Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. – 1 Kings 17:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 21, 2026): 1 Kings 17

For just over a decade, I lived in the desert. You are probably picturing sand dunes, but there were none. It was a desert, but one that humans had remade into a farming and ranching oasis. However, farmers had to spend money on expensive irrigation systems because the area was generally dry and constantly windy. It was hard to imagine a more inhospitable wilderness. There was a creek that meandered through the area, fed by water from the nearby mountains. But it was a desert just the same.

It was a desert, but that didn’t mean that there was no rain. I remember a time when the rain fell almost constantly for more than a month, and what I discovered was that because it was a desert, the land didn’t seem to know how to handle the increased water. Water seemed to just sit on top of the ground, flooding everywhere. Farmers and ranchers who had depended on irrigation systems to water their crops discovered that the only way to get around their farms and ranches was to have a canoe ready to make the trip. However, when the rain stopped, it was amazing how quickly the flooded ground returned to its desert-like state.

Elijah is told to go and stay by a brook. A raven would bring him bread and meat so that he could eat, and the brook would provide the prophet with the water he needed to drink. But it was a time of severe drought in Israel, and so, eventually, even the brook dried up. And God tells Elijah it is time to move on to the next stage. Elijah accepts the change with amazing grace. The truth is that Elijah never placed his trust in the brook for its water or in the birds that would bring him what he needed to eat. His trust was in God. God was trusted for the first stage, and he could be trusted for the next stage as well. I wonder if I would be as trusting, or if I would be tempted to complain that God had promised me the brook for water, and now even the brook was gone. Sometimes, maybe it takes more trust in God as you sit beside the drying brook than it does to stand and challenge the followers of Baal on the top of Mount Carmel.

Baptist pastor F. B. Meyer (1847-1929) comments on several types of drying brooks that we still sit beside today. There is a brook of decreasing popularity as we grow older and pass the torch to the next generation. There are also the drying brooks of declining health, of dwindling money, and of fewer friendships. We all suffer from these drying brooks, and each one demands that we acknowledge whether our trust is in the brook or in the God who gave us the brook in the first place.

Back in my personal desert, I remember a Sunday evening prayer service where the town came together to pray for rain. It was a gorgeous evening; the sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. But one friend walked to the prayer service, swinging an umbrella. I smiled at her, and she asked me where mine was. After all, we were praying for rain from the author of the rain and the sun, and even the drying brook. And He was willing to bring the needed rain, as long as we continued to trust in him. 

 Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 18

Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. – 2 Chronicles 17:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 20, 2026): 2 Chronicles 17

Currently, forty nations are at war worldwide. That number does not include any countries other than Ukraine and Russia involved in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and does not include the United States, which currently seems to be on the verge of a civil war. In the past 3,421 years, there have been only 268 years of global peace. That would mean there are about eight years of peace in every century. Maybe more importantly, since the end of World War II, there have been only twenty-six days of global peace. The most extended period of peace in the last 3500 years is 10 years, from 1816 to 1826, known as the Pax Britannica. But even during that time, there were conflicts in the world, including the First Seminole War, when the U.S. forces fought against the Seminole tribe of Florida between 1816 and 1818, and the Arikara War near the Missouri River between the Arikara and U.S. forces, which marked early plains Indian resistance in the United States. 

Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa, and he came to the throne of Judah after the death of his father, Asa, at the age of thirty-five. Asa was considered to be a peaceful King, but Jehoshaphat was a strong King. And the first thing he did was prepare Judah to defend itself from the threat from the northern Kingdom of Israel. Jehoshaphat was a good king, in part because he seemed to recognize that the threat from Israel was not just a military one, although that may have been the threat easiest to defend against. The danger was also political: the Judeans might have been tempted to emulate the Kings of Israel, whom the Bible declares were all bad kings. Israel and its false worship practices also remained a spiritual threat. In each of these areas, Jehoshaphat guarded his nation against decline, just as David had, especially in the beginning days of David’s reign.  

David Guzik makes this observation about the author of Chronicles.

In his presentation of the history of the kings of Judah, the Chronicler constantly brings the contrast and the challenge before the readers of his day and ours: “Your destiny, as an individual and as a nation, can either be like that of Judah or Israel. You should follow the example of those who walked…not according to the acts of Israel” (David Guzik, based on 1 Chronicles 17:1-4).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 17

Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. – 2 Chronicles 16:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 19, 2026): 2 Chronicles 16

Although the first two World Wars were very different, Germany's plans at the outset of both wars were remarkably similar. The idea in both wars was to deal quickly with France and create a one-front war in the east. In World War I, they weren't able to achieve that goal, at least not fast enough. During World War II, they achieved their goal. Using minimal efforts, the Nazis were able to restrain the United Kingdom to existing miserably on their island, while the German war machine concentrated on Russia and the Eastern Front.

By the time of the Tehran Conference, November 28 – December 1, 1943, the United Kingdom was committed to securing a foothold on the continent and opening a Western Front in the war. The Tehran Conference was the first meeting of the Big Three allied nations: The United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union. It would also be the last time these three nations met until the Yalta Conference in February 1945. At the Tehran Conference, Joseph Stalin made it clear that the Soviet Union needed a second front. They needed some relief from the German onslaught they had been fighting against on the Eastern Front.

