Sleep; July 19, 2019

Posted on July 21, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalms 4:8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

Sleep disorders of one sort or another are a very common problem these days. We prioritize “screen time” and let our hearts get so busy that we essentially forget how to rest. David didn’t deal with screen time, but he spent a significant chunk of his life running from King Saul, who was literally out to kill him. That sort of thing can certainly get your heart stirred up! David discovered the same thing Paul did. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) The answer is simply, and obviously, to trust God. The problem is, we have great difficulty doing that in practical terms. We know it in theory, but when push comes to shove, we often balk, to our great loss. Often we fail to see how our life choices run counter to faith. Take the matter of screen time. Our priority needs to be fellowship with our Lord, even above “getting things done” for Him, much less entertaining ourselves with things of the world. When He says to do something we need to do it, but He is not a harsh taskmaster, and He knows how to handle our work load. He even told us that directly! (Matthew 11:28-30) It almost always comes back to trusting Him enough to be fully obedient to Him, in our time allocation in particular but in all other things as well.

This is particularly timely for me, because my wife got up because of pain, (not an unusual occurrence for her) and when I woke up for a bathroom break at 3:30 I went into her workroom to check on her. I logically decided it would be wise for me to get some more sleep after that, but once in bed, my mind went into overdrive. Finally, around 4:30 I gave up and got up. I know the truth of what I wrote about this verse, and I recommend it to others all the time, but I don’t always practice it effectively myself! Little things like this should keep me humble as I minister to others, keeping me from accusing them when they fail to follow through on the truths I share with them. As a teacher I tend to feel that speaking truth should be sufficient, but my own life is a demonstration that is not so. I need to walk alongside them, as well as recognize my need for others to walk alongside me, coaching and encouraging rather than accusing. That is what the Holy Spirit does, which is a good check on whether we are hearing His voice or that of Satan, the “accuser of the brethren.” (Revelation 12:10)

Father, thank You for this timely Word. Thank You for getting me through the day yesterday without excessive tiredness, because I woke up awfully early yesterday, too. I do ask Your strength and clear guidance for me today, not only to get the things done that filled my mind in bed this morning but also in terms of when and how to get the rest You have for me. Keep me from trying to run my life by myself, because that’s a sure recipe in how to ruin my life. Help me trust You enough to obey You fully, in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prophecy and Predestination; July 18, 2019

Posted on July 21, 2019 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 1:8-9 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'”

When reading Deuteronomy it is tempting to think that the words attributed to Moses were actually written by someone after the Babylonian Captivity, because they describe it so accurately. However, here we have clear evidence that Moses was a true prophet indeed, speaking and recording the words of God about things that were hundreds of years in the future, as far as Moses was concerned. We tend to forget that one thing Father God can never do is be surprised. He is outside of time, so He is aware of everything at once, from the moment He created the universe to the moment He brings it all to an end. We get tied in knots over what might happen tomorrow, when God knows what will happen throughout eternity! One of the great philosophical mysteries, as far as man is concerned, is how human free will fits into that, because if we are “fated” to do something, we should bear no responsibility for it, and the Bible clearly contradicts that way of thinking. Paul uses the term “predestined,” in Romans 8 and Ephesians 1, but that simply points out that our minds don’t grasp quantum mechanics very well. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is just words for most people, but the Bible is full of things that are “now but not yet.” We are made to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, (2 Corinthians 5:21) but at the same time we are not yet made perfect. (Philippians 3:12-14) We are tempted to agonize over all of this, but God wants us to trust Him enough to release it all into His hands, knowing that our minds can’t comprehend it all, but He’s got it all covered.

