Do You Live in the Kingdom of NO? Nahum 3:8-10.

Small children love to say ‘no.’ They are quick to discover agency and autonomy. They don’t know the big words, of course, but they understand the ideas: I don’t have to do what Mommy says. I can choose to do what I want. Even toddlers will assert themselves by saying No to everything. My cousin Josh discovered the word No when he was two or three years old. One day his mother found him in his room yelling No! into his pillow. He was not quite ready to disobey, but he was getting close!

No was a wealthy city on the Nile river that was the capitol of Egypt for centuries. The Kingdom of No (also known as “Thebes”)[1] was nearly surrounded by water. The rivers and seas served as a moat, rendering the city impregnable.

“Are you better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite” Nahum 3:8-9.

Imagine that. The prophet Nahum describes the Kingdom of No as having “infinite” strength. No might also be said to have had “infinite” wealth. Many of Egypt’s greatest archaeological and historical treasures are located in and around the ruins of the ancient city of No.

But who were the people of No? Did they follow Yahweh? No.

Did they serve the one true God? No.

Did they live righteous lives? No.

Did they come to God in true repentance? No.

Was the city truly impregnable? No.

Invulnerable? No.

Did the Kingdom of No actually possess infinite strength? No.

In fact, the Kingdom of No was conquered, captured, and carried away. The destruction was what sports fans would call a blowout.

“She was carried away. She went into captivity. Her young children were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets. They cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains” Nahum 3:10.

In the time of Nahum the destruction of No was recent and well-known. Why bring it up? Because Nahum is prophesying the destruction of Nineveh. The prophet is warning the people of Nineveh, as did Jonah before him, that they will soon be conquered just as No was conquered.

A century before Nahum, the people of Nineveh repented when Jonah warned them of God’s coming judgment. But a hundred years later, they have returned to their evil ways, conquering, plundering, enslaving. The primary income of the people of Nineveh is actually plunder. They live off what they can steal from other nations. They even eat by stealing the crops of others.

“The lion [Nineveh] did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his rooms with prey, and his dens with meat … Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and robbery” Nahum 2:12, 3:1.

Nahum charges Nineveh with crimes, then compares it to the fallen Kingdom of No:

“Art thou better than populous No?” Nahum 3:8.

Did Nineveh follow Yahweh? No.

Did they serve the one true God? No.

Did they live righteous lives? No.

Did they come to God in true repentance? No.

Were they impregnable? No.

Invulnerable? No.

Did Nineveh possess infinite strength? No.

In fact, Nineveh and its Assyrian Kingdom would soon be conquered, captured, and carried away.

I’m all for agency and autonomy: we must prepare children for adulthood. Everyone grows up. Future adults need to be given more and more independence every day and taught when to say no—and when to say yes.

If you live in the Kingdom of No you will be destroyed.

You must submit to God. Submit to your Lord and say YES!

Believers need hearts tender to the Holy Spirit. We must say YES to God in whatever he leads. And often we must say yes to those around us, not only to authority figures, but to peers, partners, and those who need our help.

“Submit to one another in the fear of God” Ephesians 5:21.

And we must learn when to say no and how to say it with grace. (Even if that means shouting it into your pillow!)

God, make us humble before you. May we turn from our rebellion, from sinful ways, from selfishness, and pride. Give us tender hearts that are sensitive to your Spirit of mercy, compassion, and holiness. Help us to submit to you and to others as you would lead us. Give us hearts that submit and say Yes.

AΩ

[1] No or Thebes, Egypt should not be confused with Thebes, Greece.

Be NUMBER ONE! … at Prayer. 2 Chronicles 35:3.

Image: New York City’s famous Chess Tables in Washington Square Park–one of many pastimes available to the recently retired.

We raise children under constant talk of college and career:

You need to read more so you can get into a good college. You need to practice your lacrosse so you can get a scholarship. You need to develop good work habits now so you can have a great career someday.

These messages are ubiquitous. We train children to dream big and to want it all.

After a young adult lands a job, the talk changes:

Get promoted.

Earn more money.

Increase your responsibilities.

Be the CEO.

BE NUMBER ONE!

Is it ever enough? No. We encourage our children, our friends, ourselves to aspire to the highest of heights. To BE NUMBER ONE! As if everything we do is a competition—and there is no joy in participating, only in being the top dog.

Youth sports often reinforce this message: there is no pleasure in an activity. There is only pleasure in winning the activity. That message is destructive. Yes, we want to motivate children. But we must balance that with the love of the game. If playing the game is not fun, why bother? If the only way to enjoy school or an education is to be the valedictorian, then more than 99 percent of the students will not enjoy it. If I can only enjoy my career if I am the CEO, then thousands of us are destined to hate our jobs.

But this is nonsense. An education can be a source of tremendous pleasure, and not just for the top students. A career that rewards autonomy, creativity, and meaningful work can be deeply satisfying. And the average athlete will lose half of all games. Does that mean he had no fun on the field? Is there no pleasure in playing the game? Of course there is. People play games because games are FUN!