The primary outcome of the Tehran Conference was the Big Three's agreement to open a second front in the war by June 1, 1944. It was not going to be an easy task, but the Soviet Union needed relief and assistance from its Western partners. Part of the problem was the weather. Not only did they need a plan and human resources, but they needed a break from the winter storms that dominated the Atlantic Ocean. The hope was that by the end of May, everything would be ready for an attack on the Atlantic coast of France, and that the weather would allow them to gain a foothold and a landing place where the allies could bring both the men and materiel needed for the Western Front of the war.

If you remember your World War II history, you might know that the target date set by the Tehran Conference was not met. The Normandy invasion was five days late; the invasion of France began on June 6, 1944. But Normandy was a second front; it gave the Soviet Union the relief it needed, and was a critical factor in the Allied forces being able to defeat the Nazi's in World War II.

Ben-Hadad had a treaty with Asa in Judah. Not only was there a treaty, but Asa had paid well for Ben-Hadad's help. As a result of that treaty and payment, Ben-Hadad was willing to force Baasha of Israel to open up a second front in his conflict with Judah. It also forced Baasha to stop building his fortress city of Ramah, a key measure to prevent the faithful people of Israel from visiting Judah and Jerusalem and from worshipping at the Temple as God had commanded.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 17

Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. – 2 Chronicles 15:17

Today's Scripture Reading (February 18, 2026): 2 Chronicles 15

Leaders often seem to come in two basic forms. The most common leader is the one who conforms to our expectations. They are "just like us." They share the same idea of right and wrong, and often we respect them because of their willingness to "speak plainly what is on their minds." There is no danger in doing that because, in reality, what is on their minds is also on ours. In a very real way, these are not leaders; they are social directors, sharing the journey with us and giving us permission to do and believe what we already want to do and believe.

The much rarer form of a leader is the one who challenges our preconceived perceptions. These leaders are often willing to "go against the grain." They challenge what we want to do and what we already believe. They ask whether there might not be another, maybe even a better, way. In my lifetime, one of the best of this type of leader was former President Jimmy Carter. Carter was a one-term President; he often seemed to reject expedience in favor of what was right. Yes, he was naïve and made mistakes, but they were honest ones, unlike the more calculated errors of some who followed him. But we didn't recognize the man's greatness until he became a former President. It was only then that we recognized his character as he revolutionized the transition from one presidency to the next and completely changed what it meant to be a former President. His leadership skills and his desire to do what was right made him an excellent statesman. And yet, we still found that in his presence, our preconceived notions continued to be challenged.

Asa was that kind of a leader. He refused to go along with the people's desires or expectations. The author of Kings says that his "heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life." He began the process of restoring the nation to the one of which God had dreamed. But the author of Kings also says that "he did not remove the high places." Rather than being a failure of Asa, this was a failure of the people. The practice of personal worship of other gods in nature and at the high points of the terrain had become ingrained in the people's actions. Asa tore down the organized places of worship for these other religions, but to tear down the high places would have meant changing the hearts of the people. Asa was unable to do that, at least unable to do that to the extent that worship no longer took place at these "high places." But Asa did begin the process of challenging the hearts and desires of the people regarding the object of their worship. And for that reason, he is considered to be a good king.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 16

See Also 1 Kings 15:14

 

Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.” – 1 Kings 16:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 17, 2026): 1 Kings 16

Auschwitz. Just the name conjures up images of the horrors of World War II. It was not the only camp that housed the Jews and enemies of Nazi Germany; many others existed, but it is often Auschwitz that lives in our nightmares. Or maybe more precisely, it is Auschwitz that lives in my nightmares.

The extermination program of Nazi Germany was a growth industry for Adolf Hitler. At first, it seems that the prisoners were likely just shot and placed into mass graves. Then the Nazis graduated to killing enemies of the state with carbon monoxide. But the gas was inefficient. And so more experiments were conducted, and finally the Nazi’s adopted the use of Zyklon B, a cyanide-based insecticide, to kill the Jews and political enemies of the Nazi Regime.

In the aftermath of these executions, there was a change in how the bodies were dealt with. At first, they were simply buried in mass graves, but the smell was bad. Lye was then added to the process, and then the bodies were burned just outside the concentration camp. However, at each stage, the terrible smell remained a significant obstacle. And so, the Nazi’s began to build crematoriums to burn the bodies and control the smell.  

However, the reality was that the Nazi’s didn’t see their enemies as people. They could do whatever they wanted to the bodies because they were subhuman. This wasn’t the first time the bodies of enemies have been treated this way, and it won’t be the last. One way we deal with people who oppose us is to make them seem less than human in our minds. They are criminals, evil, and violent; they are not like us, and so they don’t deserve the things that we have or the protections of the law that are given to proper members of society. And their bodies can be disposed of in any way that we see fit. They deserve less honor in their deaths than we would give to a beloved pet.

A prophecy is proclaimed over the house of Baasha. The house of Baasha was going to come to an end because of their sin. Because they had followed in the steps of Jeroboam, they would receive the same fate.  The prophecy over the house of Jeroboam had been that ^“Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken” (1 Kings 14:11)! And now, those same words have been spoken over the House of Baasha. We shouldn’t see this as a right or wrong moment, but rather as a description of how the people would react to the demise of the House of Baasha.