This is an issue for every thoughtful human being. Recently I saw an article about how some Christians treat prophecy like fortune telling, and that is obviously an aberration. If we get too anxious about “what’s next,” we open ourselves up to all sorts of lying spirits. I know of a marriage that was torn apart because the wife consulted a fortune teller who told her that her husband was being unfaithful, when he wasn’t. (He wasn’t being wise, but he wasn’t yet being physically unfaithful.) The devil is only out to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and he uses our lack of faith to do it. I’ve got to trust God fully myself, as well as speak the truth in love to those around me, so that the truth may indeed set us free from the traps of the enemy. (John 8:32) When God gives me a word of prophecy I am to be faithful to speak it as He directs, but never think that I am the one making things happen. I am to proclaim the Gospel in all strength and purity so that as many as will may receive it, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for telling me, years ago now, to rest, relax, and rejoice. Help me indeed do that, trusting You with everything and walking in faithful obedience so that Your will may be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Emotions; July 17, 2019

Posted on July 20, 2019 by jgarrott

Ezra 3:13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Intense emotions overlap. Actually, the weeping of the seniors present was from mixed emotions. They too had joy that the foundations were laid, but they also had horrific memories of when the original temple had been torn down. Actually, it’s not at all unusual for people to cry from joy, particularly when difficult circumstances have been endured leading up to the joy. The people who had seen the original temple had seen scenes of famine and slaughter, almost certainly including the deaths of people close to them, and then they had been taken as prisoners on a long trek to a foreign nation and had to endure discrimination and privation, before finally making the long trip back to Jerusalem. It’s no wonder they were emotional wrecks! I wonder if the younger people, those who were simply rejoicing, had any empathy for them? We would do well to recognize that emotions are both powerful and complicated and not dismiss them, either in ourselves or in others. Often enough, we don’t really understand our own emotions! Accordingly, being gentle with others and their emotions would certainly fit in the category of “love your neighbor as yourself.” At the same time, emotions aren’t the same thing as truth, and indeed can blind us to truth. That’s why we need to put our roots deep into God and His Word, so that the storms of emotion won’t knock us over. Emotions are an important part of being human. Josephus reported that Jesus was known for being emotional, and that His emotions could change very suddenly. We must not despise emotions, but at the same time we must not rely on them.

Since emotions are part of being human, I have plenty of proof that I’m human! In pastoral ministry I am constantly dealing with the emotions of others. It is very sad to visit mental hospitals and meet with those under treatment for being “bipolar.” In Japan at least, they are given medication that suppresses all emotion and they live in a gray fog that to me seems hardly to be living. I have to wonder how they would be if they had a caring support network of family and friends to help them deal with both the highs and the lows of emotion, rather than having both extremes cut off by chemicals. My task is to help people – including myself – recognize God’s grace to them and so rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, accepting and valuing emotion but not being whipped around by it. Joy is more than an emotion, but it certainly has a strong element of emotion, and the Bible makes it clear that joy is integral to God’s plan for us.

Father, thank You for emotions, both positive and negative. Help me deal with them as You intend, both in myself and in others, so that the tricks of the devil may be overcome and Your perfect plan instated, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Victory; July 16, 2019

Posted on July 20, 2019 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 20:17 “‘You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'”

I have loved this story for as long as I can remember. Both the scene here, where God speaks this Word through a very ordinary Levite (in contrast to a recognized prophet) and the king and the people receive it in faith, and the scene the next day and following, when they discover exactly how God fulfilled this Word, make me very happy just reading them. Political correctness would require that I sorrow for the deaths of all the people in the invading army, but the point is, those people had set themselves up in direct opposition to God and His people, so God dealt with them as that deserved. There are people in many nations today who have set themselves up against God, causing great distress and suffering for God’s people. God’s response may not be as immediate or as final as it was here, but it is just as certain. There is a whole political movement in the US that has set itself up against Biblical morality on several fronts, but right now we see them tearing themselves apart with infighting, in a manner reminiscent of this story. The point for those who seek to follow God is indeed to stand firm, speaking the truth in love, trusting that God is still God. As Jehoshaphat said in verse 20, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.”

I am not to be too quick to attribute evil motives to people, but I am to be very firm in trusting God. Yesterday I saw a very disturbing report of what is going in in China with the suppression/oppression of religious minorities, and I know that time is limited for the ruling cadre there. I read of what is going on in North Korea and Islamist countries and my heart aches for my brothers and sisters in Christ in those places, but there too, I know that God is still God, and His arm is not shortened nor His strength abated. The Revelation to John makes it very clear that the devil makes a lot of trouble, but his end is already sealed. I am to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ wherever they are and whatever they are going through, that they may stand firm in the assurance that “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) For that matter, I need to keep remembering that myself! My challenges probably won’t be as dramatic as that faced by King Jehoshaphat, but the answer is still the same: trusting obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this marvelous record of Your gracious plan. We do face challenges every day. May we not be anxious, but move out against them in faith, just as You told Jehoshaphat, so that Your plans may be fulfilled for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Judges; July 15, 2019

