For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. – Isaiah 44:3

Today's Scripture Reading (October 23, 2026): Isaiah 44

Lucy Jane Rider Meyer had planned to work as a medical missionary in a foreign country. The man she planned to marry was also preparing to become a doctor, and he was bound to work alongside his bride in the same foreign country that needed their specialized talents. But in 1875, life dealt the young couple a blow. Lucy was 26 when her fiancé passed away, and with him, all the dreams she had for the future. However, unforeseen circumstances could not tear Lucy away from her purpose. She had a heart for the poor and oppressed. Instead of finding fulfillment of that purpose in a foreign land, she found a way to fulfill her dream at home. Her heart's desire led her into a life dedicated to social work and to serving those experiencing poverty in the midst of the city, the ones most of us have become used to not seeing.

Lucy saw them, and their presence drove her to seek a solution. Ultimately, she understood that the only real solution would have to come from God. One day in 1884, she read these words in Isaiah 44. God promised he would come to those who needed him, and the people she worked with desperately needed him. These urban poor were the dry ground that desperately needed a flood.

And so Lucy Meyer, a social worker in Chicago working with people experiencing poverty, penned these words:

I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While ye are seeking Me, I will be found.

Meyer claimed these words for the people with whom she worked. Originally, the words were intended for another group of people who were oppressed against their will. Israel thought they knew God, but that was before the exile, before the temple had been torn from its foundation. Now they were seeking him, hoping almost against hope to one day find the God of their youth, the One their ancestors worshipped.

God then responded that all who were willing to seek him would find him. On that day, his Spirit would be poured out on the ones most in need. The thirsty would drink, and the desert would receive so much water that it would overflow. The captives would be released. Meyer recognized that the original promise for Israel was now a promise to anyone who recognized they needed God, even the unseen ones who had captured her heart.

Maybe one side effect of our overconfident civilization is that we have become the ones who don't need God. We think we are self-sufficient and can handle life all by ourselves. All that really means is that we are the ones God will not pour himself out over, because we believe we don't need Him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 45

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. – Isaiah 43:25

Today's Scripture Reading (October 22, 2026): Isaiah 43

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood concepts of our time. We often think forgiveness means letting someone else "off the hook" for what they did. Forgiveness means not holding them responsible, maybe not even making them feel bad for the actions they took that hurt us. When we say we will never forgive, we think we mean we will never let them rest from the bad feeling deep inside them that comes from knowing they hurt us in some way. They will always carry the guilt because they are unforgiven. However, reality is somewhat different. For the most part, the people we hold grudges against seldom know that we are holding a grudge, only that we are acting like idiots. Even if they realize we hold a grudge, they often don't know exactly why. Nor are they staying up at night worrying about it. We who hold the grudge are the only ones doing that. The real stupidity in our unwillingness to forgive is that we pay the double penalty; we pay for the act committed against us, and we keep that act fresh in our lives, paying the price over and over again in our memory, because we will not forgive and we will never forget.

Forgiveness is simply letting ourselves off the hook for what others have done to us. A few years ago, I had numerous conversations with a woman who felt she had been wronged. She could recount every action taken against her, and not only could she do this, but she also practiced remembering it daily. Every day, she recounted the crimes committed against her, reliving the pain of her enemies' actions. As a result, her sleep, health, and even her ability to do her regular chores suffered. She constantly relived the terrible moments, vowing never to forgive. In this case, I was also in contact with those who had taken action against her. Unsurprisingly, they seldom gave this woman a second thought. They believed their actions were necessary, that she was irrational, and that nothing in their lives had changed because of her. The woman paid a double penalty while those she held a grudge against got off free, even though they were unforgiven.

Isaiah's words in this passage remind us of God's forgiveness of us. Often, we read these words through our theological glasses. We believe this passage speaks of his love for us, his love for the lost that is so great that even the most heinous of sinners can find forgiveness at the cross; the debt that needed to be paid for sins has been paid. God paid it himself, and to welcome us into his family, God no longer even remembers the sins for which Jesus paid.

