Today's Scripture Reading (August 31, 2026): Jeremiah 34

In my mind, I am always right: always. I can have arguments with myself, and I always win. There is never really any mystery; I know in advance that I am going to win. So, I argue with myself a lot because, like some politicians, I like to win. I think that we are all just a little like that. We are right. The more that we win arguments with ourselves, the better we feel about our own position. As a result, our arguments become about what we deserve and the rights that we have.

God designed the concept of grace and placed it into the law he gave to Moses. Grace is basically the giving of something to someone that is undeserved. He had called Israel to be his people even though they had done nothing to earn that position. Israel didn’t deserve the honor of being God’s people, although I think they convinced themselves, basically by arguing with themselves, that they were worthy. God’s idea was that Israel, the objects of God’s grace, would share that grace with everyone around them. Because grace was what made Israel different, they would extend grace to one another. So, slavery, an idea that was held by all of the other countries in the world at the time, for Israel could only be a temporary state. Grace insisted that an enslaved person needed to be released after a certain length of time. Unfortunately, Israel argued with itself and won the argument. The result of this self-argument was that the enslaved person didn’t deserve to be set free, so why should they free them? Didn’t they have the right to do with their slaves the same thing that other nations did with theirs? And they were right; the enslaved person had done nothing to deserve to be set free. However, neither had Israel done anything to deserve to be released from their slavery in Egypt. This wasn’t about rights; Israel was supposed to be involved and telling a story that could only be told by God’s grace.

Whenever our arguments focus on what we deserve or what our rights might be, we leave the arena of faith and grace. The whole idea behind Christianity is that we receive what we didn’t deserve. God gives us what we don’t deserve, and our mission is to give the world around us what it doesn’t deserve. We are all about second, third, and fortieth chances. We are about grace; a grace that we extend freely because it is freely given to us. We proclaim freedom not because any one of us deserves it, but because God has spoken the story of grace over all of us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 35