Everyone wants to be good fruit, but not everyone can do the work. Or

'Date-nite' for Jeremiah! Yes, I conflate figs and dates. They are both excellent desserts in the desert. ;–)

Jeremiah 24

Then Jehovah showed me two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, along with the princes of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metalworkers; he took them from Jerusalem to Babylon.

One basket had very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.

Jehovah then asked me:

“What do you see, Jeremiah?”

So I said:

“Figs; the good figs are very good, but the bad ones are very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

“This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard in a good way the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.

“‘I will keep my eye on them for their good, and I will cause them to return to this land. I will build them up, and I will not tear down; I will plant them, and I will not uproot.

“‘And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah. They will become my people, and I will become their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

“‘But concerning the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, this is what Jehovah says:

“‘“So I will regard King Zedekiah of Judah, his princes, the remnant of Jerusalem who are left in this land, and those who are dwelling in the land of Egypt.

“‘“I will make them an object of horror and calamity to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach, a proverbial saying, a cause for ridicule, and a curse in all the places to which I disperse them.

“‘“And I will send against them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and to their forefathers.”’”

Jeremiah 25

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

This is what Jeremiah the prophet spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

“From the 13th year of Josiah son of Amon, the king of Judah, to this day, these 23 years, the word of Jehovah has come to me, and I kept speaking to you again and again, but you would not listen.

“And Jehovah sent all his servants the prophets to you, sending them again and again, but you would not listen or incline your ear to hear.

“They would say, ‘Turn back, please, each of you from your evil ways and your evil deeds; then you will continue dwelling for a long time to come in the land that Jehovah long ago gave to you and to your forefathers.

“‘Do not follow other gods and serve them and bow down to them, offending me with the work of your hands; otherwise I will bring calamity on you.’

“‘But you would not listen to me,’ declares Jehovah. ‘Instead you offended me with the work of your hands, to your own calamity.’

“Therefore this is what Jehovah of armies says:

“‘Because you would not obey my words, “I am sending for all the families of the north,” declares Jehovah, “sending for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations.

“‘“I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and something to whistle at and a perpetual ruin.

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“‘“I will put an end to the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing from them, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp.

“‘“And all this land will be reduced to ruins and will become an object of horror, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.”’

“‘But when 70 years have been fulfilled, I will call to account the king of Babylon and that nation for their error,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and I will make the land of the Chaldeans a desolate wasteland for all time.

“‘I will bring on that land all my words that I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

“‘For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their own hands.’”

For this is what Jehovah the God of Israel said to me:

“Take this cup of the wine of wrath out of my hand, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

“And they will drink and stagger and act like madmen because of the sword that I am sending among them.”

So I took the cup out of the hand of Jehovah and made all the nations to whom Jehovah sent me drink:

Starting with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, her kings and her princes, to make them a ruin, an object of horror, something to whistle at and a curse, as it is today;

then Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants, his princes, and all his people, and all their mixed populations;

all the kings of the land of Uz;

all the kings of the land of the Philistines — Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and those remaining of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the island in the sea;

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those with hair clipped at the temples;

all the kings of the Arabians and all the kings of the mixed populations who reside in the wilderness;

all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;

and all the kings of the north near and far, one after the other, and all the other kingdoms of the earth that are on the surface of the ground;

and the king of Sheshach will drink after them.

“And you must say to them, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says:

“‘“Drink and get drunk and vomit and fall so that you cannot get up because of the sword that I am sending among you.”’

“And if they refuse to take the cup out of your hand to drink, say to them:

“‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “You must drink it!

“‘“For look! If I am bringing calamity first on the city that bears my name, should you go unpunished?”’

“‘You will not go unpunished, for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,’ declares Jehovah of armies.”

And you are to prophesy all these words to them and say to them:

From on high Jehovah will roar,
And from his holy dwelling he will make his voice heard.

He will roar loudly against his abiding place.

Shouting like those treading the winepress,
He will sing triumphantly against all the inhabitants of the earth.

A noise will resound to the ends of the earth,
For Jehovah has a controversy with the nations.

He will personally pass judgment on all humans,
And he will put the wicked to the sword,
declares Jehovah.

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This is what Jehovah of armies says:

Look! A calamity is spreading from nation to nation,
And a great tempest will be unleashed
From the remotest parts of the earth.

And those slain by Jehovah in that day
Will be from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth.