But what happens to the ambitious valedictorian-turned-CEO when life forces him to retire? If his health forced him to abandon his work, will he ever find pleasure again?

Consider the work of the Levites. These non-priest members of the tribe of Levi were responsible for moving the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle throughout the forty-year wilderness journey. But what about after Solomon built the temple? What responsibilities did they have left? What could they look forward to now that they were “retired” from the ark and the tabernacle?

When he was bringing reforms to a nation that had lost its way, King Josiah asked the men of Levi to step up:

“And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, ‘Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, did build. It shall not be a burden on your shoulders. Serve now the Lord your God and his people, Israel’” 2 Chronicles 35:3.

King Josiah explained it was time for the men of Levi to move on. They were “retired” from their work with the ark and the tabernacle. But there were many other tasks they could still perform. The nation needed them. The king needed them.

Like the Levites, one day we too will retire–from sports, from academics, from a career.

But God has more for us: travel, time with family and friends, maybe a few games of chess in Greenwich Village (pictured). Enjoy your retirement!

But while you are on this earth, God has Kingdom Work for you. As we age, our responsibilities narrow. We work less. We hobby less. We work in the yard less. We have fewer people living in our home, fewer mouths to feed, fewer meals to cook. Less laundry to handle. We do less at church. Sometimes it is our choice; sometimes we have no choice.

But as God reduces the responsibilities of the venerated generation, I believe he asks of them–offers them–something more: PRAY MORE.

I know it is easier said than done. But with decades of life experience, decades of shorter, smaller prayers behind you, and larger blocks of time in front of you, a growing and vibrant prayer life may be the secret to aging well (and storing up treasure in heaven).

Of course, aging makes even prayer more difficult. Maybe you lose your train of thought. Maybe you misplace the written prayer list you were working on. Maybe you struggle to stay awake. God may remove many of your once-distracting activities without removing some of those nagging hindrances to prayer.

But pray anyway. Pray more. Find a way. Write prayers down. Write answers down. Do whatever it takes to stay engaged. God may have given you this opportunity “for such a time as this” Esther 4:14. Use it! Be ambitious about it! Forget being a top student, a CEO, a star athlete.

Be Number One at prayer!

God will reward you.

“And when you pray, go into your closet and shut your door, and pray to your father who is in secret, and your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly” Matthew 6:6.

And for the rest of us who may be years from retirement: pray more! Begin now building the skills that will make your retirement years the best years–and most EFFECTIVE years of your life.

 AΩ

When Clergy Become Abusers. Jeremiah 5:26-29.

Image. (I have not read this book, but I like the cover.)

Eighty-eight-year-old Pope Francis died this morning and rather than the customary few days of kindness in the press, only hours after the man’s death critics are shouting that he did too little to address the clergy sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic church. Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, argue Pope Francis is the third in a string of popes who “covered up sex crimes before they became pope.”[1] These stories gained global attention in the 1980s and ‘90s, but documented cases allegedly date back a thousand years—the Wikipedia page on this scandal is too lengthy to print.[2]

Unfortunately, clergy sexual abuse of children is not simply a Catholic problem. It is pervasive. It has touched every denomination and many, many churches. It is so common, in fact, it is difficult not to conclude that this is a special tool of the devil, an incredibly effective weapon he uses not only to crush the hearts (and faith) of children, but to neutralize members of the clergy who might otherwise have done good work. Jesus said we have an enemy who seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy” John 10:10. Surely an evil as destructive and life-altering as priests, pastors, and youth ministers who abuse children is a weapon of the devil.

Should we excuse those who perpetrate such evil, knowing they may have fallen into the enemy’s trap? Absolutely not. Those who sexually abuse children—or anyone—should never be allowed to work with children or on a church staff again. Churches should use criminal background checks to screen both volunteers and new hires. The abusive crimes of both paid clergy and church volunteers should be made public.

Second, any efforts to sweep the matter under the rug—to keep the abuse from the public—should also be publicly reported and condemned.[3] On this score, U.S. state governments have actually done a better job than most Christian denominations. Churches and church-related ministries tend to be so concerned with maintaining our witness, that we cover up the worst sins of our leaders, when we should be exposing them to the light of truth and publicity. Will news of another abusive pastor cause people to stumble? Yes. But his misdeeds must be publicized anyway, if we are ever going to heal wounds and re-gain trust.

Why clergy? Why do churchmen commit these most horrible, most personal crimes? As discussed, on a spiritual level, this is probably an attack from the enemy. But on a human level, these men are particularly vulnerable: they are charming, good with people, skillful leaders, and sometimes just prideful enough to think they can talk their way out of anything. In their flesh, some ministers are born manipulators. Con men. God forbid you have con-man skills and no integrity or conscience.

“Among my people are found wicked men. They lay wait, as one that sets snares. They set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit, therefore they are become great … Shall I not visit for these things? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” Jeremiah 5:26-27,29.

God writes his indictment. Then he promises that punishment is coming: raiders from another land.

