The Zeal of the Lord; July 13, 2021

Posted on July 17, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 37:32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

This phrase, “the zeal of the Lord,” appears repeatedly in Isaiah, most memorably in 9:7 in talking about Christ’s eternal kingdom. In Japanese, “zeal” is written very descriptively as “hot heart.” We don’t often think of God in those terms, but Isaiah had the sort of relationship with the Lord that enabled him to sense God’s passion for His people. It is dangerous to anthropomorphize God too much, that is, describe Him and think of Him as simply a glorified human being, but at the same time we need to remember that we are made in His image, (Genesis 1:27) so we get some of our characteristics from Him. There are many things about God that are beyond the power of human intellect to grasp, because God is infinite and we are clearly finite, and He is outside of time, having created the physical universe on which time depends, and we are created beings in the flow of time. However, God very graciously reveals things about Himself that we could never grasp on our own. Of course the greatest of those is His love, which is so incredibly magnificent that it caused Him to send His Son to die in the place of those who would believe in Him. That gives us real insight into His zeal, because it took a “hot heart” indeed to cause Him to do that. We can’t contain the entirety of His love, His zeal, but we can have the incredible privilege of being channels, instruments of that love, that zeal. God’s love will stop at nothing! From our perspective we often fail to recognize His love for what it is, so we need to ask Him to open our spiritual eyes to recognize it, and rejoice as He does so.

At this point in my life it is a temptation to succumb to the apathy that comes from burnout, but that is a lying trick of the devil. God’s love certainly hasn’t changed, and I must never forget that. The problem comes in my creating scenarios in my mind of what God’s zeal is going to do, and when things don’t happen that way I am deflated. In a way that is very good, because the last thing I need is to be puffed up! The antidote is genuine intimacy with my Lord, allowing Him to fill me with His Spirit so that I may grasp things about Him that I can’t understand with my mind. I am reminded of something I always discuss with couples before I do their wedding. Intimacy is of course a major topic for newlyweds, but we are too prone to box it in to the physical. I point out to couples that spiritual, emotional intimacy is far more important that the merely physical. I warn them that if they don’t cultivate and maintain heart intimacy, they will tire for the physical, and too often that leads to infidelity. However, when the heart intimacy is there, the whole package maintains its luster. I think one reason God created us male and female was so that we could taste His passion for us. I certainly wouldn’t say He is a sexual being, and talking like this can get confusing, since the devil has done so much to “dirty up” physical intimacy, but the New Testament speaks very clearly of the Church as the Bride of Christ, so we need to let the Holy Spirit straighten out our thinking.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I remember using Isaiah 9:7 in a dramatic reading I did for a speech class in college. I knew so little about Your zeal then! Help me indeed be an open conduit for Your zeal, however You want to use me, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Only God; July 12, 2021

Posted on July 14, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 37:20 “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God. “

Once again we have a record of Hezekiah’s focus and faith. He in no way disputed the historical facts of Sennacherib’s message, but he disagreed completely with the fundamental premise. As noted yesterday, Assyria had the mightiest military force in the known world of the day, and they did essentially whatever they liked. Hezekiah’s point was, now they had come up against the Creator of the universe, and no human force could conquer Him. That’s something we need to remember! We aren’t to confuse human structures and organizations with God, however. As Jesus said, the gates of hell cannot withstand His Church, but that doesn’t mean that individual churches can’t fail. It is when we are walking in step with Him, and only then, that His power operates through us. As a very pointed, present-day example, the devil realizes that he can’t destroy the US as long as it is adhering to the Biblical principles on which it was founded, so he has attacked its spiritual and moral foundation, and sadly, has made major headway at that. The biggest dangers aren’t China, Iran, and Russia, but politicians and judges who attack people’s right to live by Biblical principles. America may have the world’s best military technology, but that is meaningless if Biblical principles aren’t being adhered to. We need leadership that will pray as Hezekiah did, and we need churches that will stand up as the Church of Jesus Christ indeed, recognizing and standing against the lies of the devil that have flooded us in the past century or more.

