Lent Day 10

Dear God, good morning! I thought maybe this morning I would start my just talking to you without looking at the Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. For these first moments, I just want to be with you. I know that, for some reason, you just want to be with me. Holy Spirit, you are always with me. You take me to the Father. You are the Father’s presence with me here. And so I just want to be with you. I want to feel you for a moment. I want to feel your comfort. Your love. Your encouragement. I want to hear your instruction, your encouragements, and even your rebukes.

I also want to thank you. There were some good things that happened yesterday. And not necessarily for me. We were hopefully able to get a very sick man to the hospital in a situation where if we hadn’t interacted with him he could have been permanently impaired or might have died. That really felt like providence. You guided us to a medical solution for another patient who was in desperate need and for whom we had both worked very hard and prayed. I had a nice lunch with a friend yesterday. I have another one scheduled for today. Yes, you are good, and I want to acknowledge just how good you are.

Okay, not to spend some time in today’s passages which are:

• AM Psalms: 40, 54
• PM Psalm: 51 (I know what this one is and I definitely don’t want to forget it tonight)
• Deuteronomy 10:12-22
• John 3:22-36
• Hebrews 4:11-16

I am still fascinated to be spending so much time in Deuteronomy and Hebrews. I wouldn’t have guessed they would be such a large part of my Lenten journey.

Psalm 40 – Oh, I like this one. It almost feels how I started this prayer this morning: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Oh, Triune God, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, thank you. I’m just filled with so much love for you in this moment. So much gratitude. I know it’s an emotion and it can fade, but right now it is here and it is real.

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 – Verses 12 and 13 start out great too: “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” That is just so good.

Then he talks about not being stiff-necked in the next paragraph. What struck me is the empathy he calls them to. He talks in verse 19 about loving the aliens because they were once aliens. I don’t want to focus on the alien part of this (not that it’s not important), but the idea that they should have some empathy for others. They should see themselves in others. Relate to others. Oh, Father, help me to completely relate to others and see myself in them.

John 3:22-25 – This is the story of people around John the Baptist being afraid that Jesus is stealing John’s thunder and taking away from John’s greatness. John has the right response. Oh, how I want to decrease so that you might increase, Father. I want to deflect any glory I get to you. I want to simply be your vessel. I accept that it will not always be my time. There might be a time when I need to step aside from the work I do for the sake of what you want to do in that work. There will certainly come a time when I will pass from this earth. And there will be a time, unless my end is sudden and premature, that my capacities will diminish and I will need to step aside. As some who work for the President of the United States say, “I serve at the pleasure of the President,” my words to you are, “I serve at the pleasure of God almighty. Who was, and is, and is to come.”

Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” I’ll keep this part confidential, but you know what my prayer is for this. Oh, Father, please heal hearts by revealing truth and shattering secrets.

Father, I close this time with you still in the same grateful, loving place as I started. Oh, how I love you. I have some work to do today. Help me to do it very well and for your glory.

I offer this prayer to you through Jesus my Christ and with the Holy Spirit my paraclete,

Amen

 

Lent Day 7

Dear God, I did it again. This is becoming a pattern. I forgot to read the PM psalm yesterday.

Okay, I just read Psalm 44 (yesterday’s PM psalm). I am so glad I didn’t miss it. The lament is real. for the first third of it as they talk about you abandoning them in battle, I assumed it was because of Israel’s collective disobedience, but verse 17 says, “All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.” It says a lot more along these lines, but the sentiment is the same. As I said, the lament here is real. It reminds me a bit of Job and his friends telling him he must have done something wrong and earned your displeasure, but that wasn’t the truth at all. You were just silent.

Okay, here are today’s passages from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.