What God has paid for, he has truly forgotten. Even God refuses to be hurt by our repeated sins against Him and His holiness. What we do with the sins he paid for and removed from his presence, and the life we choose to live, is entirely up to us because God no longer remembers them.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. – Isaiah 42:10

Today's Scripture Reading (October 21, 2026): Isaiah 42

The church seems to be stuck in its ways. I am not speaking of certain doctrines that we have seemed to allow to creep into the church that are more traditional than biblical; admittedly, we do have some sacred cows inside the Christian Church that are crying out to be made into Holy Hamburgers. Even in our non-biblical traditions, we are in a rut. I remember attending an Advent Chapel at an educational institution and left with the firm idea that they thought the traditional Christmas Carols, most of which were written within the last 500 years, were way too contemporary. So they searched and found carols that were even older, or newer and written in a style that made them seem like they were straight out of the 12^th Century.

Maybe we need to remember that new music has never had an easy time in the church. Isaac Watts, who wrote "Joy to the World" and many other hymns in our current hymnbooks, was criticized throughout his life for his songs, which were seen as too secular and as spending too much time and effort on a "pretty tune" rather than "theological lyrical content." May I humbly suggest that we might need both the old and the new in our lives.

Maybe we need to be reminded that in 1952 a mainline Christian denomination took steps to ban a song that they considered to be both "artistically and morally bankrupt." The song was starting to be sung in denominational churches, and leadership decided to nip the practice in the bud by publicly banning it, thereby protecting the people sitting in the pews from being influenced by this ungodly song. The song in question was "How Great Thou Art," which had been released to English congregations in 1949. Today, most of us are glad the protectors of the music lost the battle and that "How Great Thou Art" won and is still sung in churches, including the one I lead today.

Part of the problem is that the new and the old seem to approach God differently. I often hear about the good theology of the hymns versus the non-existent theology in today's Contemporary Christian music. However, the argument is wrong. First, not all old hymns are examples of great theology. Often, we're drawn to them for familiarity, not great theological content. For example, "The First Noel" has the shepherds following the Bethlehem star to Jesus. Second, it's not true that contemporary music lacks good theology (though I readily admit that some contemporary songs sung in our churches have really bad theology); it is just that contemporary music attacks theology in a different way. What made sense and was part of the experience three hundred years ago (or even forty years ago for my Gaither fans) is not how the writers view their experience today. These songs are written out of the writers' personal experience with God, and that is what makes any song of praise worthy of God. They intend to express what God has done in me and my life.

That is the point Isaiah (as well as many of the Psalms) is trying to make. How can you experience the living God and not let it shape what you sing? For some, that means writing a new song from the heart, an expression of how you are experiencing God in your life. For others, it means finding the song that most clearly expresses your experience with God, and when you find it, it shouldn't matter whether the song is old or new.   

Isaiah issues this imperative: find the song. If God is impacting your life, sing the song with every fiber that God has placed inside of you. It has never been about the tune; the song you sing is your expression of the life God has placed inside you, and that will always be what truly makes the song special. So, go ahead: sing that song!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 41

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

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

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

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

                                               Neil Young

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 48

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 47

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 46

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 45

The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. – Ezekiel 43:4

Today's Scripture Reading (October 13, 2026): Ezekiel 43

At the beginning of the nation of Israel, Moses was given a set of laws. The law was much more than a list of ten "Thou Shalt Nots." It was also more than just a long list of often culturally specific cultic rules. It contained the instructions for a place of worship: a tent called the tabernacle. The instructions for this tabernacle were very specific. It set out rules not only for the tent, but also for how it was to be laid out and the furniture that was to exist inside the tabernacle. When Israel finished building the tabernacle, the Bible says the "glory of the Lord" entered it. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35). For the rest of the time in the desert, whenever Israel stopped, God's cloud descended, and God's glory filled the tabernacle.