“Behold a people cometh from the north country … They shall lay hold on bow and spear. They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses set in array for war against thee” Jeremiah 6:22-23.

What can be done? Return to God. Repent!

“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” Jeremiah 3:22. Return unto me, and if you will put away your abominations, then you will not be banished, Jeremiah 4:1. “Break up your fallow ground … circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah … lest my fury come like fire” Jeremiah 4:3-4.

No one likes to talk about circumcision. But perhaps it fits when discussing clergy sexual abuse of children. What Jeremiah is saying is change yourself, even if it hurts. Don’t be like the non-believers and the pagans. Remove the worldliness and evil from you, from your personal body, but also from your corporate body.

I would paraphrase this passage this way:

Cut off the sexual abuser from your church. If someone in a position of church authority, whether paid or volunteer, used that authority to gain access to his or her abuse victims, then you must rid your church of that person. Better yet, turn the entire matter over to local law enforcement.

Why not just fire a person and forget the matter? Because they will move to the church across town and do the same thing again. Therefore, you must surrender the entire matter to local law enforcement.

Finally, a word about grace. Does God forgive? Of course. Will God forgive and restore humble, repentant former-abusers? Yes, I believe he will. But because these abusers have used the church to facilitate abuse, effectively abusing not only the abuse victim, but the church itself, I believe the church cannot concern itself with the restoration of the abuser. When abuse happens at the church, at church functions, or in relationships created by the church, the church must focus on providing grace and restoration to the VICTIMS of abuse. God will take care of the abusers as he sees fit.

AΩ

[1] https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2025-04-21/survivors-of-clergy-sex-abuse-say-pope-francis-response-to-crisis-was-insufficient

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases#International_extent_of_abuse

[3] While efforts to cover up abuse should be made public, there is no duty to publicize allegations that are actually baseless. But how much time should church leaders spend quietly investigating an allegation before making it public or turning it over to local law enforcement? For expert guidance, review the resources tab of the website of attorney (and grandson of Billy Graham) Boz Tchividjian: https://bozlawpa.com/.

Old Testament Mercy. 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.

When I was a little boy, a girl down the street told me that God the Father was mean and angry, and that only Jesus the Son was merciful.[1] Have you heard this idea? It goes hand-in-hand with the oft-repeated trope that the Old Testament tells the story of a God of vengeance, and the New Testament tells the story of a God of compassion. These are errors bordering on heresy.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not have different levels of compassion. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” John 10:30. And God never changes, Malachi 3:6. God was exactly as compassionate and merciful under the Old Covenant or Testament as he is under the New. Frankly, I don’t understand why readers of the Old Testament are so obsessed with God’s vengeance.

When I read the Old Testament, I am struck by how evil and rebellious the people are. Even the children of Israel, rescued from slavery through a series of audacious miracles, continue to worship idols and rebel against God—over and over. I don’t blame God for wrath. In fact, sometimes I am amazed by God’s patience. Consider the story of the truly evil king, Manasseh.

King Manasseh led Judah into idol worship and other evils. “Manasseh seduced them [the people of Judah] to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel” 2 Kings 21:9.

(Imagine that. The pagans were so evil, God destroyed them–after giving them 400 years to repent (see Gen. 15:16)–and gave their land to Israel. But now Manasseh has made the people of Judah even MORE evil than those they displaced.)

King Manasseh spent the nation’s money and labor engineering new ways to get more people worshipping idols. “He built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He raised up altars for Baal and made a grove [a wooden idol]” 2 Kings 21:3. He even desecrated the temple, 2 Kings 21:4-5.

King Manasseh sacrificed his own children to idols. “He made his son pass through the fire” 2 Kings 21:6. This is how you know King Manasseh was a true believer, deeply committed to idol worship. This was not a political strategy designed to keep his citizens happy, like Aaron when he fashioned the golden calf in Exodus 32. Manasseh was doing this because he deeply believed in it. Otherwise, he would have spared his child.

King Manasseh personally participated in all the occult practices of darkness, including witchcraft, casting spells, and sorcery. Manasseh “used enchantments [potions], and dealt with familiar spirits [‘spirit guides’], and wizards. He wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord” 2 Kings 21:6. He also used witchcraft, 2 Chronicles 33:6.

King Manasseh shed much innocent blood; some believe he even murdered the prophet Isaiah. “Manasseh shed innocent blood very much until he had filled Jerusalem from one to the other” 2 Kings 21:16.

My Bible includes this note: “Tradition says that during Manasseh’s massive slaughter, Isaiah was sawed in two when trying to hide in a hollow log (see Hebrews 11:37-38). Other prophets may also have been killed at this time.”[2] (Of course, tradition should never be elevated to the level of scripture.)

Do you see how horrible King Manasseh was? Not only was he deeply committed to his own evil practices, but this man was using all the power of the crown to drag the nation into satanic practices with him. Consequently, God sent judgment. Manasseh was captured, shackled, and taken away to a Babylonian dungeon.

