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

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. – Jeremiah 33:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 30, 2026): Jeremiah 33

I have to admit that I am amazed at what we refuse to believe. It does not seem to matter what the event is or was; there are always those among us who seem willing to disbelieve. Did we actually make it to the moon (let alone the current plans for a manned expedition to Mars), or was the whole thing acted out on a Hollywood sound stage? Some of us refuse to believe that the moon, or any of the planets, are within our reach. Did the Holocaust happen, or was Hitler guilty of a few atrocities, but nothing like what he was accused of? In the case of Hitler, maybe it is not surprising that we still have people who doubt the crimes against humanity that occurred during the Second World War; after all, that was one of the problems that we had during the war itself. We heard of the atrocities, but they were so bad that we had trouble believing that they could be true, that anyone could be so evil as to be guilty of such acts. What changed many minds was the moment that the troops entered the first of the concentration camps. In that moment, no matter what it was that we might have believed, the witness statements of the soldiers who walked into the camps changed a lot of what we believed forever. However, ultimately, to believe anything, even the truth, we have to want to believe.

God speaks to Jeremiah and gives him what is, in fact, a very simple message. Call to me, and I will answer, and I will tell you of great and unsearchable things. But it only makes sense if we want to hear the answer and believe.

I remember my granddaughter, back when she was a toddler, meeting a dog. She was only in contact with the dog for a couple of minutes, but that was all it took for her to fall in love. But it also made it hard to let the dog go to his home while my granddaughter needed to make her way to hers. In that moment, there was no truth that she wanted to hear. All she wanted was the dog. As I watched her and tried to tell her I loved her and that life would go on even without the dog she had fallen in love with, I saw myself in her. I saw my own unwillingness to hear the truth spoken to me, even when the one who loves me more than I could imagine is the one trying to speak it.

God is continually speaking the truth into our lives, but often we can't hear him. It is not that God isn't speaking loudly enough; we just don't want to hear the words. And while God is answering and speaking of the wonders of his love, shouting his love to us, we will never hear it unless we want to hear God's message given to us and want to believe.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 34

For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.' - Jeremiah 32:15

Today's Scripture Reading (August 29, 2026): Jeremiah 32

Life happens in cycles. History seems to want to repeat itself. Life comes at us in waves, like the unrelenting pounding of the ocean during a bad storm. The waves of life bring change, whether we want it or not. Assuming things will always be the way they are now is an unwarranted expectation. Life doesn't work that way. If things are going well now, be assured that trouble is just around the corner. However, when trouble comes, it likely won't last long, although trouble tends to make time feel like it is standing still. Life works in ebbs and flows, and nothing it brings to us is permanent.

Jeremiah had been prophesying that Israel's trouble was about to increase. Because of the nation's sin, God was about to bring a purifying fire on the nation he had led out of captivity in Egypt. Once more, Israel would find itself in a strange land. However, this captivity wouldn't be any more permanent than the captivity they had suffered in the days of Moses at the hands of the Egyptians. As bad as it may seem to the people in this moment, there was a time that would come when once again a normal pace would be seen in Canaan. A day will come when land will be bought and sold as it always has been. Peace will be restored and once again experienced by all who would live in the land.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, makes sure the people understand everything that is about to happen. While things couldn't be changed and the prophecies had to come to pass, amid the prophet's tears there is also hope for the future. Jeremiah told the people to be aware of the life changes which were coming.

'Now' always looms large in our minds. Whether it is good or bad, we can't seem to see beyond the eternal now, but part of the biblical message concerns the future. One of the purposes of the Bible is to lift our eyes above the now and see what might be about to happen. If things are going well, prepare for when they will be bad; if things are bad, raise an expectation for the good that will eventually come. Don't get used to the story as it is because, if you do, you won't be able to survive when the story changes.