Fast forward to the building of the first temple. I am not convinced God ever wanted the temple built, but once it was finished, God accepted it as the sacrifice of his people. Once again, the glory of God fills the temple. "When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple" (1 Kings 8:10-11).

However, Israel rebelled, and the nation eventually fell. The northern Kingdom was the first to go, taken into captivity by the Assyrians. But the southern Kingdom went next, and its people were carried into captivity by the Babylonians; the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the temple that the glory of God had once inhabited was totally leveled. Now, there was no glory, no temple, and no Jerusalem. Everything that made Israel special was gone.

As Ezekiel dreams of a new Temple, he also dreams of the glory of God entering the temple; that this temple too would be accepted by God. The glory of God would enter from the east, possibly with the rising of the morning sun. In Ezekiel's dream of this temple, a huge part of it was that God's glory would dwell there once again.

The next Temple to be built was not the one that Ezekiel dreamt of, but a second, lesser temple. But when it is completed, one thing is missing: there is no story of God's glory filling the temple, at least not for a while.

When the glory of God returns to the second temple, it returns as an eight-day-old baby. Jesus is born, and on the eighth day, according to the Law of Moses, the baby Jesus is taken to the temple for dedication. A priest named Simeon lifted the boy in his arms and declared in him the glory of God; the glory of the second temple. "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32). The glory had finally returned.

So, if we imagine the glory of the third temple, the one that Ezekiel dreamed of, it follows that the glory of that temple has to be the returning of Christ. Ezekiel speaks of the glory of God that comes through the eastern gate, and hundreds of years later Matthew would tell of witnesses to the glory of God that comes in the form of Magi from the east, and eventually of the glory of God in the second coming of Christ, once again in the east. "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27). The glory of God will return, and this time His glory will return to stay.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 44

Then he said to me, "The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests' rooms, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy. – Ezekiel 42:13

Today's Scripture Reading (October 12, 2026): Ezekiel 42

It is one of my favorite quotes of all time. No, it is not from the Bible. It is from "Star Trek – The Original Series." I know, quite a letdown. The episode aired on December 15, 1966, during the first season of the series, and the episode was titled "Balance of Terror." Captain James T. Kirk's ship, "The Enterprise," was sent to investigate the destruction of some Federation outposts. They discovered a Romulan Bird-of-Prey with a cloaking device that was attacking Federation outposts. The Romulans, along with the Klingons, were the ever-present bad guys in that first Star Trek series.

The Enterprise is outgunned, and the Bird-of-Prey has a cloaking device that lets it vanish at will. The battle is fierce, but Kirk and his crew are on the wrong end of it. Near the end of the story, after a ferocious battle between the two ships, both ships hang in space. Kirk has the Enterprise systems shut down, pretending to be dead, in an attempt to lure the Romulan ship closer so it can take a shot. Tension is high, and Dr. McCoy visits his captain with an important message: the aforementioned quote.

In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million, million galaxies like this. And in all of that... and perhaps more, only one of each of us. [pause] Don't destroy the one named Kirk.

                                        Dr. Leonard McCoy

                                        Balance of Terror (Star Trek, The Original Series)

I believe Leonard McCoy is right. Think about it. There are almost eight billion people on the planet. I don't know what is out there, but even if there are three million Earth-like planets in our galaxy and three million, million galaxies like ours, there is still only one like you. We are a unique people. No one in this world is quite like you or quite like me. And that is a good thing. The fabric of this world is made up of us. Rather than feeling lost in this world, we need to recognize what we add to its tapestry.

As Ezekiel continues through his vision of the ideal temple, he comes to the rooms set aside for the priests. It was to these rooms that the offerings were brought. What has been placed before God is holy, and because it is holy, it must be treated differently. It is set apart for God.

We sometimes forget that God is still asking us for an offering, but the offering He wants is our lives. Does He want our tithe? Yes, but that is only the beginning of the offering He asks of us. He wants what is unique and special about us, left on His altar. He wants to make us holy. What was once only a description of items and offerings entrusted to the priests is now a description of our unique lives.