So what did he do? Pray to his ‘familiar spirits,’ his spirit guides? Or check his astrological sign? Or sacrifice a prison rat to Baal? No. Remarkably, he turned to the one true God.

“And when he was in affliction, he sought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and God heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord, he was God,” 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.

After decades of ruinous leadership, King Manasseh repents and humbly seeks God. And God forgives him! Not only that, God gets the king out of jail and restores to him his kingdom! And you think the God of the Old Testament is not compassionate? That God is a harsh judge? Look at the life this horrible man lived! Yet, God showed him great mercy.

The man sacrificed his children to idols!

He led the entire nation into idolatry!

The harm this man caused will echo throughout Judah for generations and generations.

How could God forgive him? How?

Because God is not a man. Men honor anger, vengeance, fighting, and killing. But God is absolutely NOT A MAN.

“I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger. I will NOT return to destroy … For I am God and NOT MAN, the Holy One in the midst of thee,” Hosea 11:9.

God is holy. God is just. God enforces limits. He will not tolerate all sin for all time. But he will often tolerate and forgive more than we think. And God is particularly forgiving when we truly humble ourselves the way Manasseh did. Or the way David does in Psalm 51.

“God is opposed to the proud—but gives grace to the humble” Proverbs 3:34.

God, reveal to us your great compassion. Show us your mercy. Thank you that you are HOLY and because you are holy, you are GOOD. You are so good to us, so patient and compassionate. Never let us be confused by those who would say you are primarily a God of wrath. Thank you that you have described yourself for us: “God is love” 1 John 4:8.

AΩ

[1] This young lady also told me that thunder was the sound of God bowling, and that because Eve was made from one of Adam’s ribs, men will forever have one less rib than women. I have since found more qualified Bible teachers.

[2] Chronological Life Application Study Bible, KJV. Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, 2013, p.916 n.2 Kings 21:6.

This Cellophane Life. Isaiah 65:17-25.

Image: cellophane. Cellophane is the original name for clear plastic wrap or “shrink wrap.” Our lives on earth are like cellophane: thin, see-through, and not particularly durable. C.S. Lewis argued long ago that in heaven our lives will be “made of solider stuff,” and weighty, powerful, and filled with meaning. Rather than being flimsy and sheer, like a gossamer wing, we will find ourselves–to borrow an expression from comic books–MEN AND WOMEN OF STEEL.

I have a vivid childhood memory of being on stage in a scene that represented heaven. All the people were dressed in white and we children pretended to play our golden harps.

Is that what heaven will be? A monochromatic worship service? I’m sure the music will be incredible, and whatever the people may wear, I know heaven will be a place of amazing color. The Bible may not answer all our questions about heaven, but it answers more than you might think.

We read about heaven in many places: the words of Jesus, Paul’s epistles, Revelation, the book of Daniel, and more. You will need to study those passages to gain a comprehensive picture of the afterlife. But here are some facts about heaven in the order in which Isaiah addresses them in chapters 65 and 66.

  1. Life in the new heaven and new earth will be so amazing it will eclipse our memories of life on earth. I don’t mean you will forget everything, but this cellophane, short life of evils, illnesses, and gut-wrenching griefs, will surely dim in the face of a more weighty, more perfect, eternal existence. “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” Isaiah 65:17.
  2. Your eternal life will be filled with joy—joy for you and joy for God, who will find joy in you. He will delight in you. “I create in Jerusalem a rejoicing, and in her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard, nor the voice of crying” Isaiah 65:18-19.
  3. Your eternal life will involve a house and a job and an opportunity to serve. (And it won’t be an eternal church service.) You will do meaningful work in heaven. “And they shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat … Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain” Isaiah 65:21-23.
  4. In heaven, your prayers will be answered instantly. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” Isaiah 65:24.
  5. Heaven will not be a land of bloodshed, death, decay, and rebirth. That cycle will be over. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not destroy in all my holy mountain” Isaiah 65:25.
  6. Heaven will be a place where God gives us great comfort. “As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem” Isaiah 66:13.
  7. Heaven will be a place of legacy. I am not sure I understand this completely. But the Bible contains pages and pages of some 25 lengthy genealogies, detailing not only the famous like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, but also generations and generations of unknowns, like Jabez. God has proven his deep interest in legacies. In families and family trees. And in heaven, those lines may matter more than you think. God seems to indicate family lines will endure just as heaven itself will endure: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain” Isaiah 66:22.

Dear God, thank you for the promise of new birth in Christ and a new home in heaven. Help us understand more about our eternal life. Give us an eternal perspective. May our treasure truly be in heaven. Thank you for a destiny that is more solid, more real, more lasting, and more meaningful than anything we experience during our short lives on earth. May we love you more and may our hearts draw us closer every day to Heaven, OUR REAL HOME. Thank you.

AΩ

Fasting and Prayer. Isaiah 58:3-9.

Do you ever wonder why God does not answer your prayers? Do you blame God or assume that he must be ignoring you? God always hears our prayers. God can certainly answer our prayers.