Wherever you are now, know that tomorrow is coming; and when it comes, be ready to embrace it. Because whatever that day brings is just another part of the cycle of this life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 33

 

 

This is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, 'LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' – Jeremiah 31:7

Today's Scripture Reading (August 28, 2026): Jeremiah 31

Many years ago, I was out in the early morning hours when I came across a teen walking somewhere. I have no idea what either of us was doing out at that time of the day, but summer was in full swing, and the morning was still, warm, and perfect. The one thing I do remember was that the teen was celebrating something, because in the stillness of the morning, I could hear him singing, and I paused from my journey just to listen. And, while I was aware of this teen, the teen had no idea that I was there.

I admit that I love to stand and hear someone sing who doesn't know that I am listening. There is so much joy that seems to spill innocently from their souls. Even those who argue that they don't really like music sometimes find themselves in a position where it seems that only a song can express the emotions that are welling up from within.

I think that is what it is supposed to be like as we gather together in our various places of worship.  We sing together, not because we are good at singing; we make a joyful noise that spills directly out of our souls and into the places of worship in which we find ourselves.

So, the next time you find yourself in your place of worship, don't worry about who can hear you sing.  Lose yourself in the joy of serving God and make your praises heard. It is long past the time when we should all be crying out to God, for He has promised to save us!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 32

'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,' says the LORD. – Jeremiah 30:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 27, 2026): Jeremiah 30

One of the ugliest scars that we have inflicted on our planet has absolutely nothing to do with strip mining or any of the other ecological disasters that we insist on inflicting on this planet on which we live. There are scars even worse than the ecological ones (as if what we are doing to our ecology were not bad enough). The worst scars come from our insistence on behaving in a bigoted way. The discrimination that we inflict on people because of their race, creed, gender, health, or even sexual orientation is unconscionable. In the midst of our hate, we seem to forget that these people are the creations of a living God; they are the recipients of the most important gift God could give to us, life, and they are the objects of God's biggest sacrifice, his only son, so that they could live the life he had given to them to the absolute fullest extent possible. Our discrimination belittles both us and our belief in God.

Jeremiah prophesies that the exiles from Judah will one day return to their native land. And historically we understand that prediction. In about sixty years, depending on when we date this passage, the once mighty Babylonian Empire would lie in pieces, and some of the people of Judah would begin to return home. But Jeremiah does not just say that Judah will return home; he also says that Israel would return home.

In popular culture, we seem to believe that this prophecy remains outstanding. We speak of the lost ten tribes of Israel, meaning the tribes of the Northern nation who were carried into captivity by the Assyrians a century and a half before Judah was carried into exile by the Babylonians. But the tribes were never really lost. The children of the northern ten tribes slowly filtered back into their homeland. The insidious plan of the Assyrians was to intermarry with the captives from Israel. As a result, the descendants of the Northern tribes who returned to their homeland were no longer genetically pure. They were half-breeds. Israel was never lost; it was just watered down. In the Christian writings, the last Ten Tribes of Israel are represented by the despised Samaritans.

By the time of Jesus, the Samaritans were routinely discriminated against by the people of Judah. For the Jews, the Samaritans represented something that was almost less than human. They were a people created as the children of God, but they had traded that position in for something less. Yet Jeremiah reminds us that God doesn't see half-breeds when he looks at the Samaritans of Jesus's time; all he sees is his children, a truth reflected in Jesus's conversation with the woman at the well in John 4.

Whatever it might be that we see in the people around us, God still sees his children. Children worthy of his love, and because they are worthy of God's love, they are also worthy of ours. And we know that one day God is going to bring us all home to the land that he has given to his children; all of us: regardless of race, creed, gender, health, or even sexual orientation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31

 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

Today's Scripture Reading (August 26, 2026): Jeremiah 29

The darkest times in our lives are often those moments when we are tired because life has worn us out. In those moments, we are often too tired to think of what to do next. I remember several times in my life when that was true, and I have learned that when I am tired, those are not the best moments to make life-changing decisions. I admit it is tempting to make those decisions then; however, making life-shaping decisions while weary from life should be avoided whenever possible.