• AM Psalm: 45
• PM Psalms: 47, 48
• Deuteronomy 9:4-12
• John 2:13-22
• Hebrews 3:1-11

Here are my thoughts as I read each of these passages:

• Psalm 45 – I don’t like it. Is that bad to say? It’s a wedding song for the king marrying a young woman, but it feels like it has no place in our current society. And I don’t think it embraces what Jesus taught. I might be wrong, Father, but my heart is disturbed by this psalm.
• Deuteronomy 9:4-12 – Now, this one I like. Basically, it is showing the Israelites their sins and explaining how you love them anyway. Will I be “stiff-necked” before you, Father? Oh, I hope not. My hope and desire is to be completely submitted to you and the path you have for me, no matter what it costs me.
• John 2:13-22 – Ah, the story where Jesus clears the temple. Interesting that John records this as happening earlier than the other gospel writers do. But this passage enforces something that I heard several months ago that I believe. Jesus, Paul, and the other writers of the New Testament appear to be more concerned about making the church more Christlike than making the world more Christlike. If the church is Christlike then the world will want to be part of that church because the world is starving for the fruit of your Spirit.
• Hebrews 3:1-11 – It’s interesting who the author of Hebrews quoted Psalm 95:7-11 as a quote from the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 3:7) and then talks about the lessons the Israelites learned over those 40 years in the desert.

Father, it feels like we, as your church, are poised for some desert time. It feels like we need to be humbled and broken down. It feels like we, your church, are stiff-necked. That’s just how it feels to me. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the concerns I have are not of you, but from the enemy. Maybe I’m absolutely wrong. If I am, please show me. Make it clear to me. But if I am right, affirm that as well. There is an issue that is heavy on my heart this morning. It has nothing to do with the things that normally trouble me, but it is heavy none the less. So please speak to me. Show me how to respond. Comfort me. Inspire me. Live through me. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on this earth, through my life, as it is in heaven.

I pray this in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Lent Day 3: Excerpts from Psalm 31,

Dear God, as I intentionally experience Lent this year and go through Day 3 for Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer, I’ve decided to do something a little different today. I want to read the passages and then call out the verses that resonate with me. But before I do, here are the passages that have for us to read today.

• AM Psalms 31, 95
• PM Psalms 35
• Deuteronomy 7:12-16
• John 1:35-42
• Titus 2:1-15

Here we go:

Psalm 31: 6 – I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD

Idols have come to mean more to me over the last three and a half years. Ever since I heard Andy Stanley interview the couple where the pastor/husband barely survived COVID and he noted that we tend to make an idol out of “certainty,” and we find all kinds of tangible things to put our certainty in (spouse, children, economy, government, etc.) when you, God, are the only thing that is the same and never changes. It’s now easier to see the idols in my life that I must relinquish, and also see the idols others make. Right now, in election season, it feels like many people are worshipping their political party, counting on it to save them or else all will be lost. I hate those [including myself] who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.

Psalm 31:11-13 – Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends–those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

This is a psalm of David, and I cannot help but wonder if he wrote it during Absalom’s revolt. The idea that David would be the contempt of his neighbors and that those who see him would flee from him is shocking, but then again aren’t we all, as humans, shockingly fickle? Are there areas of my life where I foolishly abandon those I should support because it is the safe thing for me to do?

Psalm 95:6-7 – Come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

This is just a nice piece of worshiping you right here. Oh, Father, you are my Maker. You are my God. I am a lamb in your pasture. A lamb under your care. Thank you. I submit myself to your care.

Deuteronomy 7:12 – If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.

Deuteronomy is where you are laying down the law, literally, for the Israelites. This whole passage is, frankly, a little simplistic in my mind. It says you will make good for the good and bad for the bad. All I ask right now is not for good, but that you will help me to be near to you.

John 1:37-38 – When the two disciples heard [John the Baptist] say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

What an interesting question. I wonder if they knew. I wonder if they had an idea of what they wanted but didn’t have the courage to say so they just asked where he was staying. In their heart of hearts, I would imagine they were looking for the same Messiah everyone else was looking for. They wanted to be lifted out of the mire of subjugation to Rome and restored to power. Had they known at that moment how things would play out over the next three years they might have stayed behind. What do I want from you, even this morning? Is it the right thing or is it selfish?

