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