Babylon had defeated Israel. The best and the brightest had been taken away from the nation and held in captivity. It is not hard to imagine how tired the nation must have been. Life had changed, and they couldn't imagine how it would ever be the same again. And they were right; life had changed and the old times would never return.

This passage is part of the letter Jeremiah wrote from Jerusalem to those who had been taken away from their homes and forced to live in Babylon. It stressed that God still understood their situation. The best and the brightest no longer resided in the little stretch of land that God had promised to Abraham. Ezekiel, Daniel, and other important national leaders sat in a city that was not theirs, beside rivers they had never drunk from, and surrounded by a countryside they had never seen. And yet in the middle of all of this strangeness, God says, "Hey, I am still here. I am not only here, but I am still involved in your future. You may be ready to give up on yourself, but I am not ready to give up on you."

In the church, we tend to like this verse; however, I think we often miss the context. As God says, "For I know the plans I have for you," and while He speaks of a future and hope, He knows He is speaking to people who are tired and scared. The reality was that they weren't going home tomorrow. In fact, most of those who received this promise in Babylon would never see the Promised Land again.

Jeremiah is a dark prophet. He prophesied in a dark time about serious issues, but he knew that there was hope at the end of the tunnel. He also knew God would walk with his people through the darkness.

In our world, I can't promise that things will start getting better tomorrow. I am not sure it has anything to do with our political leaders. In fact, I believe most of what we are suffering through right now is due to our own selfishness and greed. Placing the blame on our political leaders is unfair when we are not willing to change the way we live. But I do know that no matter how dark it gets, God is still there in the midst of the tunnel with us.

And that he still has a plan!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 30

Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. – Jeremiah 28:10

Today's Scripture Reading (August 25, 2026): Jeremiah 28

There is a tension between what we can do and what we should do. In science, the comment often concerns advanced weapons of war, especially weapons of mass destruction. It was the argument that surrounded the development of the Hydrogen and Atomic Bombs. It is also the argument that continues to surround the question of Atomic Energy. We know the positive uses of atomic energy. Still, we also know of the negative uses of Atomic theory in war and the great dangers that atomic energy presents to the human race. So, the question remains: just because we can does not necessarily mean that we should.

In national finances, the question is asked with almost every budget. Just because we have the money, or, in many cases, can borrow it, does not necessarily mean the money should be spent in these areas. Can does not mean should.

As a prophet, the tension between can and should was immense. A king would often pressure the prophet to speak in favor of his policies and the future of his nation. It was not just an egotistic wish that the prophet would stroke the ego of the king, although sometimes that was and still is a part of it. However, if the prophet stood with the king, it instilled a very positive energy throughout the nation. As a result, the pressure to support was considerable. Each prophet had to make a choice. He could support the king, but should he? And the question was really settled by the prophet's relationship with his God. The prophet was supposed to speak with the voice of God, but that assumed the prophet was close enough to God to hear his voice.

Hananiah removes the yoke from the shoulders of Jeremiah and breaks it. It was intended as an encouraging act, especially for King Zedekiah; Hananiah was symbolically removing the burden from Jeremiah's shoulders that Jeremiah had insisted was an image of the burden which was about to be placed on Judah. After he removed and broke the yoke, Hananiah explains his act: the false prophet argues that Jeremiah's prophecy of Judah's defeat is wrong. Hananiah asserts that he has heard the voice of God and that God wished to support Zedekiah, the king. Deep down, I think Jeremiah wished that Hananiah was right; he wished he could support the king, even if the king were not honoring God. However, Jeremiah had heard the voice of God, and the prophecy was that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was not fighting against God's will. The yoke that was about to be put on the shoulders of Judah would not be so easily broken just because Hananiah and King Zedekiah wished it.