Obviously, I have no trouble finding a soapbox to stand on when it comes to this topic, but I’ve got to apply it close to home as well. I am to speak the truth in love to all who will receive it, but I’ve also got to live it out in my own life. My priorities need to line up with God’s kingdom and His righteousness! I don’t have major human forces arrayed against me the way Hezekiah did, but I still have the same fundamental enemy, who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) I cannot let down my guard, but at the same time I’m not to be anxious, because the Lord I serve is totally trustworthy. Even if He leads me into martyrdom, I know that my reward on the far side of that will be indescribably glorious. In a way it would be easier if physical martyrdom were what I faced, because the subtle attacks on faith and obedience can actually be more dangerous. I am to be strong in my Lord, fully submitted and obedient to Him, so that those who are watching me – and there are quite a few – may know that He is real, and seek Him for themselves.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for being God, in the world at large and specifically in my life. May I be fully submitted and obedient to You indeed, just as You have told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Response to Crisis; July 11, 2021

Posted on July 14, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord.

King Hezekiah lived in pretty terrible times, but he was definitely one of the better kings of Judah. The chapter before this details the very insulting threat delivered by an Assyrian field commander, at a point when Assyria had the most powerful military in the known world. Definitely the stuff of nightmares and panic! However, Hezekiah’s response was first, personal humility, and second, seeking God. We don’t have the custom of tearing your clothes and putting on burlap, but it was a fixture of society back then. What was not common was for the king to do it. Just as it is today, people in positions of authority and power seldom acknowledged their weakness before God and man. Hezekiah, however, had no illusions that he was able to give a proper military response to Assyria, and he wasn’t too proud to acknowledge that fact. What he did have, however, was knowledge of and faith in the Creator of the universe, and he knew someone with a strong track record of hearing from, and speaking for, Him. He was much wiser that his father Ahaz (chapter seven)! And the record shows that his actions were entirely appropriate, and God was merciful to Judah. We aren’t kings, but we have a lot to learn from Hezekiah!

I was raised in a household of faith, but I am still all too likely to depend on myself and what I see as my resources in a time of emergency. There aren’t any current social norms on the order of tearing your clothes or wearing sackcloth, but those aren’t the issue. As always, it’s a matter of heart attitude. I think I am more likely to cry out to God in an emergency than the average person is, but that doesn’t mean it’s totally automatic. The longer I live the more aware I am that I can accomplish nothing on my own, without God’s direct support and intervention, and that awareness is a huge blessing. I just need to walk in that awareness more and more consistently. The flip side of that is the assurance that God can do anything He likes, even through me. I’m not particularly worthy of being His instrument, but His grace does extend that far, and I am to rejoice in that grace. At the same time, I am not to presume on it, and think that because God did something one time that He’s going to do exactly the same thing again. Even Moses got caught in that trap! (Numbers 20) I need to listen to Him humbly and obediently all the time so that He may indeed do whatever He likes, through me or completely apart from me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s a lot of truth that I “know,” but it needs to be worked deeper into me. Help me live it out, just as James said, (James 1:22) so that I may be fully useful to You in establishing Your kingdom and bringing people into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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True Peace; July 10, 2021

Posted on July 13, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 26:12 Lord, you establish peace for us;
all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Coming to this awareness is a huge step of spiritual growth. We think we accomplish things and we get all puffed up, but we forget that without the grace and support of the Lord, we couldn’t take a single breath. It is when we realize that God is undergirding it all, and we give Him the gratitude and praise He is due, that we receive the peace that He has provided for us. We are responsible to apply the abilities, knowledge, and wisdom He has given us, but the outcome is in His hands. Strictly on our own, we can’t do anything! It is certainly disappointing when plans and projects seem to fail, but we need to ask ourselves how much of that was following His direction and how much was our own wishful thinking and/or humanistic calculations. The consolation is that God can turn those failures around and use them, at the very least to grow us spiritually, if we will let Him do so. (Romans 8:28) The biggest issue is recognizing, as this verse says, that all our successes come from Him, because He did them in, around and through us. Often we have an easier time yielding failure to Him than we do crediting success to Him!