Posted on July 19, 2019 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 19:7 “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”

It strikes me that this chapter would make good reading for the judiciary of any country! As it stands now, outright bribery isn’t at all unusual in many countries, but even in countries where that isn’t the case, partiality/favoritism is a major issue. Even in America, that was built on a solid foundation of the constitution and laws, far too many judges rule on the basis of how they think things should be, instead of on what the law says. Frankly, such judges show very little fear of the Lord. They, including the justices of the Supreme Court, will eventually have to stand before the Highest Court of all and have to answer for everything, (1 Peter 4:5) and none of their excuses will hold water. In the meantime, their rulings can cause problems for many. It is no accident that the 10 Commandments are the foundation of Western jurisprudence, but it is also no accident that many people are even violently opposed to their being displayed. The devil doesn’t like laws and rulings that are founded on the fear of the Lord!

My only experiences of being in court were when I was working as an interpreter during a brief stint in the Seattle area while our younger daughter was getting settled in college, and that was just traffic court for Japanese exchange students who had gotten caught in minor infractions. Even so, I remember one young man who was hit with a charge that at the time, I felt a Caucasian would have gotten no more than a warning at most. Favoritism is unfortunately an issue. On a more personal level, as a pastor and as a school teacher I have had to render judgments many times, and sometimes the consequences were great for the one being judged. I too must root all of my decisions in the Lord and His Word, whether the issue at hand seems to be directly connected to that or not. I’ve got to remember God’s righteousness and holiness as well as His grace and love, and interact with people accordingly.

Father, this is a difficult issue for every one of Your children. Only You can enable us to evaluate accurately without being judgmental. Help me love everyone unconditionally, forgiving without excusing, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Worship; July 14, 2019

Posted on July 19, 2019 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 7:3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,
“He is good;
his love endures for ever.”

The people gathered there were just as blown away as we would be at such a supernatural display. Their response was, appropriately enough, worship, in posture and in words. I really think their words were along the lines of, “This is how you’re supposed to be, so please don’t zap us!” Very few Westerners have ever worshiped with their face to the ground, but it is a standard posture for Islamic prayer, which is why they have prayer rugs, to avoid having to put their faces to the dirt. There are many places in the Bible that speak of people worshiping God in this posture, and indeed, the Hebrew word for worship at least implies this sort of thing. It is actually a natural response to extreme and fearsome power and authority, as we have here. However, if our response to God stops with fear, we have a real problem. It is vital that we know God is totally powerful, and is to be feared from that standpoint. However, it is important that we also not forget His other attributes, as these people were reminding themselves with their words. As Paul told Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Being able to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) is a blessing that is unimaginable in most religions. Far too many of us take God for granted, and are even flippant about worship. That is spiritually very dangerous. We cannot grasp the magnificence of His grace unless we realize how awesome and powerful He is.

Raised in a family that rightly focused on the love of God, I fell into the trap of taking Him for granted. It was in November of 1972 that God in His mercy allowed me to see what I had become as a result of that, and I repented in tears, literally falling to my knees and crying, “My Lord and my God.” I am deeply grateful for God loving me enough to call me to account. Since then I have had many times of being acutely aware of His reality, His presence, and each of those has been a treasure to me. I have had times of being prostrate before the Lord, and times I felt like He was holding me in His arms. I am to walk in the conviction that He is who He is, whether I feel anything or not, and so worship Him in spirit and in truth, just as Jesus said. (John 4:23-24)

Father, thank You for this reminder. We are expecting a small group for this morning’s service, with several people having very legitimate reasons to be elsewhere, plus it’s raining. Keep me from allowing my worship of You to be contingent on people or circumstances, but rather be all that You desire and deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Glory of the Lord; July 13, 2019

Posted on July 14, 2019 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
“He is good;
his love endures for ever.”
Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