We are still charged with speaking the will of God into our culture, no matter how uncomfortable that might make us. Speaking to the world about a God who loves them is always what we should, and can, do. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29

 

With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. – Jeremiah 27:5

Today's Scripture Reading (August 24, 2026): Jeremiah 27

I sometimes wonder where the line is when it comes to raising our children. I know that beating and physically or mentally harming our children is wrong, and those who are guilty of treating our kids that way need to be stopped. Our children are our most precious possession. However, the reality of the situation is that we can harm our children by being physical with them, but we also harm them by removing our physical contact from them. In other words, there are times when they need our discipline, however it is delivered, and times when they need our praise. One truth I wonder if we have forgotten is that we have been given the important task of shaping the next generation.

So, when a parent says, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it," I understand the emotion even if I disagree with the words. The truth remains that something in the child's behavior is wrong and needs to be corrected. The question that we seem to struggle with is: where is the line?

One of the hardest things to get our hearts around emotionally is that, when we are on the receiving end of discipline, we are still loved. So, our kids scream at us that we hate them. If only they could understand that the opposite is the truth. We love them enough to discipline them and lead them into something beautiful and powerful that they might miss if we just let the behavior go.

I think this verse is God's version of "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." God says, "I created this world, and I can do what I want with it." From the very beginning, what God has wanted is for us to live in this amazing world with a sense of purpose and power. He doesn't want us to be chained to something that will hurt us in the end. So, he brings his discipline into our lives. That discipline doesn't come because God has stopped loving us. God's discipline comes so that we can be effectively shaped to make the most of our future.

Israel was about to enter a time of discipline. Babylon was coming and would take them into exile. There is no doubt it would feel like God had abandoned them. This feeling of abandonment was the reality of "I can do what I want with my world." However, the reason for the exile was that God wanted to do a work in Israel and perform a miracle inside of Babylon.

The line for discipline must always be drawn in love. We might struggle with that, but God doesn't. He understands the relationship between discipline and love, and his discipline is really proof of his love. So, don't be afraid of God's discipline. Use it to make your own life ready for the future because that was what God intended when he brought discipline into your life in the first place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 28

Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. – Jeremiah 26:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 23, 2026): Jeremiah 26

Isaac Asimov postulated in his "Foundation" series that the future could be mathematically discovered. While the individual future actions of a single person might be forever enshrouded in mystery, Asimov hypothesized that the future of large groups could be plotted fairly accurately. That was, unless there was an anomalous person who stood outside of the process and had the power to change the future. For Asimov, the future was more analogous to the movement of a river; you may not be able to predict the exact movement of each drop of water. However, you can know with remarkable accuracy the path that the river is going to take.

One of the open questions in theology is this: how much do our actions move God? It is a question that impinges on so many other issues. Does God know everything about the future? Does God ever change his mind? How much do our prayers influence God? And if there is an area of theology in which I stand with the minority, this is probably the issue. I believe that the one we address as "Our Father" is a very passionate and responsive God. Every story in the Bible seems to carry a promise for those who dare to follow him and a warning for those who don't. I believe that prayer is effective. I know that prayer often changes me; that prayer has a very real effect on my priorities, but I also believe that sometimes my prayers change God. And sometimes God even changes his mind. Does that mean that maybe God doesn't know the future? I suspect that Asimov's thoughts on this subject might be appropriate. But in the case of God, I think it is possible that he not only knows the path of the river, but he also knows all of the possible paths each drop of water could take. However, maybe God does not know the precise path that each drop will eventually take because, in the case where we are the drops, God allows us to make our individual decisions; freedom to choose is very real, and we ultimately choose the path we will take.

That seems to be the direction that this passage takes. God indicates in a conversation with King Josiah that his mind is made up. Despite the good things that the King had done, God was going to send Judah into exile. However, in this communication between God and Jeremiah, God seems to be genuinely unsure of what was going to happen next. The likelihood is still that Judah's exile was on its way. That is definitely the way that the river was flowing. But maybe there was still a chance that the nation would respond to Jeremiah's words and that the future could be changed. Maybe Jeremiah could be one of the special ones who could change the course of a raging river. And maybe Judah would turn from her ways and return to the ways of God. And if they would do that, then God says that he would turn from the course of action that he had decided to take with the nation.

