Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. – Isaiah 41:12

Today's Scripture Reading (October 20, 2026): Isaiah 41

Potential often has an elusive quality. When we are young, we hope we possess potential. Potential speaks to our future, but only of a possible future. Potential must, at some point, be realized to mean anything, but it is not always fulfilled. Potential may lie inside us, but we still need the strength of character to make it a reality.

The Babylonian Empire had a long history, but in many ways it is a story of what might have been. Babylon seems marked by great potential, but it never really achieved it. The Empire rose and fell over time, but too often Babylon fell just short of what it could have been. When Isaiah wrote these words, Babylon was rising again. Judah became a victim of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (New Babylonian Empire) under Nebuchadnezzar II. But the Neo-Babylonian Empire reached its zenith only during Nebuchadnezzar's reign, then fell again, its full potential left unrealized.

Isaiah's words seem to point to the end of the Babylonian Captivity. No nation had ever returned from captivity, but Isaiah's encouraging words suggest this would not be Judah's fate. One day, Judah would wake up still in forced captivity, but their enemy, the nation responsible for their presence in Babylon in the first place, would have disappeared. The reality was that Nebuchadnezzar II had the character to realize Babylon's potential, but the kings who followed him lacked it. As a result, Babylon's strength would one day vanish, along with all its potential.

Then Judah would return home. Isaiah needed to show Judah that God still saw potential in them, and that they would receive a second chance to follow it. But to realize that potential, they needed the strength of character to follow God. (Interestingly, Isaiah might have missed that Nebuchadnezzar displayed that kind of strength as he pursued his own potential.)

Our potential still lies in our strength of character and our willingness to follow God. And it is never too late to realize that potential.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42

A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.” – Isaiah 40:6

Today's Scripture Reading (October 19, 2026): Isaiah 40

No one ever gave us a guarantee as to numbers. No one ever really promised us anything about tomorrow. As the days pass, we are given the illusion of immortality, but we know it is only an illusion, a dream that has been fabricated from somewhere deep inside of us. And one day will be our last day. The most frustrating fact of this life might be that we know we are not the only ones who will enter that last day. Everyone that we cherish and want to hold onto will also have their own last day. And nothing any of us can do to stop that day from coming.

Some Bible scholars suggest that as we move from Isaiah 39 to Isaiah 40, we pass from the first Isaiah to a second. The idea behind the theory is that while Isaiah 1 - 39 speak harshly of Israel, trying desperately to get the people to change their behavior before God brings disaster on the nation, starting with Isaiah 40 there is a change of tone in what Isaiah is saying; Isaiah begins to desire to be more of a comforting voice to Israel. It is as if, from Isaiah 1–39, the prophet carries warnings of the coming of the last day, but starting with Isaiah 40, the last day has arrived. Looking back in history, that last day was Judah's exile to Babylon. We suspect the prophet Isaiah died during the evil reign of Manasseh of Judah; we know he would never have survived to see the exile. The exile was still decades after the prophet’s death. Yet the imagery starting in Isaiah 40 is so startlingly real we have to wonder.

The theory is hotly debated. Both sides claim ground they really have no right to claim. The truth is that we do not know. But for the rest of the book of Isaiah, we will have to examine life in a very different way. Where the first Isaiah cried out about God's power and the woes of not following his path, this Isaiah, whether a different man or just an older version of the first, now questions the very things he has to say. Like Marley in “A Christmas Carol,” the prophet hears the world asking him for comfort, and he is not sure he has any to give.

However, he knows this. This life is fragile. It carries no guarantees. But as fragile as this life is, God is sturdy. As short as our days are, God’s are unending. Isaiah's imagery is of the hills of Judah after the winter rains; he marvels at how lush, green, and flower-filled they are. But it does not take long for the grass to brown and the flowers to die under the hot Middle Eastern Sun. He realizes that this scene, which he has watched repeatedly throughout his life, also describes life itself. The only permanent things were the things that emanated from his God. And so, the prophet responds to the voice: What is it that I should cry? Because I do not want to waste my voice on things that do not come from you.

The prophet’s question needs to be our own. Why would we waste our breath on anything that does not come from God? Whatever we say, we want to be stamped with the character of the one whose days are truly without end. Those unending days are possessed by the Creator now, as they always have been.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 41

The gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi. – Ezekiel 48:31

Today's Scripture Reading (October 18, 2026): Ezekiel 48

Neil Young wrote the song "Love is a Rose" in 1974. The song was originally written for Young's studio album "Homegrown." But that album was never released. For some mysterious reason, Young decided at the last minute to abandon the project. The song "Love is a Rose" then went into a holding pattern. It took a few more years for the song to see the light of day on a compilation CD, and then, as a country hit, on a Linda Ronstadt album. The lyrics of the chorus are:

Love is a rose, but you better not pick it.
It only grows when it's on the vine.
A handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it.
You lose your love when you say the word "mine."