The House of Baasha would be destroyed so that no one would be around to take over the rule of the nation. And their bodies would not be given any honor in death. If they died in the city, their bodies would be left to the dogs; if they died in the country, then the birds would pick at them until there was nothing left, and maybe then the House of Baasha could be forgotten. But in all likelihood, they would continue to live in the nightmares of the people.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 15

 

Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. – 2 Chronicles 14:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 16, 2026): 2 Chronicles 14

The movie “Red Dawn” was released on August 10, 1984. The film was set in the near future, when the United States was becoming increasingly isolated. NATO had been dissolved, and the United States decided to stand alone. At the same time, the Soviet Union was expanding its influence not only in Asia but also in the Americas. As a result, there is an active war between the Soviets and the Americans, and a Soviet led coalition has brought a European war to the United States for the first time in history. The fight is not contained to the coastlines of the United States; Soviet soldiers have infiltrated into the central states. In the movie, that infiltration occurs in a town called Calumet, Colorado.

The real Calumet, Colorado, is a ghost town. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Calumet was a small mining town, and it never grew large enough to have its own post office. Despite the small size of the village, the Calumet mine was Huerfano County’s leading producer of coal. However, the hamlet was permanently abandoned in the 1970s.

For the 1984 movie, Calumet is a thriving town, larger than the real town had ever been. And it is here that the Soviet coalition forces attack. In “Red Dawn,” it is a group of teens living in Calumet who decide to stand up against the invaders. The movie closes with a shot of a plaque taken after the end of a fictional World War III. The plaque read;

In the early days of World War III, guerrillas, mostly children, placed the names of their lost upon this rock. They fought here alone and gave up their lives, so that this nation shall not perish from the earth (Red Dawn, 1984).

In 1984, the movie didn’t seem all that far-fetched. President Ronald Reagan had branded the Soviet Union as “The Evil Empire.” We didn’t understand them, and they didn’t understand us. Many of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s remember the fear that was ever-present in our core because of this perceived enemy living on the other side of the world.

The Soviet Union is gone, but Russia and China remain the bogeymen of our day. And the real demise of NATO and the isolation of the United States seem even closer than they did in 1984.

Zerah the Cushite marches against Judah with a considerable army, probably twice the size of the 580,000 men that Asa had at his disposal. But more than just the size of Zerah’s army, the Cushites, likely originating from the area of modern-day Sudan, were seen as dangerous warriors. If “Red Dawn 900 B.C.E.” was filmed and Judah played the role of Calumet, Colorado, Zerah, and the Cushites would be appropriate stand-ins for the invading Soviet Army. Just the mention of the Cushites would have been enough to strike fear into the hearts of people everywhere. And fear was the hoped-for result of Zerah’s appearance in Asa’s Judah.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 16

As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. – 2 Chronicles 13:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 15, 2026): 2 Chronicles 13

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti became yet another person killed by a gun in the United States. He became the second person during the month of January 2026 to be killed by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The situation was a little different from the killing of Renee Good earlier in the month, but it was still a tragedy. My plea hasn’t changed from police instigated deaths in the past. I know it is your right to carry a gun, but please, don’t give law enforcement a reason to kill you. Leave your gun somewhere else. You might have the right to carry a gun, and as the story of Renee Good proved, you might get shot anyway, but while you have the right to carry, or the right to be snarky with law enforcement, in the end, you might still be dead. You will be in the right, but you won’t be alive to celebrate the correctness of your position. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is our shared reality. The world needs you! Please, stay safe.

The day after Alex Pretti’s death, many important or semi-important people came out on X with comments and condolences. One of those semi-important people was former President Bill Clinton. Clinton wrote;

Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back (President Bill Clinton, January 25, 2026).

I have friends on both sides of this issue. And I have been blunt in the past; I do not agree with many of the President's actions. Prior to his first term, I was one of those “idiots” who believed that if Mr. Trump became President, after his second term, there was a good chance that meaningful elections would end in the United States. The big American experiment, democracy, would come to an end. I am not as sure about that prediction now, partially because of Donald Trump’s health. However, freedoms are being eroded, and I do worry about the liberties future Presidents might take. The example has been set, and it might be impossible for future leaders, Republican and Democratic alike, to resist the temptation to remove more of those freedoms.

Not everyone agrees with me, and I get that; I am not offended. One of my core beliefs is that we need to get along with each other. My hope is that we will seriously evaluate the freedoms we are losing and have the courage to stand up at some point and say, "Enough is enough."

Abijah speaks to his northern neighbors, the Israelites, about one of their decisions. He was concerned that the role of the Levites had been wiped away. According to the Law given to Moses, the Levites were supposed to oversee the nation's religious life. In Judah, Abijah’s nation, that was still the law of the land. The Levites still cared for the Temple, and the descendants of Aaron still served as the nation’s priests, as God had intended for both Judah and Israel. However, Jeroboam had changed that in Israel. Abijah wanted to remind Israel of the way they had drifted away from the Law of Moses.  They could make the change back, but they would need to demand that change. Israel had become used to the new way of doing things, and they would never return to the way it should have been. Because sometimes, the journey back is just too hard. What we give away may never be returned.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 14

 

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah. – 1 Kings 15:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 14, 2026): 1 Kings 15