For me, passages like this one indicate the depth of God's passion. Our actions move him, and he is even willing to change his mind. There is nothing wrong with that. It in no way limits God. It does stand as a testimony of how much God cares for us, and the influence that we have with our Creator.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 27

"But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves." – Jeremiah 25:7

Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2026): Jeremiah 25

What was it that made your parents get angry when you were a kid? I think, as kids, we always thought our parents were tyrants who always had to get their own way—but growing up a little changes that. At some point, we recognize that Mom and Dad only wanted what was best for us. What angered them most were those moments when we seemed to want to either waste our lives or put ourselves in danger. At the time, we just didn't see what our parents saw. But they did see it; then they warned us, and when we didn't listen, it often made them angry.

So, what is it that makes God angry? Jesus taught his followers that it was okay to call God Father. In fact, Jesus really taught us to call him Dad. That is the relationship that the creator of this world wants to have with his creation. He invites us into that relationship, and he loves us like a parent. Which means that his anger, like any good parent, is most likely caused by our waste of the gift of life that he has given to us.

That is the message that Jeremiah had for Israel. He needed to communicate to Israel that the only reason Dad was angry was that Israel insisted on bringing harm onto themselves. So, God, who had sent Jeremiah as his Prophet to help Israel, decides to change his game plan.

Just like a parent, God wants what is best for us. His instructions are intended to lead us to success in our lives. And just like a parent, he sees things that we don't see. God's desire is not a jealous rage of a God who doesn't understand. It is the loving instructions of a dad who wants the very best for those he has created.

I know we get that with our heads, but we sometimes miss it with our hearts. In the midst of trials, we need to understand with the core of our beings a God who loves us and is intent on bringing us through the trials of life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 26

 

 

 

 

My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. – Jeremiah 24:6

Today's Scripture Reading (August 21, 2026): Jeremiah 24

A Japanese proverb says that "we learn little from victory, much from defeat." If it were not for the defeats in life, we would not grow in any of the areas of our lives. Our growth, to a great degree, depends on the challenges that we face, and our challenges often stem from the losses we suffer in life. Challenges and defeats help us to fine-tune our behavior, and they help us to identify bad behavioral strategies. All of this happens, that is, as long as we admit that we have been defeated.

Our various defeats are part of a plan that God uses to strengthen his people. As Jeremiah watches the first two groups of the people be carried into exile, God stresses that the purpose of the Babylonian Captivity was not to destroy Israel; it was to protect them. In the end, they would come back stronger. It wasn't the first time that God had used the strategy. Back at the very beginning of the nation, Israel was faced with the challenge of being absorbed by the much larger and stronger Canaanite nations. God's plan then involved sending this family into a self-imposed exile in Egypt. There the nation would grow and mature, and at the same time be isolated in a group with an opportunity to bond together into a national unit. The result was that 400 years later, Israel had become a nation that was capable of holding their own in Canaan, even if they doubted that fact themselves. It is into this situation that Moses steps to lead Israel into their future.

In Jeremiah's day, the nation was under threat once more. This time, they were about to be swallowed up by a wave of idolatry. As a result of the idolatry, God decided to repeat the strategy one more time. He took the best and brightest and allowed them to be taken into Babylon. There, God promised to protect them. Meanwhile, Jerusalem and the surrounding area would be cleansed. The seed that was the future of Israel would be protected until the time came for the nation to be planted once again in the Promised Land.

The problem, from the point of view of Israel, was that it felt like the biggest failure the nation had ever suffered, not a moment in which God was in control, or a moment that was to become the stepping-off point into the nation's future. Just as when Israel was in Egypt and the time came to raise up Moses and Aaron, God had plans, at the appropriate time, to raise up leaders like Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel among other leaders who were capable of leading the nation back home one more time.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 25

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away?" – Jeremiah 23:23

Today's Scripture Reading (August 20, 2026): Jeremiah 23

We seem to think that for God to care, he has to be close. So, exactly how close is God to the pinnacle of his creation? Our response to that question is often that he is closer than your next breath. However, the question that plagues me is: Is closeness a necessary trait of God? Does he have to be close in order for him to care? Is closeness an attribute of God's providence? Or is it possible for God to care and provide and not be closer than our next breath? Don't get me wrong, I believe that God is closer than our next breath, but he is also a God who can be, or at least seem to be, far away.

