The Danger of Pride

Don't believe your own press reports!

Recently, while reading 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, I noticed that both Judean King Amaziah and his son King Uzziah started their reigns well, “doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron 25:2; 26:4) but later, after initial successes, they became proud and suffered for it. 

First, Amaziah changed his battle plans to obey God and trusted that the Lord would make up for his sending Israelite soldiers home with pay. Then, after defeating a smaller army of Edomites, he called out the King of Israel over atrocities committed by his spurned mercenaries. At that point, Jehoash [king of Israel] warned Amaziah [king of Judah] via a don't-get-too-big-for-your-britches kind of parable. His punch line is found in 2 Kings 14:10,

Photo by Hidde Rensink on Unsplash

“You have indeed struck down Edom, 

                   and your heart has lifted you up.

Be content with your glory, and stay at home, 

 for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, 

                         you and Judah with you?”

The northern kings were not known for speaking the truth, but this statement was startlingly insightful and accurate. However, Amaziah didn’t listen and attacked Israel anyway. He lost. In fact, Jehoash’s ravaging army tore down a large section of Jerusalem’s city wall and looted all the gold and silver furnishings from the Temple!

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

What was it that changed? Where did it all go wrong for Amaziah? First, he didn’t serve the Lord “with a whole heart.” Secondly, after defeating the Edomites, Amaziah did something very strange—he brought back the idols which he had captured and worshipped them. Such an act makes no sense. Since those idols had not been able to deliver Edom from Amaziah's own hand, why would he worship them? Probably because they were a symbol of his own accomplishment. If this was his reasoning, then it seems more like our behavior today, where we glory in our perceived successes instead of in God’s past deliverances. How often do we memorialize our own victories and “worship” what we have taken from others? Such idolatry of the heart is rooted in pride.

Years later, Amaziah’s 16-year-old son Uzziah (aka, Azariah) became king. “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord… as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chron 26:4-5). He fought successfully against the Philistines and the Arabians while other nations opted to pay tribute to him. He strengthened and upgraded his army and fortified Jerusalem with towers and even installed ballistic machines of war upon them (v.11-15). But, then things changed... and 2 Chronicles 26:16-20 tells the tragic story,  

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 

Both father and son suffered for their own prideful mistakes. Despite initial trust in the Lord, albeit without a whole heart, they eventually trusted more in their own strength than in the Lord.

Uzziah was on the right path a bit longer, but then his heart became proud, and he thought himself privileged enough to enter the Holy Place of the Temple and offer incense, which only the priests were permitted to do. He presumed that he could approach God on his own merits if God even existed. When the valiant priests “withstood” him, instead of repenting, Uzziah became angry, and when he became angry, leprosy broke out on his forehead—an external manifestation of an inward spiritual condition.

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12; see also Luke 14:11; 18:14; James 4:6,10; 1 Peter 5:5b-6)

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

As pastors and Christian leaders, do we presume too much? Have we begun to believe that the Lord’s blessing is a result of our own competence and leadership skills? Do we think that we are entitled to recognition and being platformed above others? If so then we should remember that the Lord is faithful to tear down the idols we build to our own egos. Will we humble ourselves and become teachable again, or will we stiffen our necks and grow angry revealing our unclean hearts?

It seems that leprosy of the soul is far more prevalent today than that of the forehead, and so sadly, it often goes untreated. Will you, along with the psalmist and me, ask the Lord to do his cleansing work inside and out?

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The Sanctified Naysayer (2 Chron 18:1- 20:30)

The following devotional post was initially written as a part of a men's Bible journaling group.

2 Chron. 18:4-7, 12-17 (also 1 Kings 22:10-51)

Ahab & Jehoshaphat

v.4-7 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” 

And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 

But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 

And the king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” 

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 

v.12-17 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” 

And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.”

But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 

And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 

A lot is going on in this passage! 

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went off-script by joining the wicked king of Israel (Ahab) on a military campaign against Syrian forces. He asked Ahab to consult the Lord first. I find it interesting to consider why he did this. If he knew God’s Word, then he would not have had to ask if he should follow Ahab’s lead. Ahab, whose profound wickedness was already under the prophetic judgment of God, would not turn from his ways. He was a man who judged the "goodness" of a message by whether it said what he wanted to hear.