Ezekiel might have written about rooms that could be measured, but Jesus uses the illustration of the church as His body. Jesus speaks of lives that can be measured and set apart for Him. And that includes you and me. We are called to so much more than just belief; we are called to be offerings, holy and set apart for God, because in all of creation, there is only one of you and me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 43

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Each cherub had two faces: the face of a human being toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple. – Ezekiel 41:18b-19

Today's Scripture Reading (October 11, 2026): Ezekiel 41

Rudyard Kipling wrote

If you can walk with the crowd and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run- Yours is the earth and everything that's in it, And-which is more-you'll be a man my son.

If: A Father's Advice to His Son

The phrase "walk with kings, nor lose the common touch" seems to have captured our imagination. It has become the standard by which we judge people we encounter. We seem to want to connect with people who have the power to change our world yet have never lost sight of what it is like to walk among ordinary people. We have no time for the elitist who has lost touch with the common person. However, we want to follow the person in power who identifies with most of humanity, wherever they dare to lead.

Ezekiel once again has a vision of cherubim. This time, they are carved on the temple walls. The cherubim have two faces. One is the face of a man, and the other is the face of a lion. These faces are not accidental. These angels of the temple minister to man's plight, but to do so they must understand the problem; they must intimately know what it is to be weak and in need. They are the bearers of the gospel message to man. However, identifying and understanding man is not enough; the angels must also go boldly and with courage. They need to identify with man, but not fear him.

So the angels come equipped with two faces and two natures. That these cherubim face the palm trees indicates that, while they identify with humankind and come with courage, they also come with sincere hearts and honest conversations, with their eyes fixed on God's final victory, which was yet to come.

For the exiles, this was a message of hope: the God of Israel and this Temple still had his people's concerns on his heart, and he would still bring victory to Israel. He understood what they were going through and was already on his way, with courage and the power to change what was.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 42

I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man's hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high. – Ezekiel 40:5

Today's Scripture Reading (October 10, 2026): Ezekiel 40

I have a dream house. My dream house has two levels. The basement opens to a private, treed yard at the back of the property. At one end of the house is a massive library that spans both stories. The library, of course, would hold my current book collection (I know, I have to deal with my addiction), plus some significant additions: books and collections I don't own but would like to have. And in my dream, the whole house is covered with big windows that let in a lot of light.

It is fun to dream about my house, but I am under no illusions that it will ever be built. The house is and will remain a house that lives only in my imagination. It is simply a dream. And, to be honest, the house of my dreams is probably too large to be practical. But during those holiday times when the whole family gathers, a house a little larger than our present home would be an asset. However, I know it is all just a dream.

Ezekiel dedicates the last nine chapters of his prophecy to a dream. The dream is of a temple. When Ezekiel began to dream of this Temple, no temple existed in Jerusalem. Babylon had already destroyed the First Temple (Solomon's Temple), and the Second Temple (Zerubbabel's or Herod's Temple) had not yet been built. The only Temple that existed was the one inside Ezekiel's head. Like many buildings and houses we dream about, this Temple was much grander than the one Solomon built, which was itself significantly larger than the Second Temple that Zerubbabel would build. The description of the outer wall surrounding the Temple area indicates that this dream temple encompassed all of the Temple Mount, not just the portion of the Mount that Solomon's Temple had occupied.

