All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way. Isaiah 53:6 Many years ago, a young Englishman stayed in Australia for a long period of time. At one point he got lost in a wooded area until he finally came to a large farm. To his request for a place to spend the night, the farmer replied, “You can go into the barn over there if you want. But there’s already someone in there.” In fact, another person was already lying quite miserably in a corner, coughing terribly. Then, in conversation, it became apparent that he, too, was English. He had even attended the same university. But then he had fallen out with his family and had come to Australia. Here he had led a rather wild life for 25 years. Now he felt that he was getting close to dying, and this made him uneasy. “Do you know anything about the afterlife, perhaps?” he asked the newcomer. He shrugged his shoulders. But when he saw the other’s anxiety, he thought that perhaps the Bible could provide an answer. The sick man had a Bible among his things. His mother had given it to him, but he had never read it. Now his companion had to try to find an answer in it. When he opened the Bible, it opened at the 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah. There, he began to read. At the words, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”, the sick man asked, “Who is this ‘He’?” The reader ventured the questioning reply, “Jesus Christ?” ”Ah!” said the sick man, “Go on!” On he went until the words, “All we like sheep have gone astray ...”. “Stop!” interrupted the sick man. “This is me, this is myself! That’s what I’ve been doing all my life.” (concluded tomorrow) Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 26:1-12 · Philippians 4:1-7 https://gbv-online.org/calendar/262/date/2024-06-17

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way. Isaiah 53:6 Many years ago, a young Englishman stayed in Australia for a long period of time. At one point he got lost in a wooded area until he finally came to a large farm. To his request for a place to spend the night, the farmer replied, “You can go into the barn over there if you want. But there’s already someone in there.” In fact, another person was already lying quite miserably in a corner, coughing terribly. Then, in conversation, it became apparent that he, too, was English. He had even attended the same university. But then he had fallen out with his family and had come to Australia. Here he had led a rather wild life for 25 years. Now he felt that he was getting close to dying, and this made him uneasy. “Do you know anything about the afterlife, perhaps?” he asked the newcomer. He shrugged his shoulders. But when he saw the other’s anxiety, he thought that perhaps the Bible could provide an answer. The sick man had a Bible among his things. His mother had given it to him, but he had never read it. Now his companion had to try to find an answer in it. When he opened the Bible, it opened at the 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah. There, he began to read. At the words, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”, the sick man asked, “Who is this ‘He’?” The reader ventured the questioning reply, “Jesus Christ?” ”Ah!” said the sick man, “Go on!” On he went until the words, “All we like sheep have gone astray ...”. “Stop!” interrupted the sick man. “This is me, this is myself! That’s what I’ve been doing all my life.” (concluded tomorrow) Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 26:1-12 · Philippians 4:1-7 https://gbv-online.org/calendar/262/date/2024-06-17