“Behold, the Lord’s arm is not shortened, that it cannot save. Neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies and your tongue has muttered perverseness” Isaiah 59:1-3.

So the problem lies not with God. He hears our prayers and has the power to answer them—his arm is plenty long. The problem lies with us and our sin. “Your sin has separated you and your God.” What can you do? Repent. Humble yourself. Confess your sin to God and try to make things right.

Is there anything else you might do? A token, an action, some bit of symbolism to really show God—and yourself—that you are serious about changing and making better choices? Yes. There is fasting. But fasting is more than simply missing a meal or meals. Fasting is about your heart. When you fast, you “afflict your soul.” You choose it as an act of humility.

In Isaiah 68, the people of Israel were fasting the wrong way, and God rebuked them. And from his rebuke, we can learn how to fast the right way:

“Why have we fasted, they say, and thou seest not? Why have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge?” Isaiah 58:3. But God answers that they have fasted on a day of pleasure and work, of partying and profit-making. In other words, their hearts were not right. Where is the humility? Where is the grief over sin?

God says this is the wrong way to approach fasting: “But is this the fast that I would have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow his head as a reed in the wind, or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?” Isaiah 58:5.

Isaiah writes that proper fasting means to stop oppressing the poor and the laborers. Break every yoke and let men go free. Give bread to the hungry. Bring the poor and homeless to your own house and feed them, clothe them, shelter them, vv.6-7.

And THEN—YOUR PRAYERS WILL BE ANSWERED.

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, … and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer” Isaiah 58:8-9.

When you need to repent, add fasting to your worship. And when you desperately want God to grant your prayers, you may wish to add fasting to your worship. But fasting is solemn, sober, and serious. Yes, Jesus told his disciples to wash their faces and smile when fasting, Matthew 6:16-18. After all, if you make your fasting obvious, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. It is a solemn, private practice between you and God. Fast with humility and seriousness. Confess and repent of your sins. Seek God’s face earnestly. And allow the hunger created by fasting to “afflict your soul” and draw you closer to God in your need.

In my experience, fasting feels like an illness. There is a benign sort of oppression that comes over you—a feeling akin to a mild illness. It feels like weakness at first, but as the hunger increases, it is not uncommon to feel something similar to depression. It’s not depression; it’s hunger. But your soul does indeed feel “afflicted.”

Fasting brings a deep humility to the soul, preparing the heart to worship well.

And God rewards fasting. I’m not sure why. Just as God rewards prayers, “ask and ye shall receive,”(Matthew 7:7) so also God rewards fasting. Sometimes God even brings us to situations that require fasting: “These will not come out but by prayer and fasting” Matthew 17:21. When you need an extra boost to your prayers, to your repentance, or simply because you are desperately praying for your child and don’t know what else you can do—sometimes fasting is the answer.

Dear God, help us understand fasting. Call us to it now and then. Teach us the role fasting can play in our lives. Teach us to pray and fast when circumstances require it. Never let us miss an opportunity or a blessing because we were unwilling or unaware of fasting as a spiritual tool.

AΩ

P.S. Obviously missing meals presents physical challenges and is not always wise or appropriate. I do not believe God would ask you to put your health at risk or to behave foolishly because you are desperate to receive his help. When fasting is not an option, you might consider other things that harmlessly “afflict your soul,” such as drinking only water, doing without parts of a meal (skip the butter and salt!), and spending more time in prayer and more time reading the word. Ultimately, God knows your heart and he wants to partner with you in addressing both your needs and your wants. Spend more time in his presence.

The Great Stork Derby. Isaiah 54:1,4-5.

Image: The Timleck family, one of four winners of the Great Stork Derby.

One of the craziest contests in history was the one Canadian journalists dubbed “The Great Stork Derby.” In 1926, wealthy Toronto lawyer, businessman, and practical joker, Charles Vance Millar died, leaving behind a will that included several practical jokes. “Millar started off by giving shares in a jockey club to gambling opponents and shares in a brewery to teetotalling religious leaders. Then he left his house in Jamaica to three men who hated one another, on the condition that they own it together.”[1] 

But the most outrageous clause of the will is credited with setting off a mini-baby boom in Toronto, Canada. Millar instructed that because he had no heirs, and because he had amassed a fortune greater than a childless man could spend, he would leave the money “to the mother who has in the ten years since my death given birth in Toronto to the greatest number of children as shown by the Registrations under the Vital Statistics Act.”

Soon reporters heard about the will and the “Great Stork Derby” was on. Women all over Toronto seemed to be having babies, and as the decade neared its end, some eleven women emerged as front runners.

But there was litigation. The court had to first determine whether the will was enforceable. It was.

Then the judge had to decide whether to count babies born out of wedlock. He eventually said no. Mom better be married.

Then came the thorny question of stillborn children, leading to significant courtroom testimony. In one case, a mother of some 13 living children (several born too early to take part in the contest) was asked to testify about her stillborn babies. That was difficult for her, in spite of her many living children. After she was allowed to step down from the witness stand, the physician who delivered the still births was cross-examined: Did the child breathe at any time? Could you detect a heartbeat? What color was the child’s skin at birth? Was there any indication of life? Could you determine at what point the fetus may have died?

