Trust in God, not in chance
Proverbs 22: Don’t gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, hocking your house against a lucky chance.
From the middle of Proverbs 22 through most of chapter 24 weāre given a list of thirty wise sayings collected by Solomon. In fact, this is the first of three such collections, the last being some of Solomon’s own gems. Clearly this wise man is not only a source of wisdom but is a collector of it too. The proverb concerning gambling catches my eye today as gambling is everywhere in our culture. Several states have turned to casinos as an answer to financial shortfalls. Also, there are many state sponsored lotteries. It isn’t unusual to be approached by someone selling raffle tickets in support of some worthy cause. (If I think it is truly worthy, I make a donation but decline taking a ticket.) When I turn on the TV I find shows about poker games. Itās clear that our society is awash with gambling. This isn’t how people of faith are supposed to operate. My hope isnāt that by taking a chance I can get hold of the money of other people who have taken the same chance. The life of faith isnāt about getting all I can from anywhere I can. Rather than gambling on my future by guessing the right lotto numbers I can stake my future on the solid rock of God’s faithfulness to me. Jesus said itās impossible to serve both God and money. In this proverb, I see the wisdom of avoiding the gambling trap.
Take Away: Our hope is in the Lord, not in picking the right lotto numbers.
Tag: God’s faithfulness
Devotional on Isaiah
On the solid Rock I stand
Isaiah 40: God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
Sooner or later everything fails us. Some failures come on purpose and can be considered betrayal. Others come by accident but are painful none-the-less. Still others come with great reluctance; such as the death of a loved one who promised to be with us always. Sometimes I make something that was never intended to be permanent into a centerpiece in my life. When the time comes for it to be taken away it becomes, spiritually speaking, a surgery rather than a simple letting go. Because of the temporary nature of this life, I must remember the truth of Isaiah’s words here. Thereās only one place of absolute firm footing and thatās on the solid rock of God. Heās the only One who never fails. As I take my stand on the rock of his faithfulness everything else falls into its proper place. I can weather betrayal because One vastly greater has not betrayed me. I can survive some thoughtless, accidental failure and I can find hope even in genuine personal disasters because my hope isnāt focused there in the first place. Everything else comes and goes. If Iāve pinned my hopes and dreams on anything or anyone else, Iāll become a sad, broken man. The only stability I really have (and need) is in the Lord.
Take Away: Thereās only one place of absolute firm footing and thatās on the solid rock of the Lord.
Devotional on Isaiah
A personal Guide through life
Isaiah 42: I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country.
Have you ever been in a situation in which you needed a guide? Some years ago Jackie and I rafted some serious white water and part of the deal was that we, along with some other folks, hired a guide. As I recall, he earned his money, directing us along the way so that we got wet without getting dumped into the raging water. Isaiah pictures for us God’s offer to be our personal guide in life. I don’t think Iām to draw from this that I’m to be a private in the army, marching to the bark of a stern drill sergeant, but I do see the promise of God’s faithfulness to me in the decisions of life. Rather than barking out orders the Lord more often speaks in that oft mentioned “still small voice.” Therefore, his offer of guidance can be refused. Due to the fact that everything in my future can be classified as “unknown country” I thank the Lord for his offer to be my “personal guide.” I have to admit that I still need some work in the listening part of this arrangement.
Take Away: As I cooperate with him, the Lord is faithful to me in the decisions of life.
Devotional on Lamentations
Surveying the devastation, with hope
Lamentations 3: The “worst” is never the worst.
On the surface the words “the ‘worst’ is never the worst” sounds pretty naive. It apparently goes along with “Cheer up, things could be worse” — just a shallow throwaway line that has no traction in a broken life. I have to remind myself of where I am and who it is giving this, seeming trite, advice. I’m standing in the midst of the rubble that was Jerusalem. Decaying bodies are in sight. The man speaking is Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. He’s the one saying, “Hang in there. You think this is the worst situation possible, but something good will rise even out of these ashes.” The prophet knows that his words won’t make sense unless he adds the reason for his surprising optimism. He continues: “Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. He works severely, he also works tenderly.” The worst isn’t the worst because God doesn’t walk out, never to return; and when he returns, it’s with tender compassion. I may be traveling down an unwelcome road right now. The darkness may seem complete because it appears God has forsaken me for good. Jeremiah reminds me that it’s never that way. Even Jeremiah, who has first-hand seen the “severity” of God, is absolutely convinced of the “tenderness” of God. I need to sit at the feet of this man who can stand in the midst of devastation and declare his trust in the Master’s tender faithfulness. These are deep, and necessary truths; especially in the painful days of life.