Do you know what happened on October 12, 1582? My mother's birthday is October 12, which is just a random fact, but she wasn't alive in 1582 (maybe an unnecessary statement of the obvious). The answer to what happened on October 12, 1582, throughout our entire planet is nothing. No one was born, no one died, no wars were fought, no scientific advancements were made, and nobody even woke up in the morning or went to bed at night on that day in 1582. In fact, October 12, 1582, was near the end of the most boring ten days in history. Why? Because the days from October 5 to 14, 1582, don't actually exist. People went to bed on Thursday, October 4, 1582, and woke up on Friday, October 15, 1582. In an effort to correct the shift that had happened in our calendar, those days simply disappeared as we moved from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. The problem was that when measured against solar events, there had been some significant drift. The shortest day of the year was no longer December 21; now, it was December 11. And unless something were done, that date would continue to drift until our seasons were all messed up. So, they did two things. First, they changed the way that we counted leap years. Instead of celebrating a leap year every four years, they eliminated three leap years every four hundred years. So, according to the new rule, any year divisible by 100 is not a leap year unless it is also divisible by 400. According to that rule, the year 2000 was a leap year, but the years 2100, 2200, and 2300 won't be. The second thing they did was make the jump from Thursday, October 4, 1582, to Friday, October 15, 1582. The days in between don't exist; they never happened.

We made another, maybe less significant, change more recently when we moved from the notation AD (Anno Domini) to CE (Common Era or what we in the church sometimes call the Christian Era). Nothing has changed regarding the dates on our calendars, although I still have friends who request AD whenever I give a date in CE notation because they say the new notation confuses them. But nothing more than a change in notation occurred; the dates remained the same.

Chronicles focuses on the reigns of the Judean Kings. The only mention of the Kings of Israel in the north is to give us some idea of the era in which they ruled. So, the author of Chronicles tells us that the reign of Abijah began eighteen years into Jeroboam's reign in the north. Dates were not coordinated in any way. Usually, they were just counted from some national event. The Bible often dates the reigns of the Kings in the South according to those in the north. And for the Kings in the north, the reverse is usually true; they are dated by the reigns of the Kings of the South. So even though they were often adversaries, the two Kingdoms remained intimately tied together.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 13

See Also 2 Chronicles 13:1

In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. – 1 Kings 14:25

Today's Scripture Reading (February 13, 2026): 1 Kings 14

During the early days of World War II, several governments existed in exile, often setting up their administrations in far-flung places such as Australia, London, or even Washington, D.C. Their homelands might have been occupied, but these governments never gave up hope of regaining control of their native countries. Free France, headquartered in London, might be one of the best-known of these nations, but Free France was only the tip of the Iceberg.

One of the least remembered governments in exile was that of Belgium. King Leopold III tried to keep Belgium neutral during the war, but it proved futile. Germany invaded Belgium in May of 1940, and King Leopold, believing that his country did not have the strength to resist, opened up the gates of the nation to the Germans, surrendering the nation to their control. It was a move that earned him hostility from the Belgian people, while the government was forced to flee Belgium and set up a government-in-exile in Bordeaux, in the Southwestern part of France. And when France fell, the Belgian government moved to London. As for King Leopold III, the monarch stayed in Belgium as a guest of the Germans. After the war, Leopold was an unwelcome presence in the nation he once ruled and was seen as a Nazi sympathizer. Leopold fled Belgium, and when he finally returned in 1950, his presence almost sparked a civil war.

Jeroboam was an official in King Solomon's government responsible for managing the Northern workforce in many of Solomon's building projects. And in this position, he was a first-hand witness to the discontent of the Northern tribes that marked Solomon's time on the throne. Jeroboam began exploring how he could become King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It didn't take long for Solomon to become aware of a possible rebellion brewing within his ranks and Jeroboam's connection with the rebels. And so, Jeroboam ran to Egypt and enjoyed the hospitality of Shishak, the King of Egypt, usually identified as the Pharaoh Shoshenq.

Jeroboam would remain in Egypt for the rest of Solomon's life, only daring to return to Israel after Solomon's death. He had no appetite to take on Solomon in a civil war. But his son, Rehoboam, was a different matter. Now the nation was ripe for a civil war. While in Egypt, Jeroboam essentially set up a government in exile. He made friends and allies who would support him when the time came to fight back home.

At first, a civil war between Israel and Judah was avoided. However, in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak attacked from the south, bringing with him other friends whom Jeroboam had made during his period of exile. We really don't know whether they were attacking because of the relationship that Jeroboam had built with them during his time of exile, or just picking on a nation at a moment of weakness. What we do know is that Rehoboam had been successfully isolated, and this was a war that Judah's King wasn't going to win. Rehoboam seemed to understand what was happening, and he reinforced the cities on the nation's southern and western borders in anticipation of an attack from Egypt. Still, the Book of Chronicles argues that because of Rehoboam's unfaithfulness, that action was not enough to save the nation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 15

See Also 2 Chronicles 12:2

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. – 2 Chronicles 12:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 12, 2026): 2 Chronicles 12

If all of your friends did something stupid, would you do it too? It is a classic question of a parent whose child wants to do something dangerous or uncalled for. It is actually not a very good question. If all of my friends are going to jump off the local bridge, no, I am not jumping. What that event will do is make you go and find new friends. And the thing that I am planning to do is obviously not that objectively stupid. Jumping off a bridge or a cliff, especially onto land, is objectively stupid. I know that jumping won’t hurt me, but the sudden stop will. Jumping off a cliff into water, depending on how high the cliff is, might seem like fun. I am still not sure I would do it, but I know others who probably wouldn’t give that jump a second thought.