Titus 2:9-10 – Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teacher about God our Savior attractive

For this passage, I want to quote part of today’s reading from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer: “But reading the letter to Titus can be overwhelming. Planting and nurturing the church in Crete is not an easy matter. The culture is crude and in constant agitation. As part of the Roman Empire, it is subject to, among other things, the norms of slavery, the subjugation of women, and the abuse of alcohol. Sexual immorality is rampant, and hopelessness is widespread.\\Knowing and following Jesus, according to Paul, is the only adequate antidote to such a broken world.“

Father, I am still leaning into the word “patience” for this Lenten season. Help me to continue to die to myself and simply embrace everything Jesus was–and everything Jesus was is completely contradictory to who I am. Thank you for this amazing gesture on your part to come to earth and give us your example of how to behave and live. How to love and serve. How to give of ourselves, worship you, and love others. Help me to be that man today.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-6

⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

Deuteronomy 6:4-6

Dear God, I just heard from a pastor friend that his church baptized 11 people last night. How great is that? I mean, really. What a thing to celebrate! It’s not just a number. Those are 11 individual lives who have decided to submit themselves to you in the same way the Moses exhorted the Israelites to submit themselves to you thousands of years ago. The way I have submitted myself to you.

So as I sit here this morning, I feel compelled to pray for the protection of those 11 people, the pastor at the church and his staff, and the rest of the congregation. I know how pendulums can swing, and how an emotionally charged event can dissipate like a hangover. So my prayer for everyone at that church as well as myself and my wife (who are not at that church), is that you will help us all to start with this passage and use it as our foundation: We will love you with all our heart, soul, and strength. For those 11, strip everything else away and help them, Holy Spirit, to love the Father, the Son, and You with all of their heart, soul, and strength. Help the pastor and the church staff to start everything by loving you with all their heart, soul and strength. Help the church members turn loose of the idols that they create–that we all create–and simply love you. Turn loose of politics. Turn loose of the things the media and social media tells them to fear. The idols of the wrongs that have been done to them that they are holding on to and not forgiving. Let this church be about becoming more and more Christlike so that they might display the fruits of your Spirit to the community and our world.

And I pray the same things over my wife and me. Help us to love you with all our hearts, souls, and strength. Help us to make that the foundation of our lives. Help us to turn loose of the idols we’ve created that we think will give us comfort and peace. Help us to reject all of them and simply embrace you. Help us to forgive and turn loose of the wrongs we perceive have been done to us. And let your will be done and your kingdom come onto this earth. Do it through your Church.

I pray all of this in Jesus Christ, with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 34:5-9

⁵ So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. ⁶ The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. ⁷ Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. ⁸ The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over.

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:5-9

Dear God, there are always different chapter and phases of our journey. When we are children, we start school and begin a 13-year journey to high school graduation. Some might then start college and the journey to at least one degree–possibly multiple degrees and advanced degrees. Eventually, most will start a career and the long climb to accomplishment and eventual retirement. At the same time, we often get married and start building a family, first with our spouse and then raising children. The journey goes on and on. Sometimes we build on what we’ve done before, and sometimes we start over from scratch.

I have a new woman at work who is working on fundraising for our nonprofit with me. I told her that I call fundraising throughout the year the “fundraising wheel.” It turns in a big circle with our different fundraising activities, and then when the year finishes, we start again. We work to raise the money we need for the budget all year long, and then when January comes we start over at zero and start climbing the hill again. I guess all businesses are like that.

I am thinking about all of this because I’m thinking about Joshua and what was in front of him here. He had spent the last 40 years following Moses’s lead. Now, although he was taking up where Moses had left off, for the most part, he was starting at zero. There was a Promised Land to inhabit and he had to start the process one step at a time. One prayerful moment at a time. One battle at a time.

At my work, we are about to start the process of expanding our building to improve our existing services, offer more services, and prepare for growth over the next 20 years. I’ve never done anything like this before. Perhaps it’s for the best because my ignorance might just be my ally. If I knew how hard this will be I might be too afraid to do it. But I have you. I have prayer and faith. I am going to find a day to fast and pray to you about this because I know I cannot do any of it–select an architect, select a plan, raise the money, and oversee the construction, all the while managing our existing operations–without your guidance and provision.

Father, there are many aspects of my life that need your leadership. Okay, every aspect of my life needs your leadership. Please lead me. Please keep me from going in any direction that you do not support. Make our leadership wise and discerning. Help us. Help me. And please do it all for your glory.