Take Away: Trust in the Lord even in the hardest days of life.
Devotional on Ezekiel
The story continues
Ezekiel 1: God’s hand came upon him that day.
Jeremiah’s story leads up to the fall of Israel to Babylon. We leave Jeremiah in Egypt with the handful of survivors who fled there after the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, as I turn the page, I find myself in the company of the majority who are exiled in Babylon. The clock has been turned back a bit as I join those taken in the first stage of the exile. The destruction of Jerusalem is still ten years away. This particular group of refugees has been settled along the Kebar River, southwest of city of Babylon. Their beloved Jerusalem is now a distant memory; they’ll never return. It seems to them that their connection to the God of Abraham is severed. Simply put, they’ve failed the Almighty and the Almighty has kicked them out. Their religion has focused on the Temple and now they’ll never see it again. It’s time to move on. Interestingly, they aren’t very far from the place where God first spoke to their ancestor, Abraham in the town of Ur, just to the east of them. They’re about to find out that God isnāt limited by location and he doesn’t need a Temple as a headquarters. This God who spoke to Abraham promising their very existence, is about to speak to them. A young priest named Ezekiel will take up where Jeremiah left off as God’s spokesman to his people.
Take Away: The Lord isnāt limited by location and he doesn’t need a Temple as a headquarters.
Devotional on Ezekiel
A sad love story
Ezekiel 16: Your beauty went to your head.
This section of Ezekiel isn’t uplifting. It’s graphic and weighty. The sin of Israel is described as adultery. The prophet is a rough and tough guy and his language is hard and attention getting. Ezekiel describes Israel as a baby abandoned at birth, destined to die without ever having a chance at life. Instead, the Lord rescues this pitiful infant and lavishes his love on it. Then the imagery changes as he describes this rescued one as a grown woman, beautiful and loved by the Lord as a devoted husband loves his wife. Ezekiel says that Israel, who should have never even existed, has become vain and disinterested in the God to whom she owes everything. Instead of being faithful to the Lord, though, sheās become an unfaithful harlot. Anyone hearing Ezekiel’s words should be disgusted with such betrayal and sin. None of this is intended to be a pretty picture. Instead, Ezekiel wants us to recoil at what he describes. Today, I’m reminded that my nation is a blessed nation too. In the early days our chances of survival were small, yet we survived by the grace of God. Now we’re a nation many others watch, and many watch with envy. And even as Israel began to take God for granted and rebel against him, so have we. This section of Ezekiel isn’t fun to read but it needs to be allowed to speak to us in this day.
Take Away: Itās a dangerous thing to forget the blessings of the Lord and take them for granted.
Devotional on Ezekiel
Gog and Magog
Ezekiel 39: I’ll use them to demonstrate my holiness with all the nations watching.
The prophet has encouraging words for the broken people of God. The Lord will breathe life back into their dry bones and the nation will be brought back from the destruction that has come. It’s at this point that Ezekiel turns his attention to the “distant future” and the mysterious “Gog and Magog.” From what I can tell, the more down to earth commentators think that Ezekiel’s original audience knew just who he was talking about and that this prophecy is much like those given against Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, and other nations in the region. Taken at face value, then, Ezekiel is prophesying that in a more distant future, after the restoration of Israel, another regional power will come against God’s people. When that happens, the Lord will move to defend them and will destroy the invaders. However, there are two things that get the attention of many. First, this nation from “the north” isn’t clearly identified in history. Second, “Magog” is mentioned in a similarly vague way in Genesis and then Gog and Magog make a major appearance in the book of Revelation as part of the wind up of history. If we conclude that the “distant future” Ezekiel’s talking about is still in our future we find ourselves swimming in the deeper waters of prophecy. I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not ready to go there. I think it’s more likely that Ezekiel is talking about a nation well known to him and his listeners and that the distant future isn’t “book of Revelation distant.” I think that when John writes Revelation he’s reminded of Ezekiel’s words: an attack on God’s people by a coalition of enemy forces. He uses that reference to describe the scene of the final battle. To me, the key to the whole passage is God’s promise to defend his people and to “demonstrate his holiness” to the world. That concept plugs into both the Ezekiel and the Revelation prophecies. It also plugs into my life: when everything seems to be against me the Lord knows how to rescue me as one of his people. Rather than getting all mystic about this passage, I’d rather find here yet another promise of God’s faithfulness even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Take Away: Even when it seems everything is falling apart God is still God and God is always faithful to those who trust in him.