Often, these sorts of things are comparative in nature. If a friend has done it and survived, I might be more likely to do it. Maybe. I tend to have a fairly strong independent streak, but even I have heard the phrase about jumping off a bridge from my mom during my teenage years. However, it was usually pointed at me because I wanted to go out in the middle of a snowstorm in just a jean jacket or some other foolish, but relatively small, action. What going out in a snowstorm has to do with jumping off a bridge, I am still more than a little unclear.

Rehoboam was not a good King. His father, King Solomon, had laid the foundation for a divided empire, but with a bit of wisdom, Rehoboam could have saved the nation; he didn’t. He tried to set Israel up to defend itself against Egypt and lost anyway. He ignored his own spiritual health, as well as that of his family and his nation. He followed in the path of his father, marrying many wives, although only a fraction of the number Solomon had married, against the instructions of God. He carried on a civil war with Israel, even though he was given the chance to avoid it early in his career. The list could go on. All of this happened because Rehoboam chose the wisdom of his friends over that of his God-appointed advisors.

However, as bad as Rehoboam might have been, he wasn’t as bad as Jeroboam. And so, while Egypt would defeat them and rob the Temple of its treasure, including, according to Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” carrying away the Ark of the Covenant, Egypt did not occupy Judah. Egypt had fought to support Israel, but Jeroboam was unable to defeat Judah as well. This passage reminds us that there was some good in Judah, and probably more than in Israel. And that good saved Rehoboam from possibly having to jump off a bridge.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 4

He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. – 2 Chronicles 11:12

Today's Scripture Reading (February 11, 2026): 2 Chronicles 11

The Korean War was fought from June 25, 1950, until July 27, 1953. In contrast, M*A*S*H, the dramady about the Korean War, ran from September 1972 until February 28, 1983, almost four times as long as the actual fight lasted on the Korean Peninsula. But one thing that the dramady appears to stress is that the Korean War, in many ways, was a civil war. Foreign nations had become entwined in what was a local conflict. Korea had been a Japanese colony for thirty-five years before World War II. At the end of the war, the nation was divided into two occupation zones: the north, under Soviet Control, and the south, under U.S. control. In 1948, two governments took control of the nation, each claiming to be the legitimate government of the Korean Nation. In the north, Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, ruled in Pyongyang. In the South, Syngman Rhee ruled over the portion of the Korean Peninsula south of the Military Demarcation Line, which approximately follows the 38^th Parallel, from Seoul. And in 1950, the two factions clashed in an effort to take control of the Peninsula.

But there is no real difference among the Korean people other than where they live on either side of the 38th Parallel. And what that meant is that one of the stories of the war was that parents placed sons in both armies, hoping that one might be on the winning side. It is a story the writers of M*A*S*H attempted to tell in one episode.

Today, more than seventy years later, the Korean Peninsula remains divided. And a military buildup continues on the Peninsula. But the buildup is not really about foreign nations; the weapons are still aimed at the other side of the Peninsula. I am not sure if we will ever see a renewal of hostilities between the North and South, but if the war resumes, it will likely once again be an international fight staged on the Korean Peninsula.

When Israel divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, there was no civil war. That conflict was avoided, at least in the early days of the divided Kingdom. But that didn't mean that the new Kingdoms did not need to build up their capacity for war, not necessarily to fight each other in an attempt to unify the Kingdom, but to defend themselves from other nations.

Rehoboam secures his Kingdom, placing his strongest troops in the South and West of his Kingdom. He didn't seem to be worried about Israel, but rather about an attack from Egypt. And Rehoboam wanted everyone to think that he was ready for any external threat. And he would fight to defend the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

If there is a failure here, it is this. While Rehoboam stressed the nation's need for an army and city defenses, he failed to reinforce the people spiritually. And that was the real strength that his country needed.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 12

They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." – 2 Chronicles 10:7

Today's Scripture Reading (February 10, 2026): 2 Chronicles 10

I met some new friends recently, and a relationship has started. I don't start new relationships easily. I hope this relationship and partnership will continue for a long time. But I also know that often they don't. I have been disappointed by relationships in the past, even very close ones. And at the beginning of a relationship, it is often hard to see how that relationship might end. And yet they do. If only we could see at the start of the relationship what would kill it, maybe we would change that behavior. If only …

Actually, I don't think it is really that hard. It is an attitude, and it will start with me. Oh, I would like to say it will begin with the other person, but that is not reality. The truth is that it has to start with me. I have to be the one to assess and ask, "What am I getting out of this relationship?" At least for me, that question isn't there at the beginning. At the beginning is just a desire to serve – to make the other person better. But later, I began to ask the 'me' questions. That is also the place where the relationship starts to break down. It is there that I lose focus on how I can impact the other person's life.

A genuine relationship always requires an outward focus. As Rehoboam took over the reins of power from his father, he had a chance to restore the country and serve it. But he chose to ask the other question. As a result, the nation he was to lead began a downhill slide.

It is hard, but a fulfilled life truly begins with service. The question in all of our relationships needs to be "how can I serve this person in this place?" If you will be a servant, you truly will have people gathered around you willing to serve. It was that way in the world of Rehoboam, and nothing has changed. It's up to us, but if we want to make the world a better place, we need to choose service!

Rehoboam could have made a difference. He didn't because he listened to the wrong advice and followed a desire that asked, "What is it that you are doing for me?"

