This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water." – Jeremiah 13:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 10, 2026): Jeremiah 13

It was a Christmas skit to be performed at the Annual Christmas banquet. At the time, I was the Associate Pastor for the church, but I was also very new at the position. The skit called for me to wear a pink, frilly tutu. (How they found one that I could fit into is still a bit of a mystery to me.) They gave me the tutu the night of the performance, and I remember squeezing myself into it before I had to take the stage. And yes, I looked ridiculous. But then, that was the point.

I remember the tutu, although I don't remember much else about the skit. I remember my boss had a role in the skit, although his mode of dress was much more dignified than mine. The skit was humorous, but much of the humor was me in the tutu.

If Jeremiah wore the traditional dress of a prophet, he would have been wearing a fairly tight-fitting tunic made out of a coarse material. Over top of this tunic, he would have worn a hair cloak. On the other side of the coin, the priests and the wealthy would wear a linen girdle or decorative belt around their waist, along with the finery that they could afford. God's instructions would have been to take the linen girdle that the more elite members of society might wear and place it around his waist, on top of the prophetic dress Jeremiah would normally wear. Combining the two would have made Jeremiah look as ridiculous as I did in a pink tutu that Christmas. But again, the spectacle was the point.

As Jeremiah appeared in Jerusalem, everyone would notice what the Prophet was wearing. But even more importantly, they would remember what Jeremiah was wearing. It would have been hard to forget. Likely, there was some good-natured, or maybe not so good-natured, ribbing over the way that Jeremiah looked. (Trust me, I remember the jokes I took over the tutu.) But all of this was the point.

The Prophet's ridiculous look was the beginning of a message, and if nobody noticed how Jeremiah was dressed, the message might have been missed. Sometimes, Prophets were more like that guy who stood on the cafeteria table with French fries up his nose than we might imagine. But somehow, they had to gain the attention of those around them before they could deliver the message God had placed on their hearts.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 14

The other events of Jehoiakim's reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king. – 2 Chronicles 36:8

Today's Scripture Reading (July 9, 2026): 2 Chronicles 36

All of us carry baggage from our growing-up years. And we all react to that baggage very differently. For some, that baggage is devastating. And it doesn't necessarily mean that we had terrible upbringings. Two siblings can react to the same home and the same situations in very different ways. As parents, all we can do is do our best and lift our children up in prayer daily.

Three of Josiah's sons would reign as kings over the land of Judah. But they did not ascend the throne in order of their ages. Eliakim, who reigned as Jehoiakim, was the oldest. Yet Eliakim was passed over after his father's death in favor of his younger brother, Jehoahaz. The proposed reasons for this vary. Some believe that Jehoahaz was simply the more popular of the brothers among the leaders in Judah. Others point out that Eliakim or Jehoiakim was simply unfit to lead the nation, and that his father and the leaders of Judah understood this when they made Jehoahaz king in 609 B.C.E.

Jehoiakim was an angry man. But when Egypt took his younger brother, the now King of Judah, Jehoahaz, into captivity only three months into his reign, the nation was forced to turn to the violent Eliakim as their king. There was another brother, but Zedekiah was still just a young boy when Jehoahaz was removed. Zedekiah would ascend to the throne and serve as the last king of Judah after the death of Jehoiakim and the Babylonians' removal of Jehoiakim's son, Jehoiachin.

After he became king, Jehoiakim wasted little time displaying that he was not his father's son. He overturned all of his father Josiah's reforms. Jehoiakim was a godless man who feared little other than the Babylonians, and even his respect for them was likely all show. He ruled Judah as a tyrant. He murdered everyone he didn't like, and Jerusalem was filled with the blood of the innocents (2 Kings 24:4). He maintained incestuous relationships with his mother and other women in the family. He seemed to regularly burn scrolls of scripture that he disagreed with or that he thought might hold him in an unflattering light. He even tried to reverse his Jewishness by restoring the foreskin stolen from him by his circumcision as a child.