Devotional on Daniel
God is still God even when everythingās falling apart
Daniel 1: The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him.
My devotional journey moves now to the book of Daniel. I’m glad to arrive here. For several months I’ve spent time in some of the hard scrabble writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. I’m ready to enjoy some devotional reading of some of the greatest stories of the Bible. Daniel isn’t above giving us visions and prophecies. In fact, his book is divided almost equally between stories of God’s deliverance and prophecies of God’s sovereignty. For now, though, I’m looking forward to Daniel’s rise to prominence in Babylon, the story of the fiery furnace, and, of course, the lion’s den! The events of Daniel take place around 600 years before Christ. When King Jehoiakim of Judah rebels against his master Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon Jerusalem is attacked and brought to her knees. The Temple is ransacked and many of its citizens are taken captive. Among the captives are members of the royal line. Nebuchadnezzar’s policy is to pick of the best of the people of this defeated nation and indoctrinate them into the ways of his nation. Daniel is one of those chosen for this. Off he goes to Babylon, apparently, under the control of a king and government that has no interest in his Hebrew heritage. In this dark hour of uncertainty it may seem to Daniel and friends that God had lost interest in them, but it isn’t so. Things are just getting interesting!
Take Away: When it seems all is lost the Lord is just getting started!
Devotional on Daniel
God has ways of getting our attention
Daniel 2: If it please your majesty, tell us the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar is having some repeating, vivid dreams and he’s sure they’re a message from some god. He has an entire division of wise men who are supposed to be experts in such things but he suspects that they’re all just carnival fortune tellers. He knows that if he tells them his dream that they’ll make up an interpretation so he decides to really put them to the test. Not only are they to interpret his dream, they’re to first tell him the dream, itself. If they can do that he’ll know something supernatural is going on. Nebuchadnezzar also has decided on an incentive plan for his wise men. If they can’t tell him his dream he’ll kill them and their families. If they do tell him, he’ll make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. I can’t help but feel sorry for the fortunetellers who are in over their heads. If the king told them his dream some would, no doubt, take it quite seriously and try to figure it out for him. I’m also a bit frustrated with Nebuchadnezzar. Here’s a man arrogant in his power. The lives of all these men and their loved ones (including Daniel and his friends) are, in his eyes, disposable. However, the Lord knows all of this and is using it for his own purposes. Nebuchadnezzar has already been impressed with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah as individuals. Now, he’s going to find out about the God they serve.
Take Away: The Lord has ways of getting our attention.
Devotional on Hosea
It isnāt over till itās over
Hosea 12: What are you waiting for? Return to your God!
Hosea is unique in the Old Testament in his understanding of God. The opening āliving parableā of his enduring love of his unfaithful wife flavors the entire book. Now, it isnāt all romantic love. Thereās some strong medicine here, what could be called ātough love.ā Still, it’s love. The Almighty is so in love with these people that he canāt let them go. The God who could wipe them out in a second instead calls to them and reasons with them and, yes, uses some tough love in dealing with them. In this passage the Lord illustrates his intentions by appealing to history. He reminds them that Jacob started out as a āheelā who even tried to manipulate his Creator. The Lord says that, in the end, he won and Jacob was changed into a new person. Now, this same God turns his attention to the current sorry state of things. He tells this rebellious nation that he loves them too much to cast them away. He says that in his love, he wonāt give up and he wonāt give in. They might as well surrender to it now because, ultimately, he’ll win. Today, Iām reminded that God doesnāt give up on people and I shouldnāt give up on them either. The person who seems the most lost; who has burned his bridges and declared his abandonment of the Lord is still on Godās radar screen. Really, it isnāt over till God says itās over!