                                               Neil Young

Young's lines are poetic, but in a very real way, he is wrong. Love may be like a rose; it may be symbolized by a rose, but love is not a rose. The rose (especially a red one) symbolizes love, but it is not love. It is a very dangerous thing to confuse the real thing with the symbol. The only safe place to confuse the actual thing with a symbol is in a poem or a song. Real life demands something different.

In biblical study, one challenge we struggle with is distinguishing between the literal and the symbolic. When does the Bible mean something literally, and when is it speaking figuratively or symbolically? A friend of mine solved the problem by assuming the Bible never speaks symbolically; everything mentioned is meant literally. But then we arrive at the "Love is a Rose" problem.

Ezekiel describes the gates to the new city. The city has twelve gates, and each is named after one of the tribes of Israel. But this is not a literal representation of the tribes of Israel; the gates are symbolic. We know this for two reasons. First, the order of the gates does not match any order given for the tribes of Israel. It does not reflect either how Israel camped in the desert or how the tribes received their inheritance in Canaan. A second clue is Levi's inclusion in the list. Levi had no inheritance and is often excluded from the list of the tribes; however, a gate bears Levi's name.

Ezekiel describes the new city; the city that blesses the world. The tribes symbolize the way into the city. But the way is not through Israel's tribes. The tribes of Israel symbolize God's promise. God promises Abraham that he will bless the world through him, and the tribes symbolize that promise. As Ezekiel sees the gates of the new city, he recognizes God's promise to bless the world, and he allows the twelve tribes to represent or symbolize that blessing.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40

He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. – Ezekiel 47:8

Today's Scripture Reading (October 17, 2026): Ezekiel 47

A story is told of neighbors who decide to sue their neighbor. The problem is that a creek flowing through the neighbors' property has been dammed up, and the much-needed water is slowed, or at times stopped, by dams on the creek over which the neighbors have no control.

The man argues that he shouldn't be sued because he has not built any dams on his property. In fact, he gains nothing from damming the water. He wants the water to flow through his land. If the water has been stopped, it is not because of him. An examination of the creek as it flows through the property shows that the neighbors are right; the water has been dammed. It also shows the property owner is right: he did nothing to dam the creek. A family of industrious beavers built the dams and decided to make their home by the creek. The landowner, pleading innocence, argues that if someone is to be sued, the appropriate party to be named in the lawsuit is the beavers. A series of beaver dams has stopped the creek.

Life tends to build up on us. The cumulative effect of everything we go through has a very real impact on us. I would love to say we are objective and can respond to life as it comes, but the reality is that life changes us. When life is negative, it leaves us the same way. When the negative builds up, we start making unhealthy decisions. The negative grows, and we begin to die.

For Ezekiel, this principle was illustrated powerfully. The Dead Sea was a place of death. It received all the negativity the Jordan River had to offer and held it. It built up until the water literally died and the sea became a place of death. But Ezekiel had a vision of a river flowing from the temple that brought life, even to water that had died.

It is a powerful image of redemption, grace, and forgiveness. An image of what God wants to do with our lives. It begins with allowing God to move in us to forgive. Then the water flows through us, enabling us to forgive others. If we can do both, be forgiven and forgive, the negativity that has built up in our lives has a chance to be released. As the river flows over us, it brings back the life that had gone missing. It is what God has purposed to do in our lives if we will let him. He desires to bring life to what is dead in us and what has died in our communities.

So maybe it is time to remove the beaver dams from our lives and let the healing river flow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 48

 

So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular burnt offering. – Ezekiel 46:15

Today's Scripture Reading (October 16, 2026): Ezekiel 46

The old adage is right. In business, there is no big mystery about turning a profit. All we have to do is make sure our income exceeds our expenses. So, if you are in business or even want to improve your personal finances, the key to profit is to cut expenses until they fall below your income. Simple, right? Okay, maybe not.

The problem is that some expenses can't be cut. Rent and insurance are often fixed. To run a business or a home, these expenses form a baseline. They set a floor for our income. They are the costs that exist before you even open the doors and turn on the light switch. These expenses are the "turnkey" costs of the business—expenses you have to pay before you even turn the key to open the business's door.

Ezekiel 46 essentially addresses the spiritual equivalent of these expenses. These are the daily spiritual requirements for living in a world far from God. The problem with baseline expenses is that they never go away. Paying once isn't enough; they keep recurring. Sin had its own permanent cost requirement under the law. There was a daily obligation that had to be paid.

For those of us living on our side of the cross, the news is good. The good news is that Jesus paid that turnkey debt once and for all. We no longer need to make daily sacrifices to atone. It is too bad that not many of us live as if we know that. We live as if guilt is threatening to overturn our lives. Some of our practices seem to reinforce this idea. Confession is one of those practices. Confession encourages us to keep an account of our sins so we can confess them to a priest or spiritual leader, who can then impose spiritual punishment. We should confess to one another in the spirit of accountability so we can grow beyond the sin limits in our lives. However, that confession shouldn't be to make restitution for sin that has already been paid for.