They will not be mourned,
Nor will they be gathered up or buried.

They will become like manure
On the surface of the ground.

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out!

Wallow about, you majestic ones of the flock,
Because the time of your slaughter
And your dispersion has come,

And you will fall like a precious vessel!

The shepherds have no place to flee,
And there is no escape
For the majestic ones of the flock.

Listen! The outcry of the shepherds
And the wailing of the majestic ones of the flock,

For Jehovah is devastating their pasture.

And the peaceful dwelling places have been made lifeless
Because of the burning anger of Jehovah.

He has left his lair just like a young lion,
For their land has become an object of horror

Because of the cruel sword
And because of his burning anger.

#biblereading #jeremiah

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“May your seas be wide enough for wonder, your harbor always waiting, and your light never fail when another soul is searching.” – The Lantern Keeper

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
 — Thomas Campbell

You may recall my forlorn farewell to an old friend from a few days ago. DE lived in Dust Meridian for nearly 20 years. Before that, it was two decades in the South Pacific and another ten in Southern California. He’s a mature man in his mid-sixties, so it came as a surprise when he pulled up stakes, sold both of his homes, and headed to the other side of the country.

He says it’s for his wife’s health. The allergies here in Dust are brutal for many. On top of that, years ago, she suffered a stroke that left her speaking with what sounds like an Icelandic accent. Her heritage and native tongue are Peruvian. She went from sounding like a southern girl to something ethereal and ancient—almost elvish. Like someone installed an Old Norse filter on her voice.

I thought she was faking it at first, but it’s a real thing. Foreign Accent Syndrome. Rare, but real. The result of a traumatic brain injury that causes someone to suddenly start speaking with an accent from a region they’ve never even visited.

In her case, it even shows up in her writing. She spells things phonetically now, based on how she hears herself speak. It’s charming, honestly. But also a constant reminder of how fragile the brain is. That same stroke could’ve left her unable to communicate at all. That would’ve been a terror.

My own sister suffered a hypoxic brain injury—lost her short-term memory, and now struggles even with simple tasks. She’s aware of her limitations, which might be the cruelest part. It occasionally lends itself to moments of levity, but mostly, it’s just tragic.

As for DE, I don’t doubt his reasons—physical or mental. His wife or his own. From experience, I believe the lifestyle and mentality here in Dust Meridian takes a tole on anyone with sufficiently curious or robust intellect.

That sounds harsh. Like dummies thrive here. Apologies—I calls ’em like I sees ’em. There are many fine minds here, many dear souls. But there are also plenty of fantastically difficult situations. My own family not excluded.

So no, I don’t blame DE for the move. It’s exciting. I’m a little jealous, if I’m honest. Not that I’d pack up three trucks and drive 1,500 miles to West Potato—but the idea of a fresh start, a new landscape, is tempting. Then again, he’s lived in three other vastly different places. Why not make it four? He’s tapped all four compass points while he still can.

My brother-in-law, RLW, volunteered to be part of the cross-country convoy, hauling DE’s belongings to his new home. That’s significant because RLW is the same man who buried his wife—my wife’s sister—just sixty-nine days ago. A partner of 45 years, gone in an instant. Snuffed out like a candle in the rain.

When talk of the trip started, RLW had big plans. He’d trailer his motorcycle behind one of DE’s work trucks, help with the move, then spend a few days exploring West Potato. From there, he’d kit out the bike and ride west—through the Northwest, down to the Pacific. He talked of revisiting places he and his wife had seen, and discovering new ones. He didn’t say it aloud, but I suspect he meant to scatter some ashes along the way.

But as time wore on, the plans shrank. Late spring snow made the northern routes dicey. Then he nixed the coast. West Potato lies just beyond the Continental Divide, and soon enough, he cut out any idea of leaving the mountains at all. By the time he left two days ago, the month-long journey had been trimmed to a week.

A few hours ago, he texted that he’ll be back in Dust Meridian tomorrow night. Yep. Thirty days of freedom and healing, whittled down to just four.

There and back. Turn and burn.

His son, SLBY—the boy (a man in his thirties, forgive an aging Wolf)—tells me he thinks his dad just misses home. The quiet of the road was heavier than expected. That makes sense. My nephew wants his dad to get out and see new places, to build memories without her. A critical step in healing.