What do we do when the message of the Lord to us is not what we want to hear? Do we hate the messenger, or do we heed the warning of the God who loves us? Ahab hated the Word of the Lord, and despite his schemes and disguise, he took a random arrow, but not to the knee. It pierced his breastplate, and he bled out at sunset, facing his enemies. He didn’t even take the merciful time that remained to him to repent and turn back to the Lord. In contrast, Jehoshaphat, though an imperfect king, “cried out” to the Lord in his fear, and the Lord helped him; and God drew them away from him.” (v.31)

I am forced to consider the dangers of a politically compromised faith. What happens when the government speaks to the prophet, or when the prophets are complicit with and merely rubber-stamping the policies of a wicked government? In this passage, all the other prophets spoke the lies that Ahab wanted to hear. Where was the dissenting voice of truth? What does this mean for my ministry? Am I vulnerable to being owned by the status quo, by the current of popular thought, or will I seek the counter-intuitive and inconvenient but invaluable word of the Lord before I make decisions and before I risk what he has entrusted to me? Jehoshaphat had the good sense to seek, ask, and knock. Ahab, once pushed, also demanded the truth; however, he didn’t heed it but rather tried to circumvent it via disguise and distraction.

As pastors and Christian leaders, do we have a Micaiah who will speak to us honestly in the face of strategic plans and personal passions? 

Do we have a sanctified nay-sayer who has been given permission to speak freely? Someone who can tell us when we are listening to the wrong voices? I hope so.

This is one of the tenets of the Cupbearers Initiative. It may have become trendy to “speak truth to power,” but who do we allow to speak the truth to our power? For the sake of the Kingdom of God, am I willing to be teachable to the prophetic word of the Lord?

So, if I am to "bring it home," let me ask, will we persist in what we want, asking God to bless our imperfect ideas and desires, or will we sincerely seek the counsel of God? Further, when God speaks, will I harden my heart, or in humility acknowledge my dependence upon him? When was the last time I let God change my plans?

Persisting in poor leadership decisions (without, or despite, good counsel) might not be the end of our lives (like it was for ancient kings), but it might be the end of our ministry. Our lapses in judgment, deficiencies in discernment, and failures in follow-through may result in the loss of many people’s potentially joyful participation in the restorative work of the kingdom.

Allow me to share one last rather haunting thought. Ahab, even when mortally wounded, persisted in his rebellion, slowly bleeding out as the daylight faded with his chariot facing the Syrians instead of turning towards Jerusalem seeking to make peace with the One true Lord...  

“And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset, he died.” (v.34)

Ahab refused to repent. Some might say he was authentic, even brave, in refusing to repent. I call it stubbornly self-focused. Instead of making peace with the God who takes no delight in the death of the wicked.  As it is written, 

“Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Eze. 33:11)

Instead of Ahab finding personal peace in repentance, God provided some measure of national peace for Israel through the death of their wicked king. This was one case where “scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd” (v.16) was a good thing since their shepherd had been so evil. Each man could “return to his home in peace” instead of dying as pawns in Ahab’s wicked plans.

O, Lord, may our minds always seek your direction, and may our hearts heed your Word so that we might not fall for wicked appeals that would entice us from your goodness to follow a lie. May we not be persuaded to bend to the status quo just because everyone else is doing so. Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear and soften our hearts to joyfully respond to your loving plan, and may it result in blessing for many, and may your shalom come upon us. Amen.

Nothing Better...Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 2-3)

This week's Bible journal reading was from Ecclesiastes 1-6... and no, it wasn't meaningless! There is a time for that, just not now.

I have always said that Ecclesiastes shows us King Solomon, as an ancient scientist writing in his "lab book" detailing the wearisome results of his experiments… trying to find out if there is meaning in life "under the sun" apart from a relationship with God. Here is a sampling of some of the verses that I read:

• 2:24-25 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
• 3:12-13 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
• 3:22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?
• 8:15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

As you can see in the verses above, as I read the first six chapters of Ecclesiastes, I noticed the repeated phrase, “there is nothing better.” On closer examination, I was surprised to see that all were basically the same idea (with some poetic variation). Nothing is better than for a person…

Photo by Eddy Klaus on Unsplash

• To "eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil.” This enjoyment is “from God.” (2:24)
• “To be joyful and do good as long as they live” (3:12) in parallel with "eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil.” 
• “That a man should rejoice in your work.” Our work is the place that has been allotted to us. (3:22)
• “To eat, drink, and be joyful” (8:15)

