Read Reflect Tucked at the end of a now familiar litany calling for justice and a right attitude to the poor is a piercing metaphor about people who sneer (or mock or scoff) at others (v 8). We know that wildfires destroy vast tracts of land and can engulf villages and towns, razing property and […]

Read Reflect What does reconciliation look like? In this chapter, Isaiah shows us what our relationship with God can be, even though our sin and betrayal gets in the way. The Lord tells us that his love is everlasting, that he will have compassion on you and that the blessing of his mercy will remain. […]

Read Reflect What were you thinking? You have probably asked that question when you see someone do something foolish. Perhaps you’ve asked it of yourself when you’ve messed up. The same question applies to situations when someone does something extraordinarily generous, kind or self-sacrificing. In a tone tinged with wonder, we ask: How can they […]

Read Reflect I don’t know about you, but when I think about God’s salvation being for everyone, I always think about Peter’s statement in Acts 15:7-9. There Peter boldly declares that God “decided long ago” to preach to the Gentiles. Yet in this chapter of Isaiah, we find Old Testament evidence of God’s love for […]

Read Reflect Recently my pastor gave a sermon about how the people in the Bible were just like us. It’s a bit hard to take. After all, we don’t dress in long robes, bring sacrifices to a temple, practice polygamy, or worship carved images. However, a close look at this chapter of Isaiah reveals that […]

Read Reflect I’ve always found the tradition of giving a watch or clock as a retirement gift a bit odd. After all not having to keep to a specific time schedule ranks as a retirement perk. The tradition, which dates back to the Pepsi Cola Company in the 1940’s, stems from a good intention. You […]

Read Reflect It was dusk as I was sitting on a large boulder in a random village in northern Ethiopia. Weeping and praying that God would look upon me, see how hard I have been working, how diligent I had been in the local ministry work, and then deliver me from the pain. I had […]