As Christians, we often have an adverse reaction to the concept of a Watchmaker God. A Watchmaker God is essentially seen as a God who has designed this world we share, but when creation was completed, God walked away. The concept of a Watchmaker God is built around the idea that I don't need the creator of the watch to stay with me for the watch to work. In the same way, a watchmaker creator would not be needed after the initial creation of the world. In fact, adopters of this theology often argue that a world that continually needs his presence to work is poorly created. If God created the world right, couldn't he just walk away from his creation and still have everything he created continue to function according to his specifications? However, we interpret these words, arguing that a God who would walk away from his creation would also be a God who doesn't care.

The argument is really a false one. God is close by. He is as close as the next breath. His providential care is not in question. However, God declares that while he is close, he is also far away. He is the ultimate watchmaker who builds his creation to get along without him. He is a God who could walk away. The reality that our God could walk away makes the fact that he is close even more amazing. He is close because he cares for us: you, me, and everyone that we come in contact with.

This is who we joyfully gather to worship.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 24

This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. – Jeremiah 22:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 19, 2026): Jeremiah 22

In November 1937, Prince Yasuhiko Asaka took control of the Japanese forces in China. He was placed in temporary command because of the illness of General Iwane Matsui. Because of the change in leadership, Asaka commanded the Japanese forces as they entered the Capital of the Republic of China, Nanking (now Nanjing), in early December 1937. The Chinese had decided not to defend Nanking after the fall of Shanghai because they felt defending the capital didn't make any logical sense. Regardless of what the Chinese Army did, the city would eventually fall to the advancing Japanese forces, so why waste soldiers on a city that could not be successfully defended? However, what the Japanese did in Nanking in late 1937 and early 1938 was something that the Chinese could never have imagined.

The event has been called the "Massacre of Nanking" or the "Rape of Nanking." The reason for the massacre was complex. The Japanese had been moving too fast. The supply line behind them had not been secured, and there were no reserve forces to be brought up to the front of the battle. And in the midst of all of this, Prince Asaka allegedly issued the order to "kill the captives." Whether it was really Asaka who issued the order, we will probably never know. But the whole world watched as events unfolded over the six weeks that followed the order. Estimates vary, but more than 200,000 civilians were killed, and 20,000 women ranging in age from children to the elderly were raped. Any military personnel left in the city were summarily executed. Altogether, the death toll in Nanking was over 300,000 people. There were no words or excuses that could be uttered to justify the events that took place in Nanking.

Jeremiah brings his people the word coming from God. Do what is just and right. Avoid the killing of the innocent, rescue the oppressed, and be concerned for the vulnerable. Even the foreigner was to be given God's protection. We are closest to exhibiting God's character when we engage in these things. In a massacre like the one that happened in Nanking, the will of God is never accomplished.

Because he was a member of the royal family, Prince Asaka could not be charged or punished. Later in life, he would convert to Roman Catholicism, becoming the first member of the imperial family to do so. General Iwane Matsui was not so lucky. In reviewing the aftermath of the Battle for Nanking, Matsui made this comment to an aide.

"I now realize that we have unknowingly wrought a most grievous effect on this city. When I think of the feelings and sentiments of many of my Chinese friends who have fled from Nanking and of the future of the two countries, I cannot but feel depressed. I am very lonely and can never get in a mood to rejoice about this victory" (General Iwane Matsui). 

General Matsui was found guilty of war crimes. His trial concluded with the judgment that Matsui knew what was happening in Nanking and failed to stop it. He was executed on December 23, 1948, at the age of 70, for his failure to protect the innocent.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23