For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) KJV
Some years ago, I was managing a highway maintenance crew. Among our jobs was to repair signs, guard rails, pot holes, etc. We also would be called out to close lanes, divert traffic, and set up barriers for emergency crews.
One time I was taking a crew out to work on repairing some guard rail. We had several trucks. Along the way I spotted a sign that needed to be turned. I pulled my truck off the road and called my foreman to go on to the damaged rail, and I as soon as I turned the sign, I’d be there.
The other two trucks disappeared over a hill. Almost as soon as they were out of sight, I heard a loud crash.
I was quickly out of the truck and turned the sign. It took only a few moments. As I was getting back into the truck, A TexDot supervisor pulled up and rolled down his window.
He called to me. “Preacher man, we need you down the road and hurry.”
It was no secret that most of the workers on the highway knew I would drive the length of the highway that we covered and pray.

I got in my truck and followed the TexDot supervisor. As we went over the hill, I saw a horrific accident had occurred. An elderly lady was driving west and had crossed the median and hit an oncoming semi going east. She had hit the back end of the semi and completely knocked the tandem axles and wheels off. Her car was totally destroyed.
This was the first time I had ever been to an accident with a fatality. The Texdot supervisor was out of his truck and called to me. “Pray preacher. Pray.”
Emergency crews were not yet there. However, traffic was backing up quickly. From the other side of the highway a pastor from a local church came jogging up.
“I’ll pray with you.” He said.
When we got to the car, the scene up close was even more horrific. The pastor was visibly shaken, literally. He put his hand on my shoulder while I prayed. I said the 23rd Psalm and said that we committed her spirit to God, and I asked that God be with her family.
We then walked over to the truck driver who was physically unhurt. He was shaking and crying. I prayed for him as an emergency crew showed up and took him to their ambulance.

As we were walking back to our vehicles the pastor said to me, “I never saw anything like that. When I saw that poor woman, I couldn’t think of a single Bible verse. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to God.”
I said, “The truth be told, I couldn’t either. But I just said the name Jesus to myself. Whenever I’m at a loss for words in praying, I just say “Jesus”, and I keep on saying it until God gives me something else to say; even if I have to say it out loud. Sometimes all you can do is call on the Name of Jesus and let Him do the rest.

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they which love the Law; and nothing shall offend them. (KJV)
I heard this scripture quoted to someone. (I won’t say who, as family and friends might wonder why it was quoted).
Since then this scripture (King James Version) has been on my mind. We seem to live in a time where everything seems to offend someone. I thought I would look into this a little deeper.
Upon checking it out, I couldn’t help but notice most translations of the Bible do not say offend. They say “stumble” or “stumbling block” or some version related to stumbling. (Though, one translation says “no scandal” and another “no sickness”.
It then occurred to me that all of the above are true. When we take offense, a stumbling block does occur. This stumbling block interferes with our perception world and the way we interact in it.

That, in turn, sets us up to stray from a Godly viewpoint to a worldly viewpoint. We then can be more easily be influenced by those who have taken the same offense. How we think and act can change our relationships and our actions. We stumble away from our anointed and appointed lives.
What’s more, when we take offense and/or stumble, we become a stumbling block to others, directly and indirectly. I probably don’t need to probe that idea further.
If we can reduce offense and stumbling, how can we not have more peace with man and God.

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” Joshua 5:13-14 (NIV)

In these verses Moses has already led the Israelites to the Promised Land. However, he dies and Joshua has taken over. It is up to him to lead the people into the land promised them. However, the fortified city of Jericho stands at the border of this land. The city must fall before they can enter. Joshua goes off by himself as he ponders and prays what to do.

Joshua encounters a man who identifies Himself as commander of the Lord’s army. In reply to Joshua, he says he is neither on the side of Joshua nor the armies of Jericho. This seems strange as God surely told Moses to go into this land.