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

How often are we satisfied and content with only our food and drink and the work that we do? Solomon makes it clear that our response should be more than mere satisfaction, but a lifelong joy! I think about how our consumeristic society has convinced us that more gear equals greater happiness. Solomon robustly tested that theory and busted that myth. In fact, Ecclesiastes is like binge-watching some philosophical or world-view version of the popular TV show MythBusters. As we know, Solomon was resourced like no other person in history with the intellectual, financial, political, and spiritual means to boldly seek meaning apart from God, and in the end, he busted that myth as well (Ecc. 12:13).  

This idea echoes loudly in the New Testament. Is this wisdom from Solomon so different from John the Baptist’s answer to the soldiers’ questions about repentance? He said, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14).

Or the conclusion of St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians?

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:11-14)

Consider also his surprising testimony to the Corinthians,

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

The Tomb is Empty!

Moreover, the testimony of the early church was that they understood the wisdom of Solomon but without the fatalistic conclusions he reached. What was different? They were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! They knew that death “under the sun” was not the end and that in Christ there was neither emptiness nor an endless cycle of life and death. In Christ, there was the source of eternal life! They had been transformed by the love of Christ and lived with joy and gratitude even in the face of terrible oppression. As a result, not only were they glad for their provisions, but they also generously shared what they had with each other!

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:45-47)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

It should also come as no surprise that it doesn’t take the wealth of Solomon to buy that

Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash

which satisfies us—Jesus paid the price for all that (1 Peter 1:18-19), and the Bible ends with an invitation from the Holy Spirit and the Church to share in this water of life,

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)

This fitting ending echoes and fulfills the prophetic poem in Isaiah 55:1-3,

“Come, everyone who thirsts,

    come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

    and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

    hear, that your soul may live…

Good words from Solomon’s “laboratory” for those of us engaged in Christian ministry! The more we are grateful for what we have been given (both the simple and the profound) the more insulated we will be against the embers of burnout that wants to send us up in smoke and the more inoculated we will be against the trauma of chronic disappointment that would weigh us down till we no longer participate in the restorative mission of God.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

A note about this blog: The Cupbearer's Initiative arose out of a Doctor of Ministry thesis project that outlined a theologically affective and Trinitarian approach to ministry. One such application was to participate in the spreading goodness of God by partnering with and encouraging pastors (and others engaged in Christian mission) through the struggles and the joys of their lifework. 

Hopefully, these articles and devotional posts are helpful to you.

Stones (A Holy Week SOAP Journal from Luke 19)

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Hopefully, these brief devotional posts will be encouraging to the readers of this blog. If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a devotional guide, which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S = Luke 19:40-42, 44b 

Temple stones toppled by the Romans in 70 A.D.

“He answered, ’I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying,

‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes... And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’”

Chapel of the Tears. Photo: Greg Dueker

O = If they, the human witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah, did not burst into praise, testifying to what they had seen and heard, the very stones would do so. However, while the crowds of disciples rejoiced, the people of Jerusalem didn’t know, didn’t understand, didn't recognize, and ultimately didn't accept what had to happen for them to have peace. On his way into the city, Jesus stopped and wept over their stubborn refusal to be saved. Jesus would do it all for them on the cross, but the inhabitants of Jerusalem could have turned to him long before that as he preached, healed, and even turned over the tables of the oppressive moneychangers. Even after the cross, though many followed Jesus, the city and nation that rejected the chief cornerstone that day continued in their hardness of heart. They didn’t recognize God when he came to them in a visitation of grace. As a result of their rejection of God's offer of reconciliation, there was no one to rescue them from themselves on the day, in AD 70, that their empty stone facade would be torn down to speak no longer.

A = It is easy for me to judge their shortsightedness and unbelief...especially since I have read the rest of the story! However, I may not be so different. I have to ask whether I recognize when God graciously comes to me today in His Word (the Bible), in the witness of other Christians, and in “the least of these” I may encounter along the way? How should I respond to these "kingdom of God" visitations? Have I stopped to consider the high cost of my salvation…recently? Will my life praise God and bless others this week? If so, how?