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 11

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. – 1 Kings 13:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 9, 2026): 1 Kings 13

Bethel. It is one of the names that keep coming up within the Christian Community. We have blessed our churches, campgrounds, and ministries with the name. And all for good reason. The name Bethel has a long history. The etymology of the name is "House (Beth) of God (El)." In the Hebrew Bible, we are told that Abram pitched his tent near Bethel. Later, his Grandson Jacob would have a dream of a stairway to Heaven at Bethel as he ran from his brother, Esau.

However, the esteemed image of Bethel would tarnish. Originally part of the Tribe of Ephraim, Bethel became a crucial spiritual city in the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the Kingdom split into Israel in the North and Judah in the South. King Jeroboam would make a pair of golden calves for his people to worship, so that they wouldn't have to return to Jerusalem. The King declared that these calves were the gods of Israel who had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, echoing Aaron's message after he had created a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain of God. The Israelite King placed these calves in the northern city of Dan, located within the tribal lands of Naphtali, not in the territory of the tribe of Dan, and in Bethel in the South. Bethel, a city with a rich history with the patriarchs and the worship of the God of Israel, was now made into a spiritual place devoted to the worship of false gods. And it became a key city in leading a nation away from God.

Enter this unknown Judean man. The change had just been made. One would have thought that not everyone would agree with the tactics of Jeroboam to replace Israel's God, but apparently that was not true. No one from Israel could be found to oppose the King's plan, so God sends a man from Judea to oppose Jeroboam while the King stands by the altar, preparing to make a sacrifice.

We don't know who the man was, which might be as important as the message he brings. It is a story that is repeated throughout the biblical record. We know the name of Elijah, but when he first appeared before King Ahab, he was a nobody with an important message. And the fact that he wasn't known wouldn't stop him from speaking truth to power. Here, an unknown man is sent with a message to Jeroboam. And in our world, we shouldn't wait for celebrities or spiritual leaders to speak truth to power. Sometimes, it is even more powerful and necessary for us to speak the truth, for no other reason than that God has given us a message to share with those in a position to change our world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 10

Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. – 1 Kings 12:31

Today's Scripture Reading (February 8, 2026): 1 Kings 12

The history of the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church is complicated. There is no doubt that there have been many good and God-honoring men who have been elected to the papacy. I love the story of Gregory I's election as Bishop of Rome. According to the story, Gregory never wanted to be Pope, preferring to remain a monk and lead a life of contemplation and study. When he learned he had been elected Pope, Gregory ran away and tried to hide from his brothers. He was forced back into Rome and made the "Papa" of the Catholic Church, whether he wanted the office or not. Gregory was Pope from 590 to 604 C.E.

Only three Popes have been officially honored with the title "the Great," and chronologically, Gregory is the second to bear it, appearing between Leo (I) the Great (440-461) and Nicholas (I) the Great (858-867). He may not have wanted to be Pope, but Gregory was precisely the man that the church needed as the sixth century closed and the seventh dawned.

I wish that Papal history had given us more Gregorys, but it sometimes seems that for every good Pope, there is a historically bad Pope to balance the scales. One of the bad ones was Pope Benedict IX. Benedict IX was the only Pope who assumed the office three times. He was also possibly the youngest person to be made Pope. We think Benedict was twenty years old when he became Pope, but some reports assert that he was only eleven or twelve. I have grandsons who are turning twelve in a few weeks, and while I am proud of them, I can't imagine either of them as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Benedict IX became Pope not because he had the experience and aptitude for the position, but because his father bribed the Romans to secure it for him. And Benedict IX quickly disgraced the Chair of Peter. Medieval historian, Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) argued that "It seemed as if a demon from hell, in the disguise of a priest, occupied the chair of Peter and profaned the sacred mysteries of religion by his insolent courses." To be honest, it sounds like something that a precocious twelve-year-old might do. Pope Victor III (1086-1087), in Dialogues III, says that Benedict IX demeaned the papacy by "his rapes, murders, and other unspeakable acts of violence and sodomy. His life as a pope was so vile, so foul, so execrable, that I shudder to think of it."

Jeroboam built shrines in the northern Kingdom and encouraged his people to worship them as gods. But he supported the practice by ordaining men who were unqualified for the priesthood. These were men who wanted to advance themselves, and to do that, they were willing to pervert the priesthood dedicated to the God who had brought Israel out of Egypt, and to focus the worship of the God of Israel on a pair of golden calves that had been placed in the north and the south of the nation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 13 

Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain. – Ecclesiastes 12:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 7, 2026): Ecclesiastes 12

Ronald Reagan, as President, defended his advancing age by quoting Thomas Jefferson. "Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying." I hesitate to try to explain someone else's joke, but in case you missed it, Reagan was making an age joke. It is something Ronald Reagan had a particular talent for. He could often make a joke about himself and, in the process, disarm a criticism aimed at him. In this case, his critics were bothered by the President's age. Maybe we have gotten used to older Presidents, but during Reagan's term, there were many comments about his age and fitness for office. Reagan's response is summed up in the Jefferson quote. First, judge me by what I do, not by some arbitrary number on my driver's license. Reagan's sense of humor is evident in the second part of the quote; there, he admits he is old. In fact, he exaggerates it. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, almost a century before Reagan was born. So, if Jefferson and Reagan had a conversation, Reagan was a lot older than we thought.