I offer all of this to you, submitted to your authority,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Dear God, I should probably commit verses four and five to memory as many Jewish people still do today. 

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.”

Maybe I should print it and put it on my bathroom mirror, saying it every morning as I get ready, making it a reminder to me that I am to love yo with all my heart, soul, and strength. I’m often amazed and disappointed at myself for how much I don’t love you with all of my heart, soul, and strength. If I were to assess myself for percentage of heart, soul, and strength with which I love you, I sadly might venture as high as 40%–maybe. Even that feels like it is being generous. In fact, I don’t even think I can envision what it would look like to love you with 100% of my heart, soul, and strength. 

Father, I’m about to speak at a church this morning. I’m going to talk about hearing your word, repenting, and then following your call to do the work you have for us to do. I’m going to tell my story from the last 21 years. Be with me as I tell it. Holy Spirit, be in the room with me. Stir hearts. Speak to souls. Inspire others to love you with all of your heart, soul, and strength. Inspire them to repent, ask for your guidance, and then follow your call. Be glorified in what I do today. Not for my glory, but for yours.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Dear God, if I were Jewish I would know this verse and the verse that follow it by heart. It’s what Jesus went to when asked what the greatest commandment was. So what does it take to love you with all of my heart, soul, and strength?

• Heart: I give my heart to so many things, and I confess that sometimes I get tired of dwelling on holy things. It can be fun to indulge my heart with the things of this world. It’s a little like drugs and excessive drinking. I watched an interview yesterday with David Harbor, an actor famous for Stranger Things, and he was talking about getting sober. He talked about how miserable he and everyone else he was doing drugs and drinking too much. One of the things he noticed when we went to a 12–step meeting was how friendly everyone was. How happy. So why do people do drugs and drink to excess? Because of the little temporary pleasure of unplugging from reality–the high–that you get in the moment. But the cumulative effect leaves you empty and knowing you need something more. It’s at that point you can choose to break the cycle, or try to see if one more round will numb the bad feelings out of you.
• Soul: How do I find the definition for soul? What does it mean to love you with all of my soul? Especially in the pre-Jesus world in which this was written. I think it means, in this context, my inmost being. My core. My heart is my emotions, but my soul is my core. I need to love you with the core of who I am.
• Strength; I think this one is about my self-discipline. I need to love you with effort. It can’t be a passive love. I can’t just sit around and say, “Oh, yeah. Me and God. We’re tight.” I need to discipline myself to love you. I need to show you love. I need to give all I have to be in this relationship with you because you deserve that.

Father, some people would read that last part I just wrote and say, “Well then, I don’t need a God that is going to make me work that hard,” but what they don’t understand is that there is peace and joy waiting in the midst of that effort. When I don’t love you with all of my heart, soul, and strength then I find myself drifting further and further from peace and joy. But when I do it, the grace you give me in return floods me and I find myself at peace. It passes understanding, but it’s real. Help me to love you like I should today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Dear God, there sure are a lot of “prophets” running around, and they have a much larger voice than they used to because of our technology. But I have to say that I don’t think many of them are for real.

So what is the litmus test I use? How do I determine whether or not a “prophet” is to be embraced or shunned? I had a coworker come into my office a couple of days ago and tell me that her husband really wants to go and hear a pastor in another city who has a large following not only in his city, but also around the world. My personal opinion of him is that he falls into the category of “false prophet,” and I told her exactly what I though of him. Why? What is it about him that makes me reject him so thoroughly? Am I right or am I wrong?

First, I’ll categorize him as a prosperity gospel preacher. His sermons are all about the individual and the wonderful things you have for us here on earth. Now there’s a place for positive attitudes, working hard, self-discipline, etc., but I think characterizing you as being there to fulfill our dreams is false. At its most basic level, life is about us being here to worship and serve you, giving up our lives so that you might use us however you need to use us. Four hundred years of Israelites lived and died and slavery in Egypt so that you could build the Israelite nation. The widow who put her two coins into the collection serves as an example to us 2,000 years after her death, and yet she probably died as poor as she was when she woke up that morning that Jesus saw her. Frankly, I often look at my own life and wonder why I have it so good. Yes, my life has had challenges, but I cannot believe how good I have it.

