Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD?” [Isaiah 40:27]
On Sunday I took the words above to mean that the Jewish exiles were complaining that while they are miserably exiled in Babylon, it is as if God doesn’t even notice them. Their way is hidden from the Lord. And I applied it even to believers’ lives today who are in a hard place and feel like their God is too busy or aloof to notice.
And that is the correct reading given the historical context and overall tone and message of Isaiah 40.
Another way to read or apply “My way is hidden from the LORD” would be to consider mischievous children thinking that their rebellious behavior is lost on their parents (or teachers)—like when we were smoking in the backyard as 13-year-olds. But the reality is always the same: God does notice, always. Our way is not hidden from God, never. And the consequences (divine or natural) of our compromises will eventually come around.
God did return Israel from their exile. And Christ does provide rescue from our exile from God’s fellowship, even pardoning our guilt. And yet, the temporal consequences for behaving as if God didn’t notice our wayward and foolish actions are still ours to bear.
If you’d like to hear my Sunday message “Great Expectations” from Isaiah 40:27-31 you can find it here.
For your reading accompaniment
It’s been a while since I included a Beatles tune, and this one (“We Can Work It Out”) matches the next entry pretty well.
A fight to the finish
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner
What an amazing French Open tennis final! A sporting event for the ages! I recorded this match, which began at 9:00am Sunday morning EST (3:00pm Paris time), with plans to watch it later that afternoon. Having already watched the match, my daughter warned me not to wait too long as it was going rather long. Finally, at 7:00pm, Sue and I settled in to watch the top two men’s players battle it out. More than five hours later, they were still playing! Like two heavyweight boxers exchanging blows, they kept hitting back and forth! Finally, the Spaniard Alcaraz was the last man standing at the end of this match, hailed by many as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time. And yes, it was after midnight when we finally went to bed.
Many comments and tweets came in about the epic match. Like this from Matthew McConaughey: “Thank you Jannik and Carlos for the absolute elite mano y mano competition. Wow. Congrats Carlos.”
Tennis great and commentator Chris Evert simply tweeted: “Just give a trophy to both of them.”
(BTW, kudos to American Coco Gauff, who won the women’s French Open Final by beating world #1 Aryna Sabalenka.)
President Trump vs. Elon Musk
The bromance appears to be over. The “divorce” came to a head after Musk criticized President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”. Calling it an “abomination with a mountain of disgusting pork which will bankrupt America” didn’t exactly endear Musk to the president. All kinds of threats and accusations followed, as is often the case in divorces (or when immovable objects meet irresistible forces). While trying not to add this to my list of national concerns, I am just wondering: Who will get the shiny new red Tesla?
Science fiction author Steven King was among those who weighed in with ringside comments: “Couple of billionaires having a hissy little catfight. Who really cares? The world actually has problems.”
Musk’s father also commented: “Give them a break. You know they’ve had to get rid of opposition, try and put the country back on track and, do normal things and so forth. And they’re very tired and stressed.”
Okay. But I am pretty sure there are some key relationship (even for troubled marriages) and leadership lessons to be learned here, such as:
- Communication must remain fair and respectful. No airing of dirty laundry.
- Interactions need to be clear and as productive and positive as possible. Honesty and kindness can still happen in a deteriorating relationship. This will enable a better understanding of the other’s perspective and allow for the establishment of proper expectations moving forward.
- Consider a wise and neutral third party to help mediate—someone to facilitate conversations and assist both parties to arrive at a good and mutually acceptable solution going forward.
Those are standard rules for any relationship feud. Let’s mind these as best we can.
And yet: I still wonder who gets the new red Tesla. 😉
Goodbye, Walter
American theologian Walter Brueggemann died this week. Brueggemann was a brilliant Old Testament scholar and preacher. And though I didn’t read too much of his work, I was challenged by his many words on the Bible and preaching, including these sharp words to pastors:
“You are afraid of the text. You are afraid of what the Bible says. You are afraid of what the Bible says because you are afraid of what the Bible will ask you to do. I know you are afraid of the Bible because of how much time you spend introducing the text you are going to preach, softening it, explaining it away, deferring to its context and then, all the time you spend trying to illustrate the text.”
Excuse me while I go apply some salve to my wounds.
Tony…and Edwin, too
Sunday was the annual Tony Awards given to the top Broadway shows of the year. I have never been to Broadway, but I have been to quite a few shows in the Cleveland Theater District. Cleveland is one of the best cities in our country for top theater shows outside of New York City.
Also on Sunday evening, CNN aired a recent Broadway production entitled Good Night and Good Luck (also a 2005 movie). I wish I could have seen this in person.
The story is about CBS television journalist Edwin R. Murrow, who gave a series of televised reports in the 1950s concerning the Communist witch hunting of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Murrow’s fearless reports helped lead to McCarthy’s censure and ultimate downfall.
The film is very well done, too. And here is the actual original footage of Murrow’s television report on McCarthy.
Made me smile
What do you mean that TSA won’t take my Costco card as proper ID at the airport??
Take two dollops of Heinz and call me in the morning. (Or, is ketchup one of the original medicinal health foods?)
No names, please! (Or, you cannot give your child that name.)
Among the names listed as not allowed to be on your child’s American birth certificate are
- King
- Queen
- Jesus Christ
- III
- Santa Claus
- Majesty
- Adolf Hitler
- Messiah
- @
- 1069
“Gracious and holy Father,
grant us the intellect to understand you,
reason to discern you, diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you,
a heart to meditate upon you.
May our ears hear you, may our eyes behold you,
and may our tongues proclaim you.
Give us grace that our way of life may be pleasing to you,
that we may have the patience to wait for you
and the perseverance to look for you.
Grant us a perfect end–your holy presence,
a blessed resurrection and life everlasting.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
[Benedict]