It is the one reality we all have to face. That number that climbs at a predictable pace every moment of every year. There was a time when we wanted to look older; we took pride in passing for someone older than we were. But that moment quickly passes, and we dream, and buy creams and hair dyes, to make us look younger than we are. I recently watched a news opinion show and noticed that a network executive who had started joining the onscreen panel about a year ago had dyed his hair. It was like the salt-and-pepper hair had been appropriate when he was an off-screen personality, but if he was going to be on TV regularly, maybe his look needed updating. And don't ever ask someone to guess how old you are, because if the person is honest, we might get the shock of our lives. (Personally, I have decided that no one looks older than forty.)

The Preacher appears to use poetic language in this portion of his sermon. "Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return" is his way of saying before we suffer from the effects of advancing age. Because we all will suffer from age-related ailments, the body will grow weak (the keepers of the house tremble), our legs and knees will begin to hurt and fail (the strong men stoop), and even our teeth will start to leave us (the grinders cease because they are few). We will grow old, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But we still need to make the most of every moment we are given, until that moment when God brings us home.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 12

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. – Ecclesiastes 11:7

Today's Scripture Reading (February 6, 2026): Ecclesiastes 11

Where I live, the days are getting noticeably longer. At their shortest, just a few days before Christmas, the sun was in the sky for less than 7.5 hours, meaning darkness ruled for over 16 hours. Of course, the flipside is true in late June. I don't know where we were, but I remember being on a campout in late June as a kid and staying up late around a fire, telling stories. That night/morning, we watched as the sun's glow died in the west, and by the time it was gone entirely, it was rising again in the east. It was dark, but the glow on the horizon that night was a constant.

The lack of light in December and January can have a dramatic difference on our moods. At the severe end of that spectrum are people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The lack of light in places like where I live can cause severe depression, fatigue, and irritability in some people. And maybe that explains part of my adverse reaction to Christmas and New Year's, a reaction that extends to even the music of the season. I admit that I often try to find radio stations that refuse to play Christmas Carols during December.

Reading Ecclesiastes at this time of year probably should be avoided. The Preacher's writing is not encouraging. But the Preacher admits that light is sweet, and we like to see the sun. That was probably even more true for the Preacher and the people who first read his sermon than for us. After all, we have so many ways of adding artificial light to chase away the darkness. But the Preacher also wants to remind us that even when the sun shines, times of darkness are always coming. As I write these words, the sun is shining, and there is ample blue in the sky above. But it will only be another five or six hours before the darkness dominates my city once again. And while the days are getting longer, they will begin to get shorter as the days of summer begin. So even the sun's presence, according to the Preacher, is meaningless.

So, enjoy the sun while you can, but if you want to add meaning to your life, even the sun can't do that. Light might be sweet, and Seasonal Affective Disorder might seem scary, but we need more than the sun to give our lives meaning.  

As a Christian, I would say we need the Son, not the sun. A change in our moods comes only from Jesus.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 12

Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. – Ecclesiastes 10:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2026): Ecclesiastes 10

In 1969, Dr. Laurence J. Peter, with the help of Raymond Hull, wrote a book titled “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong.” Dr. Peter’s theory is that in a hierarchical environment, executives tend to be promoted to the level of their incompetence. Basically, promotions are given based on current job performance, not on their aptitude for the next level. If you excel at your current job, you can be promoted. And you will continue to be promoted until you are no longer competent at what you do. There you will stay. The result is the mass incompetence of executives who have been promoted beyond the point at which they can excel. The direct result of the “Peter Principle” is that people at the highest level tend to be incompetent; they have been promoted away from the jobs at which they once excelled.

The secret is actually twofold. First, employers need to be more aware of the traits required for the next level of the job, and promote people with the aptitude for that role, rather than promoting simply because the person excels at the job they are currently doing. It is a little more work, and sometimes might even seem unfair. Still, it would keep people at the top of the hierarchical ladder who can excel in that job, rather than depending on their excellence in another, lower position.

The second part of the solution is aimed at the employee. Employees need to consider whether they really can excel at the next step on the ladder. If you don’t have the required ability, then stay where you are. Of course, the real problem is that we often chase more money, security, prestige, and power that only exist at higher levels of the ladder. That means we have to risk climbing another rung to achieve those benefits, even if we know we will not excel at that job.

The Preacher tries to describe Dr. Laurence Peter’s principle. He recognizes that fools are often placed in positions of power and prestige, while the rich, maybe better described as the capable, are stranded on lower rungs. A result of the “Peter Principle” is that executive positions often become clogged with incompetent people, leaving more capable people stranded in lower positions. These executives can neither be promoted nor evidently fired, so they remain in that position, and movement up the hierarchical ladder stagnates. And maybe, there really is no solution to that problem.

(Just a note, if my bosses are reading this, don’t worry, you are doing an excellent job. And I am quite happy occupying the place on the ladder precisely where I am.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 11

Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. – Ecclesiastes 9:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 4, 2026): Ecclesiastes 9

The prophet Isaiah received a vision. The vision seemed to pertain to the demise of the city of Jerusalem. The vision was filled with futility. There was no doubt in the vision that the city would die. At the time of the vision, the people were filled with fear. The Assyrians had been on the march for a while, and it was evident that the next nations on their agenda were Israel and Judah. And so, the people waited, filled with dread.