Nazareth Village. Photo: Joshua Mitchell

P = O Lord, help me to get a clue! Open my eyes to see you as you really are! Open my heart to believe you and bless you enthusiastically! You are the Cornerstone of my life…may I build my house on that solid foundation, on the Rock, as a result of hearing and obeying your Word today (Matt. 7:24-27), rather than trusting in my own sandy efforts and the sticky clay-like accomplishments of man. Amen.

“If These Were Silent…” (A Holy Week SOAP Journal from Luke 19)

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Hopefully, these brief devotional posts will be encouraging to the readers of this blog. If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a devotional guide, which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

S = Luke 19:37-40 “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives— the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying,

‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’

He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”

Jerusalem Wall, Photo by Greg Dueker

O = The great crowd of disciples, the whole multitude, was filled with joy that spilled out in praise—loud voices raised to testify of what mighty works they had seen—announcing the kingship of the coming Messiah. They almost certainly misunderstood his mission, but they offered praise nonetheless. He was not just “the king who was coming in the name of the Lord,” he was the king who was the name of the Lord incarnate. 

Another interesting and unusual phrase they used was “Peace in heaven...” Perhaps they realized that any true peace on earth must flow from peace with God in heaven. Here at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the people were in solidarity with the whole creation in praising Christ! If the people didn’t do it, Jesus said the very stones would! (More on this in my next journal later this week)

"Come, follow me!"

A = How enthusiastic am I in testifying to what God has done in my life? Do I praise Christ with all my heart? Or, like the Pharisees, do I see such displays as unseemly? Do I seek the blessedness of Christ and the glory of God or my own position and power? Do I generally show gratitude for his plans or only when they agree with my own? If I am silent about the goodness of Christ today, then who will speak of the gospel of Jesus to those I know? If I don't speak of the great things that I have seen God do, then how will others be encouraged, and how will I be encouraged?

P = O Lord, you are blessed, and you make me share in your blessing, your peace, and your glory by means of your love poured out in my heart! You are the King, my king, and my Lord. You are God and I am not, and I desire to live with that knowledge, that awareness, rather than being a self-proclaimed prince in the kingdom of my own heart.    Amen.

No King in Gondor! (A Holy Week SOAP Journal from Luke 19)

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Hopefully, these brief devotional posts will be encouraging to the readers of this blog. If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a devotional guide, which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

S = Luke 19:12-14 

“He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying,

‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’”

O = It was in the context of correcting their faulty kingdom suppositions from immediacy to a time of delay that Jesus told this parable. Much could be said about the historical allusion to Herod and Archelaus’ previous trips to Rome, but what strikes me is the attitude of the citizens who rejected the man as their king. It reminds me of the scene in Lord of the Rings where Boromir (the son of the Steward of Gondor) rejects the ranger Aragorn (the true heir to the throne) as his king, saying, “Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.” But later, having learned better, Boromir lay mortally wounded after a heroic effort to obey Aragorn’s command. He asked for forgiveness and confessed to Aragorn with his dying breath as “my captain...my king.” It is gripping cinema. But it hits a little too close to home. It is revealing that Jesus told this parable just before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. A week later, Pilate’s court would ring with orchestrated shouts of “No King but Caesar!” (John 19:15)

Photo by Daniel Pascoa on Unsplash

A = How often have I done the same thing as the rebellious citizens in Jesus’ parable? Too often in willfulness and pride, I have as much as said that I don’t want the Lord to rule over me…I would rather do my own thing, but it always ends badly. God has an absolute claim on the kingship in my life, and my rejection of his rightful Lordship only causes pain to me and to those I love. I would much rather be one of the ten servants who were given a place, an opportunity to play a part in the king’s plan. What he is looking for from me is faithfulness. So, what is Jesus asking me to do this week? Will I respond obediently (i.e., immediately, thoroughly, completely, and cheerfully) and hear his commendation, “Well done, good servant”? Or will I be like those “enemies” who stubbornly refused to participate in the peaceful kingdom? My goal should be humbly living a daily surrendered life rather than seizing a daily selfish life.

P = O Lord, I repent once again of my self-rule and willful independence. May I, by your grace, be considered a servant that can be trusted until the return of the True King! Thank you that you have lovingly invited me into your kingdom, and you judge me not by my success, but affectionately call forth faithfulness. May I not forget that you exist and that you are a rewarder of those who seek you (Heb. 11:6), and may I seek you with all my heart!