This Temple was vast, yet it was never built. In fact, Ezekiel's Temple is sometimes called the Third Temple, the one some Jews and Christians are waiting for and expect to be built sometime in the future. But it doesn't seem possible that this Temple will ever be built unless it is the one built after Jesus's return. Too many conditions and buildings would have to be removed for the Temple to be constructed. However, it is fun to dream of Ezekiel's Temple, even if, for now, Ezekiel's vast Temple remains nothing more than a dream.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 41

King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! – Daniel 4:1

Today's Scripture Reading (October 9, 2026): Daniel 4

I have to admit that until recently, I believed our politicians had less power than we sometimes think they possess. The reality is that the checks and balances built into the political structure of most democratic nations leave little room for leaders to act. I still believe that when everything in the nation is going well, political leadership likely has less to do with it than many will admit. During tough times, the blame belongs less to our political leaders than their critics are ever willing to admit. However, Donald Trump's presidency has changed my thinking a bit. Political leaders can do things that tank a nation, something I am not sure I really believed before Donald Trump. Of course, even Donald Trump requires the permission of key people and the public to bring the nation down. Writing this in the mid-2020s, I hope we are not watching the demise of the American Empire. That reality probably rests on the political reaction to Donald Trump after his term is through.

What sometimes amazes me is how divergent public opinion is about our political leaders' potential. One sector often considers our leaders saints, while another part of society sees them as demons. Sometimes the obvious has to be stated; usually, they are neither. Could you imagine a book on the Republican Party's (the Grand Old Party) influence on U.S. politics and its impact on world events? The book would include writings by and about the Great Republicans of the past. It would even mention Republicans who didn't shine the way the Grand Old Party wished they had. Overall, the book would be generally positive yet offer a balanced look at Republican politics. However, in the middle of this book about Republican politics is a chapter written by Barack Obama. That chapter would not seem to fit. After all, it was the Republicans who have done the most to demonize the former Democratic President. Maybe the flip side is easier to imagine: a book on Democratic politics with a chapter written by Donald Trump. How insane would either scenario be?

Yet, that is exactly what the fourth chapter of Daniel represents. This chapter is written by someone who is not a Jew and who is actually demonized in many places in the Hebrew Bible. The Babylonian invader, Nebuchadnezzar, wrote the chapter. The same Nebuchadnezzar who was responsible for destroying Jerusalem, demolishing the Temple, and taking the people of Judah away from their homeland into exile. The fourth chapter of the Book of Daniel is one of the most unexpected chapters in literary history.

But the chapter exists. It testifies to the Babylonian king's support for the God of Israel, proving that God can reach into every corner of the earth and that all the people of the earth truly belong to him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 40

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. – Daniel 3:8

Today's Scripture Reading (October 8, 2026): Daniel 3

Every once in a while, a blog post garners unwanted attention. I remember one post that mentioned the December 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In that case, a couple of readers questioned the validity of the Sandy Hook tragedy. They weren't convinced the tragedy ever really happened. Several videos and websites openly question the tragedy. They have noticed discrepancies in the media reports surrounding the shooting and have decided that the 2012 Sandy Hook events simply did not take place. Other websites refute conspiracy theorists' attempts to downplay the tragedy. The problem is that if conspiracy theorists' logic is solid, the arguments supporting the tragedy are just as solid. If there are holes in the reporting of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, there are also holes in the theories of those who do not believe that it happened. But neither side sees the other as a responsible witness to the events of that awful December day.

I need to make this clear; I am not trying to solve the mystery of the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Neither side is willing to listen to me anyway. But another tragedy is at play. For one thing, no matter what the real story is concerning Sandy Hook Elementary, the situation itself reveals a sick society. If it really happened, which is what I believe, what kind of society willingly kills its children? If it was faked, that takes a warped society willing to fake the heinous events that were supposed to happen on that day. And if it really happened, yet conspiracy theorists want to convince us that it was faked, what kind of society is willing to believe that a tragedy like this didn't happen when it really did? Given all of this, in the end, there is absolutely no upside to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy: none. And it is time that we took steps to stop these kinds of events.

Even one of the conspiracy-theorist websites admits that children lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School. According to these people, it just didn't happen the way we think it did. And that is the real tragedy. Potential assistance was cut off too soon. The tragedy happened for no reason. Whatever the reality might be, kids who could have changed our world were cut down before they even had a chance to reach their potential, and that just isn't fair to any of us.