As I am reminded frequently, this is an issue I have struggled with all my life. I had huge pride in my intellectual accomplishments, and couldn’t see that I hadn’t “earned” my genetics or my home environment. I was the perfect example of a sophomore, a “wise fool,” one who knew some things but had absolutely no grasp of how much he didn’t know. Just as Moses told the people to “remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” (Deuteronomy 8:18) I needed to remember that it was the Lord who gave the ability to acquire knowledge. Frankly, the older I get, the easier it is to grasp just how much I don’t know, and that is a real blessing. However, knowing my omniscient, omnipotent Creator, who loves me enough that He sent His Son to die for me, is a treasure beyond measure. That is the only source of true, ultimate peace.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I am indeed reminded daily of how finite and foolish I am, but You have not changed in Your perfect love for me. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Obedient Prayer; July 9, 2021

Posted on July 13, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 7:10-12 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Often God tells us to pray, and sometimes He even tells us how to pray. It is very foolish not to listen and obey! This particular passage, being the prophecy of Immanuel, is frequently read around Christmas, but this lesson about prayer is certainly applicable year-round. Ahaz was in a very dangerous situation, and Isaiah had confirmed the danger but then had given a strong word of encouragement that God was still in control. I have always liked the line immediately before these verses: “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (verse 9) Ahaz was being put to the test, and frankly, he failed. However, as Paul reminded Timothy, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) The prophecy of Immanuel was probably fulfilled once in the short term soon after this, but we don’t know the details of that. What we do know is that it was fulfilled for all eternity in the birth of Jesus, many years after Isaiah spoke it. All of that said, we are back to the fact that Ahaz was told to ask for a sign and he refused. On the face of it he was being very pious, because “putting God to the test” was very poorly spoken of in the Pentateuch, but this was refusing a direct instruction from God by way of Isaiah. It’s probable that he didn’t trust that Isaiah was hearing God accurately, but that’s a poor excuse, particularly considering Isaiah’s track record up to that point. This brings to mind one of Jesus’ most famous teachings: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) We aren’t to be selfish or greedy, but after all, God tells us to ask!

This is of course as close to home for me as it is for anyone. I couldn’t begin to tally up all the things God has granted that I have asked for, but at the same time, there have been many that God said were not what I needed, or was best. I couldn’t calculate the ratio between the affirmative and negative answers, but in the process I have come to the absolute conviction that God has my best interests in mind. Just yesterday I watched a video of a man talking about his near-death experience, and the best word he could come up with to describe it was love. The longer I live in faith, the more sure I am that is correct. As Bill Gaither wrote, The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows. I want to obey His every command, because I know that every one stems from His love, that was strong enough to cause Him to give His Son to die in my place. He says ask, so I will ask!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me recognize what You are saying to me at all times, and be quick to respond in obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Religion as Usual; July 8, 2021

Posted on July 11, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 1:13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations– I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

This first chapter of Isaiah has a glorious offer of forgiveness and redemption in verse 18 that has been memorably and beautifully set to music multiple times, but as a whole it is a ringing denunciation of “religion as usual.” The various activities mentioned are all specified and even commanded in such places as Leviticus, but the people’s failures in their personal lives made their religious activities not just meaningless but detestable. It is perhaps appropriate that church membership in the US has dropped below 50% of the population in recent years, because people are certainly not living as disciples of Jesus Christ! It is in a way strange that throughout history people have thought that going through certain motions, holding certain ceremonies, would placate God and make Him like them. God has always wanted our hearts – and not the way the Aztecs used to offer them to their gods! As verses 19-20 make clear, heart attitude is everything. Throughout the Bible it is very clear that repentance and humility are everything, Religious formulas just don’t cut it.

I’ll probably never forget the poor grade I got on my final assignment in preaching class in seminary (graded by a doctoral teaching assistant, and not by the professor). My text was from this chapter, and my title was, “There’s Blood on Your Hands.” I was graded down with the comment that it was “too extreme.” My response was that if I was too extreme, then Isaiah was too extreme! As the largest Protestant seminary in the world, they were very invested in “religion as usual,” which was quite sad. There were certainly exceptions, and I formed good relationships with some outstanding professors, but the overall impression to me was of maintaining the corporate enterprise of church, rather than training people to hear and be obedient to the Lord of Creation. That said, I too am steeped in tradition, and I can’t say that my obedience is always fresh and heart-felt. I am grateful for my years as a Christian, but I can’t maintain a fresh relationship, a sense of wonder, on my own. I need to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to keep working in me, exposing and discarding the junk and keeping me hungry for more of Jesus. On my own I will stagnate into “religion as usual.”