We need to remember that guilt has no place in our lives. The debt has been paid, and our lives should reflect that truth. Does yours?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 47

All the people of the land will be required to give this special offering to the prince in Israel. – Ezekiel 45:16

Today's Scripture Reading (October 15, 2026): Ezekiel 45

I was reminiscing with some friends about the 1971 Grey Cup (the Canadian Football version of the Super Bowl). In 1971, two of my favorite football teams met for the championship: the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders. Three years earlier, I had moved with my parents from Toronto to Calgary. I was eight when we moved, and I hadn't been interested in football until I arrived in Calgary. By the 1971 season, I lived and breathed the Stampeders.

That year, the Toronto Argonauts were led by rookie quarterback Joe Theismann. Theismann would later become an NFL great with the Washington Redskins, now the Washington Commanders. Toronto was favored to win, but rain made it a low-scoring affair. However, when the final whistle blew, the underdogs from Calgary won the 59th Grey Cup, 14-11. It was only the second time Calgary had won the Canadian Football Championship and the first since 1948. I was eleven years old and in sixth grade at the time. 

What I really remember about the 1971 Grey Cup is what happened after the game. Because Grey Cup winners were uncommon in Calgary, saying the city's sports fans were excited would have been an understatement. I remember the Mayor coming on TV and radio with an exciting announcement. The city was going to welcome our Stampeders home in style, and the Mayor wanted all the kids to gather at the downtown arena, the Stampede Corral, on Monday afternoon to scream for their heroes. It didn't take long for someone to question whether the Mayor had the authority to cancel school, and the school board answered that he did not. Quickly, the school board chairman replaced the Mayor's voice. Classes would not be canceled so the kids could welcome their Stampeders home. Everyone was expected to be in school.

Ezekiel says that the landowners are to give an offering to the prince of Israel (Israel no longer had a king). The prince was to use the money for various sin offerings at the nation's religious festivals. But as I read this passage, the question that jumps out is: why was the money given to the prince? Would it not have been better to give the money directly to the priests who were responsible for making the sacrifice? Surprisingly, I consulted some experts, and they were silent on the reason, only confirming that the money was not to be given to the priests.

So, let me offer this as my humble suggestion. If the religious feasts were to become a reality, they would not happen simply because the religious structure decreed them. They would also require political support. And perhaps the best way for that to happen was to divide responsibility between the two forces in people's lives: the political would collect the offering and prepare everything for the sacrifice. In contrast, the priests would minister at the altar, properly offering the sacrifice to God. The political and religious fronts would work in unity, making the religious feast not just a possibility but a reality in the life of the new nation. In this way, there would be no embarrassing conflicts between the two forces of religious life in Judah.

Maybe that is the reason, or maybe not, but back when I was eleven, it would have been nice to have the two forces in my life, the School Board and the Mayor, on the same page. Eventually, a compromise was reached. The schools would be open, but no one would take attendance. With that knowledge firmly in hand, the eleven-year-old me headed for the Corral to welcome the Calgary Stampeders home. 

Just one more note. The Prince of Israel could also be called the Messiah of Israel. When Jesus arrived, he became prophet, priest, and King. The New Testament places major emphasis on only one of those roles: King. Jesus was the Prince of Israel and heir to David's throne. Just as the landowners during the rebuilding of Judah brought offerings to the Prince, we now bring our sacrifices to our King. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 46

 

Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. – Ezekiel 44:8

Today's Scripture Reading (October 14, 2026): Ezekiel 44

One leadership practice I have tried to live by is never asking anyone to do anything I am unwilling to do myself. As a business owner, it meant taking on menial tasks every once in a while. No one wanted to see me overhauling an engine, but I could at least do an oil change or vacuum a trunk. In pastoral ministry, that sometimes means getting involved in areas where I am out of my depth and outside my comfort zone. Often, it has meant doing something someone else could do better, but that was seldom the point; I just needed to be willing to do it.

The reality is that life presents us with things we simply need to do. They are placed in front of us, waiting for us to pick them up. As we chase after success, however you might define it, these often seem to be the make-or-break moments, tests that life gives us that will have significant effects on our lives.

God's complaint to Ezekiel was that his priests were leaving the tasks he had assigned them to others. People who didn't understand what they were doing were caring for the holy things because the priests felt those tasks weren't the job God had given them. The priests concluded that some tasks were beneath their status and importance. God seems to disagree.

We aren't supposed to do everything. However, wisdom begins with knowing what God has uniquely placed before us. It probably starts with the things only we can do because of the knowledge we have or the place God has put us. A good leadership trait is being willing to do anything, but we can't neglect the things God has purposely given us that no one else can do. Have you identified those things in your life? Are you willing to do them, or are you looking for someone else to take that responsibility? It is your decision, but God has a preference, and there are some things you need to do for his Gospel to move forward.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 45