Daniel notes that some wise men came forward and denounced the Jews. The idea is filled with tragedy. The comment shares the same root evil as was present in all of the Sandy Hook tragedy theories. A willingness to hate before we even know. And that is simply a tragedy our world cannot afford.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 4

From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. – Ezekiel 39:22

Today's Scripture Reading (October 7, 2026): Ezekiel 39

How well do you know what you do? Whatever it is that you spend your time doing, whatever consumes your time, whether it is your job or the activities you are involved in during your off time, my guess is that you know what it is you do fairly well. Each one of us has a skill set. I am sure you do some things better than others, and conversely, there are some things you don't do quite as well. That's how it is supposed to be. There are things that I do quite well; I hope that writing and teaching are in that group. However, I know there are things I am not good at: carpentry and mechanics are part of that rather large group of "some things."

Sometimes what we do is passed down through family lines. We learn the secrets of the occupation or business from our parents. Part of knowing what we do is understanding the purpose of what occupies our time. I remember attending a lecture many years ago by evolutionary creationist Denis Lamoureux. It was a great evening, partly because Dr. Lamoureux knows what he's talking about. You don't have to agree with his stand, but you quickly become convinced he knows what he's talking about and passionately believes what he teaches.

The repeated phrase in Ezekiel is that they "will know that I am the Lord their God." As Ezekiel concludes this controversial prophecy, he speaks directly to Israel. Israel will know that the one they call Lord is their God. I think there is reason for that. Israel's purpose was to bless the world; that was their job. They stood, as the children of God, at the center of God's blessing so they could bless the people with whom they came into contact. They couldn't do it unless they realized who God was. They needed continual reminders of that reality. So, the Bible continually contains this important idea, a reminder of who God is.

We need the same continual reminder. Church, you are here to bless the world. You can only do that if you recognize that God is at work in you. There are no other options. And you (we) need to be reminded of that continually: the reason why we are here and who God really is.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 3

After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. – Ezekiel 38:8

Today's Scripture Reading (October 6, 2026): Ezekiel 38

Do you ever wish that you knew what was going to happen in the future? Maybe you would like to pick the winning lottery numbers, or know who will win the big game. Or even just to know what the weather will be like today so you can dress properly. (I don't know about where you live, but around here it seems the weather changes faster than I can keep up with, and sometimes the forecasting leaves a little to be desired.) Sometimes it might be fun to know the future, although knowing the winner of the big football game would take all the fun out of it for me.

Ezekiel 38 starts as a very controversial prophecy. Part of the controversy is that the prophecy doesn't seem to have been fulfilled. In fact, the description contained in Ezekiel's words fits more with today than maybe any time in Israel's history. In the past century, we have watched Israel be gathered back from many nations. Despite the violence, it seems they live in relative safety. At least, Israel's defense is in her hands in a way it hasn't been for over two millennia. So some people have openly wondered if, just maybe, there is a war on the horizon. Okay, it really doesn't take that much imagination.

Prophecy can lead us into the future. But the real problem with it is that until the events actually happen, it is hard to read meaning into them. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I don't know whether the words of a prophet, now over 2500 years old, are unfulfilled or ready to be fulfilled. I don't know whether the world will end in 2026, as suggested by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi's book "The Religion of God," or in 2060, as suggested in an unpublished manuscript by Isaac Newton, or sometime in the next century, as predicted by a few prognosticators. I am comfortable that God is in control. Ezekiel 38 ends with the words "they will know that I am the Lord." And that is really the point. Above everything else, we need to know that God is the Lord and that he is really in control.