This testimony was too much for the mother and she burst from the courtroom weeping.

In the end, the court ruled against illegitimate births and still births, and the prize was divided among four women, each having birthed nine living children within the bounds of matrimony during the ten years in question.

In reading these stories, I was struck by the the mother who ran from the courtroom. Though she had 13 kids, it hurt her to think of those she lost.

That is a private hurt that few but the grieving parents will know. Mom and Dad remember the months of pregnancy and preparation for a baby that never came. Women carrying that pain are everywhere. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, one in four pregnancies ends before week 20 and is termed a miscarriage (1 in 4!). A smaller, but not insignificant group of pregnancies is lost after week 20, and are termed stillbirths. A huge number of women have experienced one or the other, or both, and carry inside this gnawing ache that will not go away.

The Bible speaks to this egregious loss:

“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child. Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed. For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman, says the Lord … Fear not, for you will not be put to shame. And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. But you will forget the shame of your youth … For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts. And your Redeemer is the holy one of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth” Isaiah 54:1,4-5.

In heaven, the sons of the desolate will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman. Why? Because your husband is your Maker, and God is your Redeemer. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

These promises are not merely for the woman who is married and barren, but also for the woman who is unmarried—and for single men as well, and men who can never be fathers, whatever the reason:

“Let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the Lord, ‘To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, and choose what pleases me, and hold fast my covenant, to them I will give in my house and within my walls a memorial, and a name BETTER than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off” Isaiah 56:3-5.

God will bless the barren woman and the unmarried man and woman. In heaven there will be no shame, no childlessness, no gnawing ache that will not go away. God will give the childless more sons, a husband who is our Maker, and an everlasting name greater than the legacy of sons and daughters.

Finally, God reminds us that it is okay to begin with nothing. Have you lost everything? Career? Money? Possessions? Loved ones? Whether you are childless, jobless, homeless, barren, or simply single, God will provide:

“Look unto Abraham your father … for I called him alone and blessed him and increased him” Isaiah 51:2. Abraham began with nothing. Even at his death, he saw little evidence his descendants would ever outnumber the stars. But God comforted Abraham and Sarah (with a child named “laughter”) and God can comfort you and me.

“For the Lord shall comfort Zion … He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody” Isaiah 51:3.

Have you been redeemed by the Lord? If so, then everlasting joy shall be upon your head … “I, even I, am he that comforts you” Isaiah 51:11-12.

Dear God, we bring you our hurts, our griefs, our losses, our lifelong disappointments that will never be resolved on earth. Thank you for being our REDEEMER. Thank you for loving the barren, the broken, the single, the lonely. Bless us and remind us that you have rewards stored up for us that are so great we cannot conceive of them. Thank you for being a good, good Father.

AΩ

[1] I have recently read a number of stories about the Great Stork Race and may cite facts from each of them. But I am quoting from this one: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-a-dead-millionaire-convinced-dozens-of-women-to-have-as-many-babies-as-possible/

That One Distasteful Subject. Isaiah 48:17.

We don’t speak of it in polite conversation. We don’t think of it as a spiritual topic. No seeker climbs to the top of a mountain in the Himalayas to ask a Guru about it. Wall calendars with photos of sunsets and rainbows will never feature a poetic line on this theme. Yet, Jesus spoke a great deal about this most pedestrian of subjects. What is it? Money.

According to one source, sixteen of the 38 parables concern how to handle money and possessions, one out of every ten verses in the four Gospels deals directly with money (288 verses in all), and the Bible contains a total of over 2,000 verses on money and possessions[1].

Does money matter to your life? Yes. Is money and the pursuit of money important? Absolutely! Money, riches, profit—call it what you will—the seemingly “distasteful” pursuit of “vain” profits makes the world go ‘round. Everyone needs money. Everyone needs to be able to provide for their families, to purchase food, shelter, transportation, education, and more. To be frank, the “shameless” pursuit of profit occupies the attention of nearly every person on earth.

Incidentally, I place the words “distasteful,” “vain,” and “shameless” in quotation marks because there is actually nothing distasteful, vain, or shameless, about working to provide for your family and children.

Those who created the impression that it is in poor taste to talk about work were those who did not work—wealthy lords and ladies who once lived largely on a combination of inherited wealth and wealth generated by the labor of others.

We must think differently. The truth is, our work is a gift from God. We must work. The Bible says “If any man will not work, neither let him eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Moreover, God put us on earth to work.

But wait, you ask, wasn’t Adam cursed to work the soil in Genesis 3:17-19? Wasn’t his work a punishment?

No. Adam had a job BEFORE he sinned[2]. His work may have changed. But his work remained his purpose. Your work is your purpose.

If work is our purpose what does the Bible really have to say about it? Much more than I can summarize now. But here are a few key points:

The Bible says to trust God. A farmer plants and harvests, but he must depend on God to send the rain.