And then, Jehoiakim died. That he died in 598 B.C.E. is really the only thing that we can say for certain. The book of Kings just says that he rested with his ancestors, and Chronicles says even less, indicating simply that his son, Jehoiachin, succeeded him. But the death of Jehoiakim was not likely peaceful. History and tradition differ on how the king died, but one common denominator is the gruesomeness of the King's demise. Some historians argue that Jehoiakim died in Jerusalem while the Sanhedrin deliberated on whether to hand the King over to the Babylonians. After his death, the leaders of Jerusalem unceremoniously threw his body over the wall to the waiting Babylonians to do as they saw fit with the former King of Judah.  

Another version of the death of Jehoiakim argues that he died after being lowered over the wall to the waiting Babylonians, possibly at the hands of the Babylonians themselves. Probably the most gruesome of the possible fates of Jehoiakim is that he was handed over to the Babylonians, where he was paraded in dishonor throughout the nation. When the tour had finished, the King was executed, and his body was either fed piece by piece to the dogs, or it was placed inside a dead donkey and left for the animals to devour.

At some point, it seems someone recovered the King's body and brought it back to Jerusalem. However, even there Jehoiakim found no rest. According to the ancient rabbinic writing, the Aggadah, Jehoiakim is still undergoing punishment for the great sin he committed against Jerusalem and Judah during his lifetime.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 13

See Also 2 Kings 24:6

Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” – 2 Chronicles 35:23

Today's Scripture Reading (July 8, 2026): 2 Chronicles 35

You have probably heard of populism, but you might not really know what it means. In my part of the world, the most famous populist is President Donald Trump. The term “populism” or “populist” is often used as an insult, but some have made the most of it. Populists are not confined to one part of the political spectrum. You can find them on the Right, Left, and even toward the Center of the political spectrum.

A true populist believes that society is divided into two groups. One group, and the one that they agree with, are the pure people. In actuality, these are often the ones who support the populist leader. The other group consists of the evil elite and their supporters. These are the ones who are “crooked” and want to take advantage of the government and the nation. One common belief in populism is the existence of a deep state, run by an elite group that governs to improve its own position. Populism usually promises to “drain the swamp,” remove the elite, and hand the reins of power back to the people.

In my part of the world, Donald Trump is a populist. My native Canada is flirting with populism, though it hasn’t, as of yet, succumbed to the temptation. Here, populism sits on the Right of the political spectrum, leaving some conservatives without a place in the national political debate. I admit that populism must have a place in God’s plan for our world, but I often struggle to see what that place might be. However, I trust that God has a plan, even when I can’t see it.

Josiah was a good king. He followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah. But between Hezekiah and Josiah were two kings who didn’t measure up as well: the long reign of Manasseh and the extremely short reign of Josiah’s father, Amon.

Josiah came to the throne of Judah at the age of eight after the assassination of his father, Amon. Josiah did well, but God remained angry with the people for their actions during Manasseh's reign. His anger never subsided, but he promised not to punish Judah until after Josiah’s reign was finished.  

Maybe that was a reason for Josiah to breathe a little easier, but the truth is that Josiah’s life was shortened as a random arrow cut him down. Josiah, the good king, died before his fortieth birthday. Three of his four sons would gain the throne of Judah, but none of them would walk in their father’s footsteps. During their reigns, the end of Judah began to come into focus. I am sure that many on that day wondered what God’s purpose was in ending the reign of Josiah early and allowing his sons to come to the throne.

Sometimes I don’t understand God's purposes, but I trust there is one. And in the end, I, with Josiah, will understand what that purpose is. And everything will one day make sense, even if I don’t understand at the current moment.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 36

The king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?" The people of the city said, "It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it." – 2 Kings 23:17

Today's Scripture Reading (July 7, 2026): 2 Kings 23

It happened in the early days of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The northern tribes had rebelled against Rehoboam, Solomon's son. The rebellion eventually led to the Northern tribes' decision to separate from Judah, which was ruled by the House of David. But they had a problem. The Tabernacle had disappeared from the nation's religious experience, and the brick-and-mortar Temple that had become the nation's worship center had been built in Jerusalem, a city within the boundaries of the Tribe of Benjamin, which had decided to stand with Judah. As a result, the northern tribe had been left without a place to worship.