The text tells us that this is “A prophecy against the Valley of Vision” (Isaiah 22:1). The term “Valley of Vision” simply refers to the idea that while Jerusalem is built on a hill, it is surrounded by an even higher hill, and sits in the midst of three valleys. Jerusalem exists at the center of this hill/valley complex. And it is in this prophecy that the prophet writes,

The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    called you on that day
to weep and to wail,
    to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
But see, there is joy and revelry,
    slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
    eating of meat and drinking of wine!
“Let us eat and drink,” you say

    “for tomorrow we die” (Isaiah 22:13-14)!

We shouldn’t miss the point Isaiah is trying to make. Jerusalem, you know trouble is coming, you can see it with your eyes and hear it with your ears. But instead of getting ready, instead of getting right with God, you throw a party because tomorrow you might die.

Paul, in the closing of 1 Corinthians, picks up the same thought.

I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,
               for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:31-32).

If there is no resurrection, then maybe the best thing that we can do is throw a party because there is no hope, not even for us today. Our newscasts are filled with a lack of hope, of innocent people being beaten and killed; it is happening in Ukraine, Iran, and the United States, among several other hotspots. And if God is not powerful enough to help us, then why not kill the fatted calf and throw a party?

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is arguing the same point. In a world “under the sun,” where what we see daily is all that we get, then be comfortable. Wearing white is comfortable under the hot sun, and oil has a cooling effect and helps protect the skin. If this is all that there is, then why would you do anything else? Do what is necessary and forget about going the extra mile. Eat, drink, and be merry in your white ensemble, because in the end, that is all you have.

In a world under the sun, the advice works. In a city that is about to fall to the Assyrians, that works. But maybe Jerusalem is our cautionary tale. While the people of Jerusalem, at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, felt that the attack of the Assyrians was imminent, that attack didn’t come for almost a quarter of a century. Samaria and Israel fell four short years after Isaiah’s prophecy, but the attack on Jerusalem wouldn’t come for another twenty-four years. And even when it did come, it would fail.

So maybe there is a reason to go beyond what is easy and pleasurable. Because God is still with us, and there is more than what is seen “under the sun.”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 10

Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance. – Ecclesiastes 8:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 3, 2026): Ecclesiastes 8

Mark Twain argued that “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” The novelist/humorist might have been one of the wisest men who lived because so much that he wrote about should be published under the heading of “Wisdom for Life.”

Consider this Twain quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I couldn’t agree more, though following that newfound purpose is not always easy. But if we know why we are here, then we can set forth a plan to follow that purpose.

Let me give you one more Twain quote: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” I live in a world that needs all of the kindness we can get. And it is not just the deaf and the blind, but all of us who need more kindness in our lives. However, I strongly believe in something else that Twain doesn’t say. If you want to receive kindness, then give kindness. So many of us sow bitterness, hoping to receive kindness. Life doesn’t seem to work that way. We need to “be the change we want to see in the world,” which is not a Twain quote, but is most often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, although we really don’t know where the quote originated. But our ignorance doesn’t erase the truth. We need to exhibit to the world the very things we want to see in it. If you want to receive kindness, be kind. If you want to receive love, give love. If you want others to forgive you, forgive them.

The Preacher makes an amazing comment as he continues his writing of Ecclesiastes. He is looking for a wise person who understands how things work. However, he also says that a wise person is also a happy person. Wisdom has the ability to “brighten our faces” and “change the hard appearances” that our faces often reflect. Why? Maybe because we have no lies to remember, we know why we are here and have a plan for our future, and we are receiving the kindness, love, and forgiveness that we are giving to others. Oh, and by the way, in the process of getting to this place in our lives, we will have stopped competing with each other because I can’t truly be kind and want the best for you if I am still focused on myself. All of these things should make us happier, brightening our faces and changing our stern appearance.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 9

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. – Ecclesiastes 7:6

Today's Scripture Reading (February 2, 2026): Ecclesiastes 7

There is an old camp song we used to sing around the fire when I was a teenager. Perhaps you recognize the lyrics (I will let you sing the song to yourself).

            It only takes a spark

            To get a fire going

            And soon all those around

            Can warm up to its glowing.

Is it allowable for me to say that this old Christian Camp song has lied to us? As a veteran of many campfires, I can tell you that a spark is not all you need to get that campfire going. Sometimes, I have to admit that I think it is remarkable that fires are set at all. Maybe that is just proof that I would make a lousy pyromaniac.

If you want to get that campfire going, you start with a framework for the fire. Usually, that would include some logs placed so air can flow freely through the fire. Next, you need some starter material or things that will catch fire easily. The problem with this material is that it burns out quickly, so the idea is that it will catch fire and allow the fire to spread to the logs that will form a more lasting part of the fire. Once all of that has been assembled, then you need the aforementioned spark. You could also use an accelerant like gasoline, but then the fire might quickly get out of control.

The preacher uses a bit of wordplay here. James Moffat, in his translation of the Bible, gets at the wordplay with his phrasing of "Like nettles crackling under the kettles" to replace "Like the crackling of thorns under the pot." The problem with nettles or thorns is that while they burn easily, they also burn quickly. If all you have are thorns, the fire will disappear as fast as the spark allows it to burn.

In the same way, the laughter of fools is without substance. It is a momentary flash that disappears almost as quickly as it appeared. The laughter of fools is misplaced and transitory. It is nothing more than a noise that grabs the person's attention before we realize the substance is missing.

And maybe nothing could be more meaningless than that kind of laughter.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 8