The Bible says to return a tithe to the Lord; both the Old and New Testament speak about tithing and giving to God’s work.

The Bible says to honor God by working hard: “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” Ecclesiastes 9:10. 

And the Bible says that God will bless our efforts and make our work successful.

Finally, consider this passage from the King James translation:

“I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit” Isaiah 48:17.

We need profit. Profit means more jobs. Profit means more money. Profit means more people can be hired. A profit is a signal that a business is meeting a need. A profit is an indication that your efforts are producing something people value.

I learned a great analogy from an economics professor at Hillsdale College: a man might employ tremendous resources, people, and machinery to manufacture mud pies. But he earns no profits, only losses. Those losses indicate his business is not meeting a need. Then at very little expense, he might reconfigure his business and begin manufacturing bricks. Suddenly he reaps a great profit. Why? Because he is now producing something society needs. Profit is a signal that your efforts are making a difference in the lives of others. Profit is confirmation that the work you do matters–because people choose to pay for it. Profit points to purpose.

I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit.

Amen! What a great bit of scripture.

Dear God, guide us toward work that will bless our communities and meet needs, while also providing for our families and for your kingdom. Make us good stewards of the gifts, talents, and energy you give us.

AΩ

[1] https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/december/410.html

[2] Incidentally, Adam’s job before the fall, to name and categorize all the animals, seems to have basically been the job of a naturalist, a job discussed at some length yesterday: https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2025/04/09/observing-the-idol-worshipper-in-his-native-habitat-isaiah-4412-20/

Observing the Idol Worshipper in His Native Habitat. Isaiah 44:12-20.

Image: Long-Billed Curlew, by John James Audubon, one of 435 life-sized, realistic watercolor paintings in his BIRDS OF AMERICA, 1838, a staggering masterpiece of documentation.

A naturalist is a kind of hybrid scientist-reporter-artist-categorizer, such as John James Audubon, John Muir, and Jane Goodall. They publish their findings in books with simple titles like THE RED SQUIRREL, ITS LIFE, HISTORY, AND HABITS, by Robert Hatt.

Imagine if a naturalist went into the woods with a journal and sketch pad to write a book about idol worshippers. The working title might be: THE IDOL WORSHIPPER, HIS LIFE AND HABITS. What would the observer see if he spent a few years observing the activities of the idol worshipper? An entry in the naturalist’s journal might sound something like this (adapted from Isaiah 44):

Among the idol worshippers, I continue to observe the peculiar role of the craftsman. Unnoticed from my perch in the tree canopy, I am free to watch through binoculars as the woodcarver uses his ax to carve an idol.

He measures and marks out a pattern on a block of wood. Then he carves the figure of a man or a bird or some celestial being, a sun-god, perhaps. It seems he will make from the tree whatever his customer requires.

When he is finished, he congratulates himself. Now he has a wonderful idol that can’t so much as move from where it is located. Then the woodsman goes into the forest, cuts down cedars, selects cypress trees and oak trees. He even plants new trees to be nourished by the rain.

And after cutting down another tree, he divides the wood. With part of it he makes a fire to warm himself and bake his bread. And with the other part of the wood—from the same tree he burned for heat—he fashions for himself a god to worship.

I have drawn detailed pictures of each of these activities. The idol maker in question is a consummate woodsman, cultivating saplings, harvesting mature trees, even expertly grafting trees together to produce desired variations. And the man works the wood as only a master artisan could.

As an observer, I find it curious that the woodsman does each of these things without a hint of irony. He believes in his homemade god as strongly as does his customer. After exercising such complete power over the life, death, and end-use of the tree, he falls down to worship that which moments before he was cutting, sanding, and staining.

With part of the tree he roasts his meat and keeps himself warm and content, and with part of the tree he makes himself a god, a carved idol. He falls down before the little carving and prays to it. “Deliver me,” he says. “You are my god!”

It was clear to this observer that the man never stopped to think ‘Why, it’s just a block of wood! I’ve burned it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can it be a god? Should I fall before a chunk of wood?’

The poor deluded fool. He is trusting what can never give him any help at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, ‘Is this thing, this idol I am holding in my hand a lie?’ [Adapted from Isaiah 44:12-20, the Living Bible.]

In modern times it is difficult to relate to an idol worshipper. We ask, How could anyone pray to an inanimate object? But don’t be too quick to judge. We moderns worship idols too. Paul defined idol worship best when he condemned the unrighteous in Romans 1.

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” Romans 1:22-23,25.

Don’t we do these things? Don’t we know people who do these things? Do you know anyone who claims to be wise, but has become foolish? Do you know anyone who has exchanged the truth of God for a lie?

Do we worship and serve the creature—even if that creature is ourselves—rather than the Creator?

Yes. We worship idols. And it is just as obvious. Pound-for-pound, most animals are many times stronger than humans. Their bodies can survive a fall from much higher than we can. Most animals can outrun us, outfight us, and are far better equipped for life outdoors in the harsh weather. Humans are, in fact, among the weakest and most pathetic creatures walking the earth. All we have is brain power and an inborn sense of the eternal, yet we misuse the one and pervert the other.