This might sound like a story exaggerated for effect, but I have heard of similar things happening even in modern times. We have so little grasp of just what “the glory of the Lord” really is. It’s a term that flows glibly off our lips or our fingers, but without any real understanding of what we’re talking or writing about. In this particular incident, some people have cynically posited that Solomon had planted smoke bombs in the temple to create this effect, but such people are denying the power of God. The Star Wars franchise makes a great deal of “the force,” but it’s small potatoes compared to the power of God. God is omnipresent because He’s infinite, meaning that everything finite, including us, exists within Him. However, when He so chooses, He can and does manifest Himself in a specific location. That can take many forms, and one of them is described here. I think another way to describe His glory would be His essence, the distillation of who He is. Given that we are mere created beings, it’s hardly surprising that the priests couldn’t “stand to serve” in the presence of such a manifestation. It is significant that the singers and trumpeters were in perfect unity here. It is a fascinating study, both in the Bible and outside of it, how God delights in unity in His people. The example that comes to mind most immediately is Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. We tend to be very fractious, so when we are in unity because of our love for and obedience to God, He shows up. If we want God to manifest Himself, we need to get things right with our brothers and sisters.

I have experienced tastes of this, and they make me hungry for more, particularly when my flesh won’t place limits on how much I can take in. I have been prone on the floor in worship, and the weight of God’s presence was so great I could hardly breathe. I have been in worship with a few brothers and the intensity of the joy was so great that I had to ask God to take it down a notch, if He had anything further for me to do with this body. I frequently pray that things would happen “for Your glory,” but often I’m not so clear on exactly what that might mean. The Bible is filled with references to glory, but the word seems to have many shades of meaning. I don’t think I’m to stop using the word, but I need to be careful to let God define it as He pleases.

Father, thank You for this Word. You have me speaking on “Lord of Glory” tomorrow, but several of our key members won’t be here. I think the reason I was so disappointed when I found that out was that I was limiting my definition of glory. Help me be so yielded to You that You are free to manifest Your glory however You please, whenever and wherever it will have the most effect in advancing Your kingdom, in individual lives and in society as a whole, not just here but throughout the earth. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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An Old Fool; July 12, 2019

Posted on July 14, 2019 by jgarrott

1 Kings 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

To me, this betrayal approaches that of Judas. Few people in history have been as blessed, as privileged as Solomon, yet somehow he forgot where all of that came from and turned to other gods. For all of his smarts in some areas, he was incredibly stupid. The very idea of “700 wives and 300 concubines,” as the previous verse specifies, is the height of absurdity. Granted, marriage was considered a tool of statecraft in those days, but with numbers like that, he couldn’t keep up with who was a wife and who wasn’t! The background for the nihilistic tone in Ecclesiastes becomes very clear. This verse specifies that Solomon’s idolatry happened “as he grew old,” but I don’t think we could chalk this up to some sort of senility. If it were medically based, his personal responsibility would be reduced at the very least, but there’s no indication of that. He just allowed the physical to blind him to spiritual reality. He himself said that “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10) That’s no recipe for spiritual maturity! Recently the news has been full of reports of someone who seems to have used his great wealth to prey on young girls. That’s one of the grave dangers of seemingly unlimited wealth, which Solomon certainly had. When you have that much, everything becomes an item to be purchased, but as Jesus said very clearly, “You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24) Solomon ended up serving his flesh, and that was a tragedy indeed.

I have never been “rolling in money,” but I too was incredibly blessed from birth. My genetic and spiritual heritage was magnificent indeed, but like Solomon, I have tended to take it for granted, as though I somehow deserved it. You can’t earn something you’re born with! One reason Solomon’s story hits me so strongly is that I can identify with so much of it. Because I rarely struggled in school, I thought I had all the answers. Thinking back, I think I could easily have become a sociopath, but God in His grace protected me from that. Actually, my whole life is a testimony to God’s amazing grace. At this point I am at an age where stupidity would immediately classify me as “an old fool,” just as Solomon was. I need to be conscious in my choice to fear, love, and obey God, because that is true wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

Father, thank You again for Your grace toward me. Thank You for helping me see some of that from which You’ve protected me. I have lived much of my life in more danger than I knew! May I be able to say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Thank You. Praise God!