When I speak to RLW, he says it’s his son and grandson who are nudging him to come back. He can 'hear it in his voice' that if he was back, they would all be happier. Home is big and lonely and his son misses his family. Doesn't like being without his core. His people. His comfort zone.

Essentially, they are both arguing the other wants to be together again. They tell me what the other wants. But really, they're telling me what they themselves long for.

SLBY the boy has told me more than once this last few weeks that he can’t stand being alone. He’d grown used to the bustle—his wife, his son, his parents, all under one roof. They live in a mobile home, so sharing space really means sharing.

Constantly.

With his mom gone, dad out of town, wife at the chiropractor, and the boy at school, SLBY finds himself alone on a rock hurtling through space at sixty-seven thousand miles per hour. Working from home means his only company is the blinking cursor on a plastic display.

He’s admitted, with surprising emotional honesty, that he cries often. This from a man who, just a few years ago, was all whiskey, beer, and bravado. Guns and guts. Today, the bottles are dusty and the guns live in a safe—a large one, granted—but they’re just objects now.

SLBY has become the kind of man who can acknowledge his pain and grow through it. A shock, honestly. But a welcome one.

His father, RLW, has also cracked open in ways I didn’t expect. Always the quiet, stoic one—he now speaks freely about how much his wife meant to him. That she was his light. His purpose.

And being retired is salt on the wound. 10 years ago, he would at least have a job he had to contend with, coworkers and daily business to get back to. But now? His only obligations are those which he chooses. A full plate with his spiritual family, but that can be shelved much longer than it should be. Leaving him in self-inflicted isolation.

Since her passing, he sleeps maybe four hours a night. He cries often. I imagine these moments are private—the kind where your ears roar, your eyes burn, and you fight to contain the flood so others don’t have to feel it too.

Every time we’ve spoken since he hit the road, he’s mentioned that he can’t stop crying. Triggers are everywhere. A song. A vista in silence where she would have commented or asked to pull off and take a picture. The absence of agitation at his driving (the way he jerks the wheel in little increments). No one stuffing the door panel with trash.

But mostly—silence.

An imagination haunted by 16,425 sunrises and sunsets together... and all that is in between—the subtle golden rhythms of a life shared. Every small moment now echoing in absence.

My God, how do you move on from that?

Patience.

Patience and tears. And prayer that God will intervene and part that ocean like he did for Moses.

I told him as much. “It’s good you’re blind with tears. You probably need to really cut loose—and that’s hard to do with a seven-year-old always around, or your son who’s dealing with his own grief. I hope this trip gives you some catharsis. That it helps you begin to heal in earnest.”

Grief is the price we pay for love. The greater the love, the higher the cost.

Three thousand miles in four days. And tears, door to door.

Luke 22:1-6 Now the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was getting near. And the chief priests and the scribes were looking for an effective way to get rid of him, because they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas, the one called Is·carʹi·ot, who was numbered among the Twelve, and he went off and talked with the chief priests and temple captains about how to betray him to them. They were delighted at this and agreed to give him silver money. So he consented and began looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them without a crowd around.

Mark 14:1,2 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread was two days later. And the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to seize him by cunning and kill him; for they were saying: “Not at the festival; perhaps there might be an uproar of the people.”

Mark 14:10,11 And Judas Is·carʹi·ot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were delighted and promised to give him silver money. So he began seeking an opportunity to betray him.

#essay #travel #memoir #loss #death #biblereading #100DaysToOffload #Writing

2025-04-11 09:35:00

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“May your seas be wide enough for wonder, your harbor always waiting, and your light never fail when another soul is searching.” – The Lantern Keeper

When rulers exploit, shepherds scatter, and prophets lie, Jehovah’s word still burns—and a righteous King will rise.

Jeremiah 22 and 23 condemn Judah’s corrupt kings, shepherds, priests, and false prophets for injustice, exploitation, violence, idolatry, and misleading the people with promises of peace. Jehovah warns that their disobedience will bring devastation, exile, disgrace, and the end of their rule. Yet he also promises hope: he will gather the scattered remnant of his people, provide faithful shepherds, and raise up a righteous king from David’s line who will rule with wisdom, justice, and righteousness, bringing salvation and security.

Chapter 22

This is what Jehovah says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and deliver this message.

You must say, ‘Hear the word of Jehovah, O king of Judah who sits on the throne of David, you with your servants and your people, those who enter through these gates.