Take Away: The Lord doesnāt give up on people and I shouldnāt give up on them either.
Devotional on Jonah
About as low as you can go
Jonah 2: My prayer got through to you.
When heās thrown into the stormy sea he’s sure he’s a gonner. Then this huge fish shows up, mouth open wide, and Jonah thinks this is certainly the end. Now, in the darkness, trying to get the sea weed off of his face he realizes heās still alive. This isnāt Star Trek and he didnāt go āboldlyā but Jonah finds himself āwhere no man has gone before.ā In this predicament Jonah wonders if prayers from the inside of a fish at the bottom of the sea can possibly reach heaven. Since he has no other choice he begins to cry out to the God he fled. Years earlier the suffering Job heard the Lord promise that he visited the āsprings of the sea.ā Now Jonah becomes the first human being to put that statement to a literal test. Later he reports, āMy prayer got through….ā Now, Iāve never been deep under water in the belly of a fish. I tried scuba once but I stayed pretty close to the surface so Iāll just have to take Jonahās testimony at face value. However, Iāve been in some situations in which I felt distant from God and I wondered if my prayers could ever get through ā but they did! In this passage I find hope for every person who thinks theyāre so far from God and have messed up so many times that theyāre gonners. Today I see that the Lord hears prayers, even from the depths of the sea.
Take Away: Thereās hope for every person who thinks theyāre so far from the Lord that thereās no hope for them.
Devotional on Habakkuk
The God who never fails
Habakkuk 3: Counting on Godās Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength.
The little book of Habakkuk is all about the prophetās concern with how God works in the world. How can a holy God use such an unrighteousness people as those of Babylon to accomplish his purposes? The Lord answers his question, first, by assuring Habakkuk that he’s aware of sin and rebellion and that it will be judged. The second answer, I think, is when the prophet sees God, in his holiness, enter his Temple. Such a vision of God produces an awed silence and an undeniable assurance that God is God. Because of that, whatever happens will be the right thing. Habakkuk breaks out in praise, writing what might be called a ādisplaced psalm.ā The final chorus, in particular, states an unshakable trust in the Lord. āThough the cherry trees donāt blossom and the strawberries donāt ripen…Iām singing joyful praise to God…counting on Godās Rule to prevail.ā This hymn is a powerful expression of trust in God. Even when the enemy attacks, even when life takes an unwelcome turn, even when all else fails…even then I rejoice in the One who never fails.
Take Away: Even when live is confusing and painfulā¦even then, God is God and God never fails.
Devotional on 1 Corinthians
Canāt we all just get along?
1Corinthians 1: You must get along with each other.
As I understand it, Corinth is a lot like the Old West of American movies. Itās a rough and tough place with lots of immorality. Paul comes preaching the Gospel of Jesus and many of these rowdy people become believers. For a year and a half (a long time for him) Paul stays, establishing them in the faith, teaching them what it means to be Christians. Now, heās moved on, but has received word that things arenāt going very well in Corinth. One of the big problems is lack of unity. The Church of Corinth is splitting, not into two parts, but into several. In fact, if thereās an opportunity for discord, theyāve found it. Paul writes to them, saying, āYou must get along with each otherā and then both reasons with them and shames them into unity. As I consider this passage the call of Jesus to his followers to be one even as he and his Father are one feels quite distant. I share the Apostleās concern as I look at the state of Christianity today. Sometimes āonenessā seems out of reach and I wonder if Paul was writing to the Church today what he would say. There is, though, a silver lining in these opening words of 1 Corinthians. Itās Paulās sunny, optimistic approach to all this. He describes the church as ācleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God filled lifeā and reminds them that Jesus āwill never give up on you.ā The Lord has already done a lot in their lives and Paul assures them that heās going to keep right on working. So, as I read these words today I confess that the state of Christianity today concerns me. At the same time Iām infected by Paulās optimistic view of the Church. Itās good to remember that God’s still at work today.