Jeroboam, the new King of the Northern Kingdom, felt he had to come up with an answer. The people couldn't continue to travel to Jerusalem, or he might risk losing them forever. His solution? Build two golden calves, and place them in the city of Dan in the north and Bethel in the south. Then, King Jeroboam would tell the people that these were the gods of Israel; come and worship in Dan and Bethel instead of Jerusalem.

And then a prophet from Judah appeared in Bethel.

By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: "Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you'" (1 Kings 13:1-2).

We don't know who the prophet was. Almost 350 years later, there is a King named Josiah who is on the throne of Judah. Israel, Jeroboam's Kingdom, had long ago been destroyed. Josiah has the bones of the priests that had been buried in the area, dug up and burned on the altar that Jeroboam had created three centuries earlier. But as Josiah comes to one tomb in the area, he asks, "To whom does this grave belong?" And the people proudly declare that it is the burial site of this unknown prophet, the one who had declared that Josiah would come. We don't remember his name, but the people of Bethel still remembered the prophet who had once journeyed there to confront Jeroboam. And they honored his presence in their city with a memorial and a story that was to be passed down through the generations. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 35

You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. – Jeremiah 12:2

Today's Scripture Reading (July 6, 2026): Jeremiah 12

In many ways, North America was built on the concept of religious freedom. It definitely wasn't the only reason, but many people were willing to move from Europe to the American frontier because there they could worship as they saw fit, which ran counter to European practice, where areas seemed dominated by a single religious practice. However, the reality is that we have never been good at true religious freedom. We always seem to feel threatened by the religious practices, or non-practice, of others. We want the laws of the land to reflect what we believe and to protect us from others' beliefs. But that runs counter to the idea of religious freedom in the new world.

Enter Ronald Reagan Jr. and his television commercials supporting Atheism. Reagan likes to remind his audience that the United States was founded on the principle of the separation of church and state. Would it surprise you to know that Reagan is wrong? In fact, the separation of church and state is not a government directive, but was developed by well-meaning Baptist believers. The idea was that the state or the nation shouldn't have direct oversight of the religious practice. The New World was not Britain, where the reigning monarch is also the head of the church. 

I am continuously amazed at the reaction of atheists against the core beliefs of Christianity. I get it; they don't like the first four commandments, and I wouldn't expect them to. But when Jesus was asked which commandments were the most important, he quoted the last six.

"Which ones [commandments]?" he inquired.

Jesus replied, " 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 19:18-19).

What is wrong with these commandments, even from Ronald Reagan Jr.'s atheistic position? I get that there is some pushback to the question of adultery, but keeping our promises, which is the essential problem with adultery, is something on which our societies are constructed.

The reality is that our society has been planted on an idea that has taken root and bloomed: the Freedom of Religion. We give support to this principle with our lips, but not with our actions. Our actions often declare that it is our way or the highway; only our beliefs should be protected by Law.

It is an extension of Jeremiah's words. In the case of Jeremiah, God had planted Israel, and the nation had taken root and bloomed. The people gave lip service to their God but did little to follow his principles, even if those principles were just the last six commandments. Israel said that they believed in God but gave very little thought to what that meant, just as we say we believe in the freedom of religion, but think very little about what that means in our society.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 23

Then the LORD said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem.” – Jeremiah 11:9

Today's Scripture Reading (July 5, 2026): Jeremiah 11

In the aftermath of World War II, some saw an opportunity to further scientific development in the United States. The idea was that there were scientists in Germany who were working on the same kind of things, especially in the area of rocketry, that scientists in the West were developing. If we could bring those two groups together, we might make significant advances in scientific knowledge. Those in power in the United States decided to launch a plan to bring German scientists to the United States. The original idea was that scientists who had not been involved in the Nazi war effort could be given research positions in the United States. Background checks were initiated, and the appropriate scientists were invited to come and work with the Americans on various projects, including rocketry and the space race to the moon.