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Help me remember that despite all my advantages I am just as capable as anyone else, if not more, of totally despicable hypocrisy. Help me walk in transparency before You and before the world. You see through me anyway, but keep me from even thinking I’m hiding! Help me be the child You desire and deserve, worshiping in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Wise Prayer; July 7, 2021

Posted on July 10, 2021 by jgarrott

Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

This is a remarkable prayer, both for its wisdom and for its rarity. I doubt many people pray this in all honesty! For one thing, the motive for wanting to avoid poverty is very pure. This person evidently had the reputation of being devout, and they recognized that their actions would reflect on the God they were known to serve. We can easily name some prominent Christians who should have kept that in mind! However, it is the desire to avoid wealth, and the devout motive for that, that really stands out. Probably the majority of wealthy people who are in the public eye today have the attitude mentioned here: “Who is the Lord?” It was a terrible shock to Jesus’ disciples when He told them, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24) Even so, just about everyone you meet would like to be rich. Since nothing is impossible for God, (as Jesus pointed out in verse 26) there have been exceptions to this. R. G. Le Tourneau, to quote Wikipedia, “was a prolific inventor of earthmoving machinery. His factories supplied LeTourneau machines which represented nearly 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and engineering vehicles used by the Allied forces during World War II, and more than half of the 1,500-mile (2,414 km) Alcan highway in Canada was built with LeTourneau equipment. Over the course of his life he secured nearly 300 patents relating to earthmoving equipment, manufacturing processes and machine tools.” Naturally, that brought in a lot of money! He started out tithing, that is, giving 10% of his income, but as that income grew, he started increasing the percentage, eventually keeping only 10% and giving 90% to Christian causes. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and the like had that kind of faith! Instead, most people tend to dream of that kind of wealth and overlook the disastrous personal lives of such people, not even thinking of the eternal consequences.

I’ve never been in danger of being terribly wealthy, but I have been at risk because of the similar pride of intellect. God dealt with that rather strongly, and He continues to remind me that without Him I am nothing. I have been in very tight straits financially, but thankfully have never seen stealing as a way out of that. God has been amazingly faithful to supply our needs, and continues to do so. I haven’t been sharply aware of this particular prayer, but I’m quite familiar with Paul’s words to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:10) and other NT passages on the subject. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11) Not many people realize that’s the context of the very famous verse that follows: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) I’d bet anything that Bill Gates doesn’t have that kind of peace! My task is simply to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) walking in obedient faith, for His glory.

Father, I couldn’t begin to enumerate all the ways You have demonstrated Your faithfulness toward me. Thank You. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Choices; July 6, 2021

Posted on July 10, 2021 by jgarrott

Proverbs 28:9, 14 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,
even his prayers are detestable.
Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

These two verses present very contrasting attitudes, and the outcome thereof. The good attitude has become a truism: “Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord.” That is stated many, many times in the Bible. It’s the contrasting attitude that strikes me at the moment. Verse 9 is somewhat shocking, because we know that God is a God who hears prayer. (Psalm 65:2) The thing is, though God “hears” every prayer, because He is aware of absolutely everything that goes on, He receives prayer only from those whose hearts are tender toward Him, who acknowledge His sovereignty and desire to please Him. Verse 14 makes it clear that “turning a deaf ear to the law” is a choice, because it speaks of a person hardening his heart. No one can force you to harden your heart. Circumstances can influence and contribute, but two people can go through the same experience and one become hardened and bitter toward God and the other softened and obedient toward Him. It all comes down to choices, and choices have consequences. We are surrounded by examples of this, and some of them are pretty stark. You cannot force another person’s choice, but you can choose for yourself. If we choose to fear the Lord and listen obediently to what He tells us, then our prayers are received and we are blessed indeed.

I keep being reminded of how extremely blessed I am to have been raised in the family I was, but whereas that made Godly choices easier, it didn’t automate them. I have chosen other-than-God more times than I could count! As I tell others frequently, it’s easy to spot other people’s wrong choices, but that doesn’t guarantee that mine are right. My first choice must always be to fear the Lord and be tender toward Him, drinking in “the pure milk of the Word” (1 Peter 2:2) and putting it into practice. (James 1:22) I wish I could say I was totally there, but I’m grateful to say I’m headed that direction.