Take Away: The Lord is working inside the Church to make us one, and, as we cooperate with him, thatās just what heās going to do.
Devotional on James
Praying in times of pain or confusion
James 1: If you donāt know what youāre doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help.
James writes his letter to Christians in general, scattered throughout the region. His writings might be labeled ācommon sense Christianityā because he covers many topics and always in a reasonable, ātell it like it isā way. For instance, he doesnāt deny that hard times have come to many of them but at the same time he tells them that such an unwelcome set of circumstances isnāt all bad. In fact, they can rejoice when, in the midst of trials they catch themselves responding as genuine people of faith. As hard times continue they can be pleased as they realize that theyāre handing such times better than they would have earlier on. It isnāt fun to go through hardship, but thereās reason to rejoice when I realize Iām responding as I think Jesus would and that Iām maturing in my relationship with him. James knows this sounds like so much gibberish to many people; outsiders for sure, but also to some believers who’ve concluded that if theyāre faithful to the Lord and trust in him things will always go well for them. The Apostle has some advice for that crowd too: pray about it. If Iām in a fix and canāt imagine how God can work in such a disaster, I donāt have to pretend Iām handling things just fine. Instead, I can turn to the Lord and confess that Iām having a hard time seeing him anywhere in all this mess. James is absolutely sure that the Father will hear and respond to such a prayer. I guess it would be better if my first response was the best one, but if that doesnāt happen, the next choice is a good one too as in absolute honesty I run to the Father, telling him I just donāt get it and I sure donāt like it. After all, James assures me, āGod loves to help.ā
Take Away: Itās encouraging to catch oneself responding to an unwelcome situation as we believe Jesus would respond.
Devotional on Genesis
A work in progress
Genesis 31: But the God of my father hasnāt changed, heās still with me.
Jacob the āheel grasperā has had the tables turned on him. His uncle, Laban, it seems, has some āuse others as a stepping stoneā tendencies himself. First, after Jacob has served him for seven years heās tricked into marrying the wrong daughter! He ends up with both of Labanās daughters as wives in a tension-filled household. The sisters even involve their maids in a sort of pitiful āmake babiesā contest. Laban then makes a deal with Jacob to work in exchange for livestock. The deal turns into a sweet one for Jacob so Laban just changes the contract ā not once, but repeatedly. Meanwhile, Godās at work. When Jacob is treated unfairly God gives him a plan that will keep things fair. Itās at this point that Jacob, thinking of Labanās changing rules, says āGod hasnāt changed ā he said he would stand by me and he has.ā Jacob hasnāt yet arrived but heās a work in progress. The Lordās using the experiences of his life to teach Jacob about his faithfulness. The lesson Jacob is learning is the same one Iām learning. It isnāt that Iām always fairly treated or that things always go as I think they should. The steadying factor in my life is that God never changes and is ever faithful to me.
Take away: Life is often unfair and uncertain but God is always faithful.
Devotional on Exodus
Donāt forget
Exodus 12: Godās entire army left Egypt.
Four hundred and thirty years earlier sixty-six descendants of Abraham left Canaan and relocated to Egypt. Now, Pharaoh not only āallowsā them to leave, he insists on it and 600,000 people begin the Exodus. Even as they gather their belongs in preparation to depart, the Lord tells them that theyāre to commemorate this event each year. Even before the Ten Commandments are given the Passover is initiated and this event and all that is associated with it will define this people forever. In the centuries to come when times are especially difficult theyāll look back to this night and be reminded that God delivered them; that they are his very own; and that the Lord is always faithful. My story isnāt all that interesting but itās as important to me. The day came when the Lord delivered me from the bondage of sin. He called me his very own and he promised to be faithful to me. Even as the Israelites remembered and in times of trouble found encouragement in their Exodus, so do I look back and remember; and in remembering, Iām encouraged in my spiritual journey.
Take Away: Whatās the story of your Exodus?