It wasn't long before a conspiracy theory began to circulate that there were Germans who were being invited to come to the United States who weren't the innocent academics they were portrayed to be. Nazi officers were being given government positions in the United States. And these scientists were not men who had slipped through the cracks in the policy designed to keep them out; the government knew they were here; in fact, the American government knew who these men were when it extended the invitation for them to join the American scientific industry.

There is something nefarious about conspiracy theories, yet they seem to arise in almost every field of achievement. The moon landing didn't really happen; what we believe was a moon landing was staged on a top-secret Hollywood set. Or the concept that the various school shootings were faked by people who support gun control. The message is that you have been deceived, and what you think you see cannot be believed. Usually, the deception lies with those who preach that we have been deceived.

However, sometimes, the conspiracy theories are true. And in the case of Nazi scientists being given positions in the American government, it was true. Research in the 1970s uncovered "Operation Paperclip," a secret American Intelligence program that brought more than 1600 German scientists into the United States, including men who the government knew were members of the Nazi Party. Kurt Debus, the first director of the Kennedy Space Center, was a member of the Schutzstaffel (SS) during World War II. Wernher von Braun, sometimes called the "father of the American lunar program" and the "father of rocket science," was also a member of the SS during World War II and a member of the Nazi Party from 1937 until 1945, when the Nazi Party was disbanded. Some have argued that von Braun and some of his compatriots escaped justice for their knowledge of war crimes because they were able to help the United States beat the Soviet Union in the Cold War.

Jeremiah writes that God alluded to a conspiracy that was alive in Jerusalem and Judah. Some experts think this was a figure of speech, but I think some religious leaders led a conspiracy against belief in God. The problem was that these leaders found God inconvenient, so they led the people away from true worship of the God of Israel, deceiving them and allowing them to be molded by the political leadership. Many people who decided to follow the conspirators would suffer defeat for that decision. All because the conspiracy was actually true, and people like Jeremiah, who fought against the conspiracy, were few.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 12

You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. – Habakkuk 3:13

Today's Scripture Reading (July 4, 2026): Habakkuk 3

In the days when my wife and I were planning our wedding, I was a university student, and she was working in a nursing home. I probably don't have to tell you that money was tight. And so our "Honeymoon" would basically be our drive back from my wife's island childhood home, where we would be married, to the city where I was attending university and she was working in a nursing home, a journey of just over 700 km (450 miles). We had a tourist book of hotels and motels on the Island, and we started searching it for a nice place to stay on our wedding night. We came upon a place not far from the wedding site and close to the ferry we would need to take when we left the Island; it sounded perfect. It was a small place, only a dozen or so rooms, right on the ocean with a great view. And so, months before the proposed wedding date, we booked a room for a couple of nights after the wedding.

When we got to the Island, a few days before the wedding, we had a fairly rude awakening. The place was a dump, and that is probably being generous. The only thing that seemed to be true to the advertisement was that it was small and on the ocean. There was a much nicer place across the street, but it was totally booked. However, I left my name with the owner, who promised to phone us if he had any cancellations. Luckily, a couple of days later, he called to say they had a cancellation and that my bride and I had a new place to stay before we started our journey home.

Today, we would go online and look for reviews of the place, which might give us a more honest evaluation of the hotel. After all, we know that the internet never lies. (Can you hear my sarcasm?) Maybe an online review would have helped, but we might have still fallen for the scam.

This section of Habakkuk's prayer feels a bit like an online review. Habakkuk begins to recount all the ways God had acted in the past. These are the things that you have done. It was a reminder of God's history to the people. Unlike my book of hotel reviews, the hope was that, as people remember these stories passed down from generation to generation, they would know this is what God has done in the past. And, if the past is prologue, if everything that has happened up until now informs our present, then when we need God to move, the way he moved in the past reassures us that He can move again. If God was able to do this in the past, we know that you will do it again.

Nothing has changed. God is still the one we can trust. We, too, know the stories, both those found in the Bible and those we have experienced in our own lives. And because we know what God has done in the past, we know that He can meet our needs in the present. We have seen God move and know what he can do. As a result, we can put our trust in Him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 11

Happy Independence Day!