Father, You know my choices before I make them, because You see all of time at a glance. I ask for wisdom, courage, and willpower to make the right choices, more and more consistently, so that I may be a pure and useful vessel in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Wisdom; July 5, 2021

Posted on July 9, 2021 by jgarrott

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

This particular truth is repeated numerous times throughout the Bible, but we seem to have a hard time really getting it into our awareness. That’s doubtless why the Lord repeated Himself so many times! Yesterday I watched another Virtue Signal video by Bill Whittle and Alfonzo Rachel in which they, appropriately for the occasion, talked about the founding principles of the United States. The Founding Fathers were certainly not all dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, but several of them were, and the documents they produced make reference to “the laws of nature and nature’s God.” At the very least they were deists, firmly convinced that the universe didn’t happen by accident, and since that was the case, they needed to do their best to abide by the instructions of the Creator. That’s the source of the at times incredible wisdom found in those founding documents, which is being demonstrated daily even today. Those men weren’t all even what we would call moral in their personal lives, but even Benjamin Franklin called the group to pray before major decisions were made. Today we are seeing a dramatic divide among politicians, with some going the way of the Founding Fathers and some refuting the whole idea. That makes these very dangerous times for the nation, because there is no wisdom in denying and/or rebelling against God. Those who know Him need to be active in praying for those in leadership that they would indeed fear God, at least, and so acquire at least a little wisdom. Some seem to be completely devoid of it!

This naturally applies much closer to home as well. I have a high IQ, but that’s not at all the same thing as wisdom. I have never been more stupid than when I have been convinced of my own competence. I can do nothing right completely on my own! The better I have learned and operated on that truth, the more God’s wisdom has operated through me. I still mess up, and have done so recently, to the pain of those around me, but God is gracious and merciful. I need to operate constantly in the awareness that God is the only one who knows it all, and so actively commit myself to seeking and following His will in every detail. That applies, quite literally, to everything, and I must not forget it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I started this time with You rather in a fog, mentally speaking, but I feel You have gotten through to me. Thank You. Help me not just acknowledge this as abstract truth, but rather live it out in practical terms moment-by-moment, so that I may avoid the traps of the enemy and function as a conduit of Your grace and blessings to those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Hypocrisy; July 4, 2021

Posted on July 8, 2021 by jgarrott

Proverbs 15:8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

This is another expression of a truth that is stated countless times throughout the Bible, and that is that God cares about what is on the inside of a person far more than He cares about exteriors. It’s no use trying to hide things from Him, as is pointed out immediately after this: “Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord– how much more the hearts of men!” (Proverbs 15:11) We are easily distracted by externals, but God doesn’t have that problem. This brings up a number of incidents in Jesus’ ministry when He spoke strongly against hypocrisy. The thing is, hypocrisy never works! Even if it manages to fool some people, it never fools God and it does no one any benefit. There’s a rather “cutesy” poem that is quoted around Christmastime depicting a poor child trying to decide what to give the baby Jesus. It ends with the line, “What will I give Him? I’ll give Him my heart.” The point of that poem is actually the same as that of this verse. Grand gestures aren’t necessarily bad, but God is most interested in what is behind what we do. A huge gift to a church building fund isn’t a bad thing in itself, but motives for such things can certainly be mixed. However, a simple prayer from a heart that is humbly, genuinely seeking God is beautiful to Him indeed.

I have as much trouble with this issue as anyone. I intend to seek God honestly and in purity, but things get complicated. I too care about the opinions of people, and how they see me. I was a Drama major in college, so I know how to put on an act! At the same time, I know that none of that holds any water before the Lord. It’s certainly not that I am to quit doing good works, but rather that I am to ask the Holy Spirit to act as my “alarm system,” notifying me when my heart gets out of the lane. (My wife’s car has that feature as part of the collision avoidance system.) I’m not to be anxious, much less paranoid about it, as I have seen some people be, but I am to maintain humility before the Lord, knowing that my motives are unreliable. I am very aware that God isn’t through with me, and He’s still grinding down rough areas and strengthening weak spots. I take great comfort in Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your truly amazing grace that covers my countless sins and hypocrisies. Keep me moving closer to You, less distracted by all the things the enemy throws at me, so that I may be more and more pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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