This is what Jehovah says:

“Uphold justice and righteousness.

Rescue the one being robbed from the hand of the defrauder.

Do not mistreat any foreign resident, and do not harm any fatherless child or widow.

And do not shed any innocent blood in this place.

For if you are careful to carry out this word, then the kings who sit on the throne of David will enter through the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses, they with their servants and their people.”’

“‘But if you will not obey these words, by myself I do swear,’ declares Jehovah, ‘that this house will become a devastated place.’

“For this is what Jehovah says concerning the house of the king of Judah,

‘You are as Gilʹe·ad to me, Like the summit of Lebʹa·non.

But I will make you a wilderness; Not one of your cities will be inhabited.

And I will appoint destroyers against you, Each with his weapons.

They will cut down your choicest cedars And make them fall into the fire.

“‘And many nations will pass by this city and say to one another:

“Why did Jehovah do this to this great city?”

And they will reply:

“Because they abandoned the covenant of Jehovah their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.”’

Do not weep for the dead one, And do not sympathize with him.

Instead, weep profusely for the one going away, For he will return no more to see the land of his birth.

“For this is what Jehovah says concerning Shalʹlum son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah who is reigning instead of his father Jo·siʹah and who has gone out of this place:

‘He will return there no more.

For he will die in the place where they have taken him into exile, and he will see this land no more.’

Woe to the one who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice,

Who makes his fellow man serve him for nothing, Whose wages he refuses to pay;

The one saying,

‘I will build for myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms.

I will fit it with windows And panel it with cedar and paint it with vermilion.’

Will you continue reigning because you outdo others in your use of cedar?

Your father also ate and drank, But he upheld justice and righteousness, And it went well with him.

He defended the legal claim of the afflicted one and the poor one, So that it went well.

‘Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares Jehovah.

‘But your eyes and heart are set only on your dishonest gain, On shedding innocent blood, And on committing fraud and extortion.’

“Therefore this is what Jehovah says concerning Je·hoiʹa·kim son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah,

‘They will not mourn him:

“Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!”

They will not mourn him:

“Alas, O master! Alas, his majesty!”

With the burial of a donkey he will be buried, Dragged about and thrown away, Outside the gates of Jerusalem.’

Go up to Lebʹa·non and cry out, Raise your voice in Baʹshan, And cry out from Abʹa·rim,

For all your passionate lovers have been crushed.

I spoke to you when you felt secure.

But you said, ‘I will not obey.’

This has been your course since youth, For you have not obeyed my voice.

A wind will shepherd all your shepherds, And your passionate lovers will go into captivity.

Then you will be put to shame and humiliated because of all your calamity.

O you who dwell in Lebʹa·non, Nestled among the cedars,

How you will groan when pangs come on you, Anguish like that of a woman giving birth!”

“‘As surely as I am alive,’ declares Jehovah, ‘even if Co·niʹah son of Je·hoiʹa·kim, the king of Judah, were the seal ring on my right hand, I would pull you off from there!

I will give you into the hand of those seeking to take your life, into the hand of those whom you fear, into the hand of King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chal·deʹans.

And I will hurl you and your mother who gave birth to you into another land where you were not born, and there you will die.

And they will never return to the land they yearn for.

Is this man Co·niʹah just a despised, broken pot, A vessel that nobody wants?

Why are he and his descendants hurled down And thrown into a land they do not know?’

O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah.

This is what Jehovah says:

‘Write down this man as childless, As a man who will not have any success during his lifetime,

For none of his descendants will succeed In sitting on David’s throne and ruling again in Judah.’”

Chapter 23

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares Jehovah.

Therefore this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says against the shepherds who are shepherding my people:

“You have scattered my sheep; you kept dispersing them, and you have not turned your attention to them.”

“So I will turn my attention to you because of your evil deeds,” declares Jehovah.

“Then I will gather together the remnant of my sheep from all the lands to which I have dispersed them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and become many.

And I will raise up over them shepherds who will really shepherd them.

They will no longer be afraid or be terrified, and none will be missing,” declares Jehovah.

“Look! The days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when I will raise up to David a righteous sprout.

And a king will reign and show insight and uphold justice and righteousness in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will reside in security.

And this is the name by which he will be called:

Jehovah Is Our Righteousness.”