And we walk about as though we were gods, ignoring the facts: We trip and fall over nothing. We stub our toe and lose our minds. We develop a minor illness and cannot leave the house. We are deeply vulnerable—to heat, to cold, to waterborne diseases, to small animals, to bugs, to germs so tiny we cannot see them. Yet we worship ourselves? Why?

We tell ourselves we are the masters of our fate, the captain of our ship. We pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves we are powerful and in-control. We think we are Ozymandias, “king of kings,” yet our kingdom lies in ruins and we will soon be as forgotten as he is, our time on earth an imperceptible blip of meaninglessness.

“Only one life ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last”—C.T. Studd.

God, reveal to us every idol in our lives! Fill us with a deeper love for you. May we praise you and trust you to provide and protect us in every situation. May we never elevate any person, possession, passion, or panic above you.

AΩ

When the Breaking News is Terrifying. Isaiah 36 and 37.

[Imagine the following newspaper story.]

ASSYRIANS WARN OF COMING INVASION: Foreign Diplomats Speak Hebrew to People of Jerusalem, Warn Them Not to Trust King, Promise Warm Welcome in New Land.

Jerusalem. 701 B.C.

Three top officials from Assyria arrived today with a message for King Hezekiah: Surrender to King Sennacherib of Assyria and you and your people will be given a new life in Assyria. The Assyrians warn that if Israel resists, the nation will be conquered like all others.

The three top officials warned our nation not to expect help from Egypt, calling Egypt a walking stick that will splinter your hand when you lean on it.

The men added King Hezekiah’s faith is misplaced, arguing our God will not protect us after Hezekiah removed all the altars and the high places for worship. (But this is propaganda: the king removed only those places dedicated to the worship of idols.)

Next, the diplomats promised if Hezekiah would surrender, they would give him a gift of two thousand horses “if only he could find riders,” a suggestion Israel’s army is so small as to be of no consequence.

At that point, several of King Hezekiah’s officials asked the foreigners to speak to them in the Syrian language, hoping to keep the citizens of Jerusalem from being alarmed by their words.

But the Assyrians reacted by speaking even more loudly in Hebrew. One of them shouted to the crowd that had gathered: Don’t let King Hezekiah deceive you! Your god will not deliver you! Come to us and every one of you will have your own home, your own farm, your own vineyard!

But you must ignore King Hezekiah when he says ‘the Lord will deliver us.’ After all, have any of the gods of the nations been able to deliver them from the King of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? What god of all the gods has delivered any nation from the hand of Assyria? And who is the Lord, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

But no one answered. This reporter was astonished at the silence of the people of Jerusalem. King Hezekiah had warned the citizens to keep quiet and they obeyed. No one said anything to the envoys from Assyria, and no one was willing to be interviewed for this story. Hezekiah’s people obeyed him. Yet many of them surely went home feeling anxious and afraid. [Isaiah 36:1-21.]

This obscure story is actually reported in three places: Isaiah 36 and 37, 2 Kings 18-19, and 2 Chronicles 32. The events must have been horrifying. The men from Assyria stood on the city wall and shouted threats to the people of Jerusalem. These were not empty threats. Assyria was taking over the world.

Not only that, the Assyrians were brutal, torturing captives for entertainment, blinding them, pulling off pieces of skin until a person died, and putting hooks in the noses of those they desired for slaves. In fact, the Assyrians are believed to have invented crucifixion. They were a brutal, barbaric people, entirely devoid of compassion. The people of Jerusalem must have been terrified.

In response to these threats from the larger, wealthier nation, King Hezekiah did several things: he tore his clothes, covered himself in sackcloth, went to the temple to pray, and sent for the prophet Isaiah.

And though the situation was difficult, Hezekiah does not appear to have ever considered any option but following God. The Assyrians promised to generously provide food and homes. That may have been a lie, but it is the sort of comforting lie that can be easy to believe when you are scared. Yet Hezekiah never considered surrender. He took this huge, scary challenge to God. He held onto his faith and hope. He KNEW God could rescue Israel. But he was not certain whether God would.

“And Isaiah said … Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard … Behold, I will send a blast upon him … and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own hand” Isaiah 37:6-7.

The angel of the Lord entered the Assyrian camp that night and wiped out the army. The king and his entourage returned to Ninevah, the capitol of Assyria, and the king’s own sons murdered him in his palace with his own sword, Isaiah 37:36-38.

No matter how terrifying the threats are, God can deliver us.

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee” Psalm 56:3.

Dear God, give us courage when we hear terrible news. Remind us to bring it to you, whether it is news about the entire world, news of wars or famines or natural disasters or pandemics, or whether it is smaller and personal and only terrible for a few of us. Remind us that you are seated on your throne. You are sovereign over everything. And we can trust in you. Thank you for your peace that exceeds all comprehension, Philippians 4:7.

AΩ