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Government; July 11, 2019

Posted on July 13, 2019 by jgarrott

1 Kings 10:9 “Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

I am a bit distracted, because in Japanese “to make king” is a homophone for “to vomit.” I type the Scripture phonetically, and that was the way Microsoft insisted on rendering it! I may have “Pun Disease,” but in Japanese it’s unavoidable! With that aside, there really is an important truth here. The queen of Sheba was not Jewish, but she had heard enough about Yahweh, and Solomon, to want to check things out for herself. What she saw impressed her so much that she wanted all of it that she could get. There is a very strong tradition that included a child with Solomon, and that is where Ethiopian Jews come from. The world naturally loves that angle, but we need to focus on just what she saw that impressed her so much, and she says it here. Human societies have always had governments of one sort or another, and they are all over the place in both style and quality. Seeing how Solomon governed, the queen of Sheba realized that it was all because of the love of God. Paul also realized that governments are God’s idea, even though he lived in a time of persecution. (Romans 13:1) Anarchy and chaos are out of line with God! In America and a number of other countries we have representative democracy, which is pretty new in terms of human history. In that, we are given the opportunity and the responsibility to choose those who will govern us. We need to be very aware of human imperfection, and seek God’s will in every detail. The freedoms that are enjoyed in America are a direct reflection of the free will God gives every human being, and as such they have much the same result, with some people using them for good and others misusing them for evil. In terms of government, we need to seek those who will indeed “maintain justice and righteousness,” for the benefit of all.

I was never particularly political until about 10 years ago, but at this point I am pretty involved, at least emotionally. Since I live in Japan and don’t have excess funds for donations, my participation is in signing online petitions and praying. I do plenty of both of those! (And, yes, I do vote absentee.) I need to keep my focus on God and love, as well as His holiness, rather than on human beings, either admirable or otherwise. As I often tell others, people will always disappoint us in one way or another. God alone is totally righteous and faithful. I’ve got to keep my heart fixed on the One who will never disappoint, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing, both right here and around the world. The devil is really stirring things up, but You alone are God. May Your name indeed be recognized as holy and Your Lordship be manifested as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Things vs. People; July 10, 2019

Posted on July 13, 2019 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

For all of his failures, Solomon did say some pretty wise things. Here he shows that he knew he really did worship the infinite Creator, and that’s something we today lose sight of at times. Even when we do realize it, we have trouble figuring out how that fact should impact our daily lives. The temple that he had just completed was indeed magnificent, and the remaining foundation wall is an object of extreme veneration in Israel today. We tend to get fixated on physical objects, but Solomon had a revelation of the insignificance of anything physical compared to the Creator. That’s why the whole Bible emphasizes the people of God, rather than buildings and the like. This temple Solomon built was in many ways a distraction, because people tended to fixate on the building even more than on the One who was worshiped there. That’s why Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) Because we inhabit physical bodies, physical things are important and useful to us. However, it is important that we keep things in perspective, to understand what is really important. Too many leaders develop what has jokingly been called an “edifice complex,” wanting bigger and better buildings, when buildings are never more than a means to an end.

I struggled with the idea when we were being led to build this building, but the guidance seemed pretty clear. In the process we learned some pretty painful lessons, and I’m sure those were more important than the building itself. At this point in my life I am finally learning, as more than just words, that people are what is important, because people have eternal souls, and nothing else I encounter is genuinely eternal. I have always enjoyed machines, and was a geek before the term was popular. (I still react negatively to “nerd,” since that was the term applied to me at the time.) It has been a long road to realizing that all such things are ultimately insignificant, since God didn’t need anything like that when He created the universe. I’ve not been much of a “people person” most of my life, but thankfully, God is still growing and changing me. My interactions with people are the most important thing, because I have been given the incredible privilege of representing Christ to them. Like Paul, I am sharply aware of my own imperfection, but I know that God is greater than all of that, and He can use even me. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Jesus told us to “lay up treasure in heaven,” (Matthew 6:19-21) but the only thing I can take to heaven with me is people. I need to grasp, on the deepest level, that each person I meet is someone for whom Jesus died, and is therefore more valuable than everything physical put together.

Father, thank You for this Word. I’m not sure I’ve ever expressed it like this before. Help me indeed live it out, valuing people above and before everything else, so that I may treasure what You do, and so be a pleasing son and servant, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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