During the War Between the States, Abraham Lincoln was supposedly asked if he thought God was on his side. Lincoln replied, “Sir, my concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”
No matter how noble our cause; no matter how right are minds tell us we are; no matter how much scripture we quote; we must always make sure that we are on God’s side and handling our affairs in a way God wants.
In particular, we must remember that everyone who hates who we hate is not our friend. The times and tides change, but the will of God does not. In everything we must be keenly aware of what side we truly are on.

Habakkuk 1:6-7
I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.
They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. (NIV)

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament. He is generally accepted as a prophet by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He posed questions to God that even today we hear over and over. Why do bad people prosper? Why do good people suffer? (Forgetting that whatever happens in this life is but a moment in time and only a sliver in eternity).

God tells Habakkuk that the people of Judah as a whole have turned from God and promoted and even celebrated things detestable to God. Since God wishes none to perish (eternally), He is sending a people more terrible than themselves; a bigger bully than the worst of them. This is not because the bully is really good; nor to save them from themselves, nor to promote their misshapen justice; nor return the people to better days.

Rather the Babylonians came to dismantle the complete workings of the system that had been far askew. This could only be rebuilt not by the Babylonians, but by the coming of the Messiah.

Nahum 1:7 (NASB) The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

You might say that the book of Nahum is the sequel to the book of Jonah (he having been swallowed by a huge fish).

The prophet Jonah was sent to the city of Nineveh to tell the people they would be destroyed in 40 days. However, the people of the city repented of their wicked ways, humbled themselves and called upon God. Even though the Ninevites were not the Chosen people, since they repented, God relented.

However, sometime later (in the next century) the Ninevites returned to their evil ways. Another prophet, Nahum, gives them a word. He even points out that the Lord is a stronghold and refuge in the day of trouble. (Hint. Hint.)

This time they ignore the words of the prophet. They are full of themselves. They think they are above the justice of God, and continue in their evil with arrogance and pride.
Before that century is out, Nineveh would be abandoned. The Assyrian Empire would collapse.
I’m thinking there is a lesson to be learned here.

I asked an AI (Artificial Intelligence) what is the meaning of Micah 1:5?
The AI answered:
Here is the verse in question, from the New International Version (NIV) translation:
“All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem?”
The significance of Samaria and Jerusalem being the capitals of their respective nations lies in their historical and religious roles within the context of ancient Israel.
1. Samaria: Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, also known as the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Samaria. After the death of King Solomon, the united kingdom of Israel split into two separate entities: the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). Samaria became the capital of the northern kingdom, and it played a central role in its political and religious life.
Throughout its history, the northern kingdom was plagued by idolatry and religious apostasy. Many of its kings led the people into worshipping foreign gods and indulging in various sinful practices. Prophets like Elijah and Elisha actively worked to call the people back to the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to forsake their idolatrous ways.
The mention of Samaria in Micah 1:5 signifies the rebellious and sinful nature of the northern kingdom. The prophet Micah is warning the people about the consequences of their transgressions and the impending judgment from God due to their disobedience.
2. Jerusalem: Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah. After the division of the united kingdom, Jerusalem became the political and spiritual center of the southern kingdom. It was home to the Temple, the most sacred site in Judaism and the central place of worship for the people of Judah.
Despite Jerusalem’s significance in Jewish history, it also experienced periods of spiritual decline and unfaithfulness to God. Just like the northern kingdom, Judah faced times when its kings and people turned away from God, engaging in idol worship and social injustices.
The mention of Jerusalem in Micah 1:5 serves as a warning to the people of Judah that even though they have the Temple and claim to worship the one true God, their sins and high places of idolatry would not go unnoticed by God, and they too would face the consequences of their actions.
Overall, the significance of these capitals being mentioned in the context of Micah’s prophecy highlights the universal message that God holds all people accountable for their actions, whether they are in positions of power or centers of religious worship. The prophet’s words serve as a call to repentance and a reminder of the importance of living in obedience to God’s commands, regardless of one’s social or religious standing.