So, have a great week, no matter what the future may hold!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 39

I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. – Ezekiel 37:6

Today's Scripture Reading (October 5, 2026): Ezekiel 37

I love sitting down with friends and just talking. Admittedly, I like the conversation to be consequential. I enjoy sitting with friends and talking politics, something I try to do at least occasionally. And I have been like this for quite a while. In 2026, as the Canadian province of Alberta prepares to vote on separating from Canada, I remembered moments from childhood, when Quebec considered the same question. I remember sitting in front of a black-and-white television, watching for news of what Quebec had decided, hoping the people of Quebec would choose to stay with Canada, even though I lived thousands of miles away in eastern Canada. My sense, then and now, was that these questions often resolve around a feeling of hopelessness. Alberta and Quebec share that they sometimes feel like the national government is not on their side. Hopelessness about their future within Confederation is compared to a dream of what it might be like if the province seceding from the nation could make its own rules. I am not convinced that, in the long run, the sense of hopelessness would be any better if Alberta or Quebec did decide to go it alone. Hopelessness would still reign in our lives, though who we blame for it might change.

Hopelessness has almost become epidemic in our lives. It is robbing us of the sparkle in our lives and the smile in our worship. We are running too hard.  Work is good for us, but too often it doesn't get us where we need to be. The situation seems so hopeless. As a society, the hopeless desires of our hearts are killing us. We are dying.

I love this passage. There is no valley of dry bones. This passage does not tell of a true story of an actual valley; it is a vision or dream God gave Ezekiel as he tried to instill hope in the prophet, who now lived in exile, far from the places of his youth. I remember an old song that my grandfather used to sing. It was an old spiritual that declared the message of the bones: "Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. Now hear the word of the Word of the Lord." I think we might need the song sung over us in our Valley of Dry Bones. We need the life God brought to the dead, dry bones, instilled into our lives. We need life back in our desires. We need God's breath in us. We need a reason to hope.

That hope is what God promised Ezekiel and the exiled nation of Israel, and what he still offers us. To look at our dry lives and bring life where there was none before. To renew us and put the flesh back on our dry bones.

I have no idea what today might hold for you. But remember: when everything seems hopeless, that is the time to turn to God and ask for his hope. Be willing to tell the Creator of this world that the dry bones need life. Remember that the battle is His, not ours. Now, hear the word of the Lord.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 38

I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. – Ezekiel 36:23

Today's Scripture Reading (October 4, 2026): Ezekiel 36

Christianity started as a small provincial belief system. Our best guess is that, at the time of the death of Jesus Christ, the one whom the faith is named and patterned after, there were at most 500 true believers in Christianity. No distinct people groups were the target audience for the belief system. For the Jews, the target audience for the faith is evident. Judaism is aimed at the children of Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob. Jacob was renamed Israel and became the father of the nation the Bible calls the Children of God. For Islam, the other sister faith of Christianity, the primary audience is the children of Abraham through Ishmael. But for Christianity, the audience, at least according to the Apostle Paul, is the children of Abraham through faith (Galatians 3). In other words, Christianity's primary audience is the world, or at least the portion of the world that wishes to claim to be the descendants of Abraham in Spirit, whether or not they are physically linked to the patriarch.

Paul finds an echo of the Old Testament belief in Abraham in the gospel presented in the Christian Testament. Paul writes, "Understand, then, that those who have faith [in Jesus Christ] are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you" (Galatians 3:7-8).

So, starting with Paul, this small provincial faith with no real target audience has seen itself as the realization of God's promise to Abraham and to Israel. It is a promise that somehow, through them, they would bless the world. Admittedly, the church has often failed at the task. Somehow, at the same time, the world has often been blessed by God through the church.

This same idea echoes in Ezekiel's words. God says he will show Israel the holiness of his name, and then the world will know that holiness "through them." The idea was that because Israel knew the holiness of God, then they would be able to share that God with the world. The holiness of his name was summed up in the love that sent God to a cross to die for the sins, not of the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob nor of the descendants of Abraham through Ishmael, but of the children of Abraham by faith. In other words, those who are the children of Abraham because they have chosen to be just that: the children of Abraham. They were not born into that position, but have voluntarily chosen to wear that identification badge and share God's love with the people.

With Jesus Christ lifted on the cross, we have seen God's holiness. Now it is time to share that holiness with the world. Those willing to see that sacrifice made on their behalf will also know that the holiness of God has truly been proved before their eyes.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37