“However, the days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when they will no longer say,

‘As surely as Jehovah is alive, who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt!’

but rather,

‘As surely as Jehovah is alive, who brought out and brought back the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands to which I had dispersed them,’

and they will dwell in their own land.”

Concerning the prophets:

My heart is broken within me.

All my bones are shaking.

I am like a man who is drunk And like a man overcome by wine,

Because of Jehovah and because of his holy words.

For the land is full of adulterers;

Because of the curse the land has gone into mourning And the pastures of the wilderness have dried up.

Their course is evil, and they abuse their power.

“Both the prophet and the priest are polluted.

Even in my own house I have found their wickedness,” declares Jehovah.

“So their path will become slippery and dark;

They will be pushed and will fall.

For I will bring calamity on them In the year of reckoning,” declares Jehovah.

“And in the prophets of Sa·marʹi·a I have seen what is repulsive.

Their prophecies are incited by Baʹal, And they lead my people Israel astray.

And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things.

They commit adultery and walk in falsehood;

They encourage evildoers, And they do not turn away from their wickedness.

To me they are all like Sodʹom, And her inhabitants are like Go·morʹrah.”

Therefore this is what Jehovah of armies says against the prophets:

“Here I am making them eat wormwood And giving them poisoned water to drink.

For from the prophets of Jerusalem apostasy has spread throughout the land.”

This is what Jehovah of armies says:

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.

They are deluding you.

The vision they speak is from their own heart, Not from the mouth of Jehovah.

They are saying again and again to those who disrespect me,

‘Jehovah has said: “You will enjoy peace.”’

And to everyone who follows his own stubborn heart they say,

‘No calamity will come upon you.’

For who has stood in the inner circle of Jehovah To see and hear his word?

Who has paid attention to his word in order to hear it?

Look! The windstorm of Jehovah will burst out in fury;

Like a whirling tempest it will whirl down on the head of the wicked.

The anger of Jehovah will not turn back Until he has carried out and accomplished the intentions of his heart.

In the final part of the days you will clearly understand this.

I did not send the prophets, yet they ran.

I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

But if they had stood in my inner circle, They would have made my people hear my words

And would have caused them to turn back from their bad way and their evil deeds.”

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares Jehovah, “and not a God also from far away?”

“Can any man hide in a concealed place where I cannot see him?” declares Jehovah.

“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares Jehovah.

“I have heard the prophets who are prophesying lies in my name say,

‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

How long will this continue in the heart of the prophets, to prophesy lies?

They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.

They intend to make my people forget my name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot my name because of Baʹal.

Let the prophet who has a dream relate the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully.”

“What does the straw have in common with the grain?” declares Jehovah.

“Is not my word just like a fire,” declares Jehovah, “and like a forge hammer that smashes the crag?”

“So here I am against the prophets,” declares Jehovah, “who steal my words from one another.”

“Here I am against the prophets,” declares Jehovah, “those who use their tongue to say, ‘He declares!’”

“Here I am against the prophets of lying dreams,” declares Jehovah, “who relate them and lead my people astray because of their lies and their boasting.”

“But I did not send them or command them.

So they will not benefit this people at all,” declares Jehovah.

“And when this people or a prophet or a priest asks you,

‘What is the burden of Jehovah?’

you should reply to them,

‘“You people are the burden! And I will cast you off,” declares Jehovah.’

As for the prophet or the priest or the people who say,

‘This is the burden of Jehovah!’

I will turn my attention on that man and on his household.

This is what each of you is saying to his fellow and to his brother,

‘What has Jehovah answered? And what has Jehovah spoken?’

But the burden of Jehovah you should mention no more, for the burden is each one’s own word, and you have changed the words of the living God, Jehovah of armies, our God.

“This is what you will say to the prophet,

‘What answer has Jehovah given you? And what has Jehovah spoken?

And if you keep saying, “The burden of Jehovah!” this is what Jehovah says:

“Because of your saying, ‘This word is the burden of Jehovah,’ after I told you, ‘You must not say: “The burden of Jehovah!”’

look! I will lift you up and throw you away from my presence, both you and the city that I gave to you and your forefathers.

And I will bring on you everlasting disgrace and everlasting humiliation, which will not be forgotten.”’” ```

#biblereading #jeremiah

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“May your seas be wide enough for wonder, your harbor always waiting, and your light never fail when another soul is searching.” – The Lantern Keeper

Security is not the absence of attack, but the presence of God.