Devotional on Exodus
Covenants
Exodus 24: Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened. They said, āEverything God said, weāll do. Yes, weāll obey.ā
Things are coming together for this nation of ex-slaves. Theyāve been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, are receiving constant guidance from the Lord who is also providing their needs. Now the rules for living have been laid out. Soon, God, Himself, will write out the basics on tablets of stone. To their credit, the people are ready. They pledge themselves to obedience. Now, you and I know that this isnāt going to work out. Godās faithfulness to them will be contrasted by their failure to keep the Covenant. Still, God isnāt setting them up to fail. In this Covenant we see all the potential for success. Their failure in breaking the Covenant is what stops the plan from being a success. Hundreds of years later God will initiate another plan. You know it: āFor God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonā¦.ā Once again, and in an even more complete way, everything’s in place for success. And, once again Godās part is perfect. In fact, he’s even gone so far as to provide us the grace to make the same commitment they made. Now, Heaven awaits our response to the New Covenant.
Take Away: We have every reason in the world to live victorious, godly lives.
Devotional on Deuteronomy
He never has failed me yet
Deuteronomy 8: So it’s paramount that you keep the commandments of Godā¦walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him.
The road God has led them down has not always been easy. At times, they’ve been pushed to the limit. Still, in all of it God proved faithful. There has been manna from heaven, perpetual clothes and shoes, and many other direct evidences of God’s steady faithfulness. The fact of the matter is that while their wilderness journey is about to end, there are more times of testing to come. Those same giants that scared their parents off 40 years earlier still live down the road a few miles ahead. The cities are still fortified and the armies there are still superior. Moses says they need to learn from the past as they move to the future. Iām reminded today that sometimes God leads me down roads that scare me to death! Still, as the old song says, “He never has failed me yet.” With that in mind, I walk down the roads he shows me. If he says, “go” that means he’ll go with me and make a way even when I can’t imagine how it can all work out.
Take Away: The Lord never leads us where he doesnāt go with us.
Devotional on Deuteronomy
Follow the Leader
Deuteronomy 31: Be strong. Take Courage. Don’t be intimidatedā¦God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.
There is a bit more to the book of Deuteronomy, but this is the conclusion of thirty chapters of preaching that makes up most of the book. As Moses preaches the people are looking across the Jordan to the Promised Land. They know who lives there and they know that their army isnāt ready to face the superior forces of Canaan. Beyond that, Moses, who is the only leader theyāve ever known, isnāt going with them. The new battles will be fought without their old leader. Well, not quite. Their real Leader is not only right there with them; heās already confidently marching ahead of them preparing the way in places like Jericho. When Moses at 120 years of age breathes his last God will remain their strong leader. Even as Moses is about to commission his successor, Joshua, he reminds his listeners of God’s faithfulness to them. I thank God for people who have influenced my life by providing vital spiritual leadership along the way. Even more important, though, is the awesome steadiness of God. The finest, most dedicated person has their limits, but not the Lord. As Moses says, “He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”
Take Away: The Lord is our faithful Leader and as we follow him, we can do so with confidence that he wonāt let us down and heāll never forsake us.
Devotional on Joshua
Godās faithfulness continues
Joshua 1: Moses my servant is deadā¦In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage!
Some people cast long shadows: David, King of Israel; Abraham, Father of Faith; Moses, Law Giver. The only leader the people of Israel have ever known is now dead. Getting used to life without the steady guidance of Moses is going to take some getting used to and thatās especially true for their new national leader. Joshuaās already a proven leader but that leadership has always been under the authority of Moses. As Joshua staggers under the weight of his new responsibility the Lord speaks to him, probably in a way and at a level that Joshua has never before experienced. The great Promise Maker makes a wonderful commitment to him. Moses is gone but God is not. The same God who spoke to Moses now will speak to Joshua. That same Presence will remain. God’s faithfulness continues. Today, I thank God for the āMoses figuresā in my life. These people have provided me with leadership, advice, and strength. Still, humanity is limited. Things, and people, change. Sometimes, in fact, with the passing of time our roles reverse. As it was for Moses and then Joshua I place the weight of my hope on the firm Rock of my Salvation. He won’t give up on me and he wonāt forsake me.
Take Away: Thank God for people who influence our lives for good, but even more, thank God for his steady faithfulness through the years.