So what does a real prophet do? One, I think they challenge me with my sin. They make me confront where I am failing you, my loved ones, my community, and myself. You did this through Moses, Elijah, Nathan, Jonah, and many other prophets. Second, I think they teach us to serve and to decrease as you increase. I heard a sermon a few months ago that I’ve mentioned in these prayers to you a few times by Andy Stanley called “Not in it to Win It.” In that sermon, he talked about how Jesus was willing to lose any number of battles so that he could win our souls. How much more should we be willing to lose battles too? Third, I think they teach us to die to our rights. Andy mentioned in that sermon that the church is at its worst when it is fighting for its own rights, but it is at its best when it is fighting for the rights of others. When we fight for our own rights then we start to look like the world. When we fight for others we look like Jesus. There are any number of truths that real prophets teach us, but I think that is a good start. In essence, it is all about you and not about us. It is about our utmost for your highest. It is all about us decreasing and you increasing.

Father, help me to find your prophets who can pour into my spirit, and help me to be someone who can bring your words to others. Be glorified through me. Love through me. Help others through me. For your glory’s sake, oh Lord. For your glory alone.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.
Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Dear God, it is easy to criticize your leadership style. Speaking through flawed and frail humans instead of speaking to us directly. Giving us a collection of books written over the course of hundreds (thousands) of years with inconsistencies that can be glaring (two different creation stories back to back in Genesis that are different?). Sending Jesus to live, die, and come back to life to atone for our sin. You allow all of this suffering to happen in the world–from human on human crimes to natural disasters. These are just a few examples.

But what’s the alternative. What would be a better way? Would it be better if you actually spoke to us directly in an audible voice, gave us a 100-page instruction manual on how to live, made us work for our atonement, and made earth heaven, removing all obstacles in life as well as our free will? I’ve thought about this some in the past. Yes, sometimes this system of yours can be frustrating, but it is always better than any alternatives I can come up with.

Father, thank you for your gentleness. In terms of your prophets and scripture, thank you for a chance to get to know you in a more personal way through both stories of your interaction with people over millennia and through the life and examples of Jesus. And thank you for the struggles. Yes, there are times when I’d love to ask you if you regret free will, but I know the world would be pretty miserable without it. In the end, I suppose it come down to the fact that I trust you, and I also trust that this vague system that leaves room for flawed interpretations of your nature and how I should live my life also leaves enough latitude for me to be wrong and still be in relations with you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Deuteronomy 13:1-4

“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4

Dear God, one of the things that is good about getting the “verse of the day” from Bible Gateway is that it will occasionally give me a random verse with which I’m not familiar. In this case, I’m sure I’ve read this before, but it’s been a long time and I’ve forgotten it.

The actual verse was verse 4, the last two sentences: “Serve only the Lord…” but I think the most important part is pointing out the false prophets at the beginning. I need to being everything I read or hear to you and the Holy Spirit in discernment. Even from people I trust.

For example, I really like the preaching of Andy Stanley, and I’m sure he works hard to vet his teaching for authenticity and accuracy. I’m also sure he’s been unknowingly wrong about some things. I have had the opportunity to preach and I am sure that I’ve made mistakes that made you wince. I’ve worked hard to make sure what I say is supported by scripture and consistent with what I know of you, but I’m sure I’ve been wrong. Heck, I’m sure I’ve put wrong things and incorrect conclusions in these prayers to you, and, because I blog them, someone might accidentally receive and start to believe some wrong theology.

There is a Christian denomination in town that teaches that the congregation must accept what is taught from the pulpit regardless of their personal response to it. Therefore, they cannot visit other churches and they cannot hear teaching from anyone outside of their denomination. That’s too bad on two counts. It’s dangerous to give any human that much power over a group, and it’s so limiting to only hear limited perspectives on you and all that you are.

Father, in the end, there might be some mistakes made, but it finally comes down to verse 4: “Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.” Help me to serve only you and to fear no one but you. Help me to obey your commands, make room to listen to you and your Holy Spirit, and simply cling to you for all of my life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen