You’re invited…what are you wearing?

Today’s Reading: Matthew 22

v 1-14 The Kingdom of heaven is like…

The more I’ve reflected on our wedding, the more memories jog my mind.  The details that were put into everything.  From invitations selection to music played to the food and cake served.  What an amazing day.  This summer Jennifer and I celebrated our 12th anniversary.  I know I don’t say it or recognize enough the masterpiece our Lord created in my wife and our three wonderful children Jackson, Marshall, and Gianna, but I know they truly are.

The parable that Jesus shares in Matthew 22 talks about a wedding that various groups are invited to. Everyone in town was invited to, yet people refused and paid no attention to the invite for one reason or another.  For those who finally came, some didn’t come dressed for such an occasion.   There is always some thought that gets put into your outfit when attending a wedding.  For me, this parable makes me reflect on what I’m wearing.  What d do I put on each day in the presence of the Lord? What are my actions as a preparation for a wedding feast in Heaven? People like to pretend that our choices or actions don’t matter much in our modern-day world, but this parable shows that it isn’t true.

God’s invitation from Him is not a light matter. We are accepting or rejecting this once-in-a-lifetime invite. Our answer matters.  Our actions matter. Our dress matters.

What are you wearing?

Ephesians 4:20- 24  20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Every morning we all wake up and get dressed for the day. Am I clothed in Humility?

1 Peter 5:5 and be clothed in humility…

I’m grateful for His mercies He has shown me for the moments when my character lacks, and actions don’t represent Him. Lamentations 3:22-23 says Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

You are invited.  Do you accept? As we prepare now for His Kingdom, are there any garments that you are missing? Am I truly dressed and ready, or do I think I am?

Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Lord,  I pray that my actions and words represent godliness in all I do.  In my sinful human moments, help me to repent and seek you.  Father, I know the Kingdom you have invited us to is bigger and better than anything the world has to offer.  Help me each day to know this truth and share it with others.  Amen

By what Authority?

Today’s Reading : Matthew 21
Why do we have do this? Where are we going? You are not the boss of me? Who put you in charge? For what purpose are we doing this project? Who do they think they are? If I was in charge things would be better. These are a few of the comments that we make or we hear on a daily basis.  We hear these at home, or at the office, or with friends. We are always trying to figure out who has the authority and in what respect are they utilizing their authority in a proper way.
In Matthew chapter 21, we are diving deeper behind the scenes of what is actually happening. This is the time of Passover. Jesus is setting up the new covenant with the disciples. He is fulfilling the scriptures on many levels. We are opening the chapter with one of the most triumphant scenes in Christian history. This is when Christ is coming into Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover before his crucifixion.
Matthew shows a snippet of that procession of the Hosanna processional during  Palm Sunday. But Mathew also dives deeper into several images of authority throughout this chapter. I believe that Matthew is showing us the different aspects of Christ authority in all realms of our life.
The first is authority over the Scriptures. We see how Christ shows his authority of the donkey and the Colts being picked up. When the people ask what authority do you take these animals he says “the Lord needs them”.
Matthew shows us Jesus authority over nature when he approaches the fig tree. All creation was made by God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. All nature falls before and gives praises to Jesus and God in all forms. When Jesus approaches this fig tree and the mere presence of his being does not produce any fruit or any praise worthy of Christ, Jesus condemns the tree. It is an act of authority over nature. With the word that he speaks the tree literally withers from a majestic big tree into a sapling and dies. Jesus demonstrates his authority over nature by his words.
And the next piece of authority Jesus shows is his authority over worship. During this time of Passover which only happens once a year this is a very special and very holy event. The act of preparing for the Passover is one that is dictated in the laws of Moses.  There cannot be any corners cut. Everything has to be exact. But the people have become complacent in their worship and they are not devoting their complete love and devotion to God. They are purchasing the things that are supposed to be procured or harvested by themselves. They have become complacent in their worship of God. They are purchasing the things that they did not take time to give into worship God in the temple. Jesus is showing his authority by cleaning the temple from the complacency. We have to acknowledge this at us that we need to clean out our complacency and I worship and give Jesus and God therefore worship.
In these examples of authority we have to recognize the authority Christ has in our lives.  I asked that we acknowledge respect him from what the prophets have told us. We have to see that all nature will shows who has the authority over all.   From every ounce of worship that we give to him we must remember not to become complacent because he has the full authority over us.  He has all the authority and the glory and the power.
Be Blessed

The First Will Be Last

Many years ago I was a first grade teacher. One of the most exciting weeks for a first grader was to be “student of the week”. That meant, among other privileges, that the person got to be “line leader” every time we left the room. . I remember that person pushing and running to the very front and being so proud every time because they were “first”.

This reminds me of a verse in Matthew 20 that we are reading for today.

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Matthew 20:16

In todays world, most people want to be in a position of authority. They want to be the boss, not the worker. They want to be the head teacher, not the assistent. They want to be the line leader, not the follower or last in line.

Having a position of authority gives a person a feeling that he or she is in control. Authority also makes a person feel superior to others. But, Jesus tells the disciples that the one who wants to be greatest must be the other’s servant or slave.

Regardless of your position in your workplace, home, church, community or who is line leader, you have the ability to serve others with your life. We can use our position in this world to build others up in the love that Jesus Christ has shown us.

In Matthew 20:16, Jesus is not saying that the first will go to the back of the line and the last will go to the front of the line. There is NO first and last. Actually, there is NO line. There is only God. When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior there is no special treatment. The love of God is unconditional, it does not matter if you are first or last in line.

Stay Humble

Reading Matthew 18 & 19 this week has brought to mind the presence of humility in my life, and what it looks like to me to humble myself before God. In chapter 18, Jesus answers the question of the greatest among those in heaven with a nearby child, saying “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Looking through the lens of Matthew’s focus on telling the Gospel for Jewish audiences, we should consider how kids were generally treated in that day & age. While loved & a blessing, kids were generally viewed more of extensions of the family, less of their own people & more of familial property: to quietly learn by observing, not speaking out, and being subject completely to the rule of their parents over their own autonomy. Seen & not heard, as it were.

Jesus is a paragon of the humility and submission before God’s will we should embody (in the garden of Gethsemane – “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” – Matthew 26:42). I think of Jesus’s parables & responses in these passages, and reflect on how I too can be a more humble man. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5-6, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” In my daily life, am I humbling myself under the mighty hand of God? Are my decisions based on my own pride & self-interest, or based off how God is moving my heart during prayer? Am I humbling myself to His greater command, considering myself His subject, or is a haughty heart trying to convince me I can do it alone? Do I view my actions towards others & my opinions of them through eyes of humility and righteousness, seeing myself as equally dead in sin as others, or through blind eyes of judgement, contempt, and scorn? Do others see these qualities in me as an act of service and a demonstration of my resurrection through Christ?

Matthew 18 & 19 offer many different convicting examples of how we’re called to humble ourselves before God & others. From valuing being righteous and obedient to God (and leading others to do the same) over anything in this world, even physical life itself; to putting joy in others finding salvation over our own wellbeing in the Parable of the Lost Sheep; seeking forgiveness and mercy for those who’ve wronged you & are indebted to you, as God has forgiven you in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant; submitting yourself to God’s plan for your marriage if you’re so called, fully committing to forgiveness of your spouse and God’s bestowed love (and in honoring God in your sexuality, married or not); even submitting your finances to God’s will, putting doing good works in His name and helping the needy with your money above using or hoarding it beyond your needs. Seems like many issues stemming from putting focus on the self over focus on the greater haven’t changed too much over these thousands of years!

Simply put, being a humble person is about thinking less about yourself, and more about God. It is joyously accepting and following the path God has laid for you rather than forging your own twisted trail. It is putting your ego aside to help others as our savior Jesus did, and as He commands us to as well. I pray you would ponder and follow Jesus’s words in these passages today, and better lead others to more blameless lives, be a more forgiving and understanding person even in the face of those who wrong you, and live with intention and thoughtfulness of God’s will in all aspects of your life. Psalm 138:6 says “for though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.” I would pray you would draw close to the Lord today in humble spirit and find grace in His presence, so that we may please Him and better proclaim His good name to this world.

Mountain-Top Experience

Today’s reading is from Matthew 17.

Are you familiar with the expression “Mountain-Top Experience” or “Mountain-Top Moment?” They typically refer to a time where you experienced something impactful, usually a big victory or success you accomplished, which you will remember the rest of your life. One of my mentors and coaches, Kurt Dorner, uses recalling “Mountain-Top” moments daily as a big part of his What’s Possible Coaching. Why? Jason Selk, one of the world’s top sports psychologist, and now business coach, says, “Confidence is the number one variable in success.” Reminding ourselves of past successes breeds confidence and leads to peak performance again because we remember what’s possible and what has been done before knowing we can do it again.

Today we read about Peter, James, and John both literally and figuratively having a “Mountain-Top Experience” with their presence at Jesus’ Transfiguration on the top of a mountain (again..both literally and figuratively). How awesome must this have been to be there for this?! Much of my writing today is from notes in my Bible from a sermon Pastor Mike Baker did on this topic on 2/17/2019.

First, Pastor Mike discusses how Peter, James, and John missed Jesus’ superiority and what was going on right in front of them. How? Peter won’t be quiet and just observe what’s going and just listen. In Matthew 17:4, he immediately starts trying to plan and take action. Pastor Mike discussed we must be quiet to observe God’s presence and role in our “Mountain-Experiences” and lives.

Second, Pastor Mike discusses how in the midst of the Transfiguration and traveling with Jesus and taking part in His ministry, they still missed seeing God’s plan. In Matthew 17:9, Matthew 17:12, and Matthew 17:22, Jesus says He must suffer and will be raised from the dead. Yet, they kept misinterpreting the Old Testament scriptures as the Messiah being an earthly king. Despite how many times Jesus told them what was going to happen, they were still fearful when Jesus was captured and killed thinking His mission and purpose died with Him. They ran and hid. They forgot everything Jesus told them and forgot this past “Mountain-Top Experience” with God the Father, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Would they really have felt this way if they remembered the Almighty God who is in control of all things was with Jesus and with them? Did God the Father not have a big plan for Jesus? Did God the Father not have a big plan for them if He included them in such a significant moment as Jesus’ Transfiguration? How different might they have reacted and felt after Jesus capture and death if they just remembered their “Mountain-Top Experience?” How often do we fall into the same trap and not recognize the awesome things God has done and will continue to do in our life? As the saying goes, we can’t see the forest through the trees.

So, how do we recognize the things God is doing in our life? Pastor Mike says we do 3 things. First, we fall to our knees like they did in Matthew 17:6. We can see Him better this way which leads to the next thing we do which is focus only on Jesus. In Matthew 17:8, when Peter, James, and John looked up after falling to their knees..all they saw was Jesus. Lastly, we follow the empty tomb. Despite things looking as bad they possibly could for 3 days with Jesus dying, we know that ultimately Jesus conquered death and the tomb was empty.

Remembering our personal past “Mountain-Top Experience” is great to remind us what God has done in our lives and can do again and then some. As Ephesians 3:20 says, He can do more than we can ask or imagine through HIS power working within us. And let us also remember Romans 8:28, which tells us He has a plan through all of our troubles to work it for His good. But above all things, let us remember the empty tomb. Romans 8:37 says because of the empty tomb defeating sin and death, “we are more than conquerors” through His love. The same power that conquered sin and death lives within us as well (Romans 8:11). Let us the recall in the midst of all our “Mountain- Top Experiences” and troubles that we fight from victory and not for victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Our Hearts Matter

Matthew 15 and 16

 

Looking at Matthew this morning, the theme that repeats over and over is that our hearts matter. The beliefs that we hold, the thoughts that motivate us to act (faith) and the relationship we foster with Jesus are what make up our “hearts”. Jesus addresses our hearts over and over again in these two chapters to help us understand that our actions aren’t as meaningful to Him as our motivation for choosing those actions is to Him. He cares about our hearts and why we chose to do what we do more than the face value of our actions.

 

Matthew 15: 8-9 tells us Jesus’ response to the Pharisees when they ask a question trying to lead Him into a verbal trap so they can appear smarter and more Godly than Jesus does. Jesus quotes Isaiah’s prophesy, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” Jesus’ point is so simple. The question doesn’t even matter to Jesus…it doesn’t deserve a response because the Pharisees hearts were so far off base. They were looking to elevate themselves over seeking Jesus. Jesus doesn’t want us to be smart rule followers, He wants us to love Him and seek Him. Next Jesus turns the Pharisees underminded question into a learning opportunity for the crowd around. He explains to the crowd that the state of their hearts is what gets them in trouble, not the breaking of the rules of the day. He says that the words we speak come from our hearts and that is what defiles us. “From the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.” The ugly actions come after the decision to do wrong is decided in our hearts. It is easy to tell our selves that a poor choice or selfish action just “happened”. We often lie to ourselves in believing that we had no control over a choice. The situation was moving fast and we didn’t have time to think, we just responded. The truth is two fold in these cases. One, if we are seeking God on a daily basis, our hearts are more likely to react as His would in a given situation. Two, there is always a choice made.

 

So lets look at Jesus’ heart in the remainder of the chapters. Jesus knew the heart and faith of the woman coming to Him for healing in her daughter. He told her that her faith was great and granted her request. He saw the hunger needs of the crowd listening to Him speak for three days, and met their physical need of food to sustain them on their trip home. He called out the deceptive and accusing hearts of the Pharisees a second time and then used their selfish hearts as a real life lesson to His group of disciples. Jesus renamed Simon Peter the “rock” that He will build His church upon when Peter voices that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the living God and two paragraphs later Jesus called Peter “Satan” for seeing the situation merely from a human point of view, not from God’s. It may appear that Jesus is contradictory or hard to figure out in chapter 16 if you only consider His words. His words are contradictory! For a person to go from a “rock” to “Satan” is a 180 degree turn. So we have to look at Peter’s heart, the motivation behind those contradictory words to see the explanation for the abrupt change in Jesus’ response. When Peter’s heart is understanding who God is and what He is capable of, Peter is very much aligned with God’s heart. When Peter is speaking against what Jesus said (with the best of intentions) and saying that circumstances will be different than what Jesus just told them, Peter’s heart is putting himself in authority over God, and Jesus calls it out.

 

Our hearts are what matter to God. What we believe, who we have faith in, the motives that lead us to act and the desire we have for relationship with God is what God is looking at in each of us. He wants us to be His. He wants our hearts to be aligned with His heart.

Who Inspires You?

Matthew 14

I watched a video last week of Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger.  It has over 135,000 views on YouTube in five days.    This HBO documentary about Buffet boasts nearly 3.5 million views on YouTube.  Why are people flocking to this?  Why did I watch it?  Simple.  To get well.

A quick review of my YouTube history suggests that I don’t just want to get well financially.  Mentally, I need some help too.  John Maxwell, Tim Ferris, and David Goggins also appear.   They are experts at imparting worldly knowledge and confidence.

How about you?  Where do you get the inspiration that you need?  If you don’t watch YouTube, look a little harder.  Maybe you are into TED talks.  What about podcasts?  Books?  All of these are legitimate and useful resources for us, and yet, not quite enough.  They just aren’t working.

Today, in Matthew 14, we see countless examples of the same thing.  Simply put, it’s people’s quest to be well.  Maybe they suffer a physical disability or sickness.  It could be depression or oppression.   It could be that their lives were just train wrecks!  Whatever the cause, they heard about someone that was helping,  healing, and restoring.  His name was Jesus.

They gathered in mass to see him, hear him and touch him.  They followed him everywhere, even to places that had no food.  It was worth it.  He fed them.  He made them well.  All of them.  No exceptions.

Who will make you well?

 

Great Faith Provides a Great Yield

Growing up in the heart of farm country in Central Illinois, we were surrounded and engulfed in farming.  Every friend lived by a field and every trip involved a drive that through mile after mile of soybeans and corn. Although no one in our family were farmers, the conversation of the weather, the condition of the crops to grow throughout the seasons, as well as the yield were a consistent dialogue.

In chapter 13 of the book of Matthew, Jesus taught eight parables all related to the Word of God and its ability to prosper and grow in our lives.  He also spoke about judgment day when Jesus comes back to earth and the sinners will be separated from the believers.  The parables were about seeds, soil, tares (weeds), and yield.  I can understand these parables well.

As we live our lives, we are influenced in many ways.  We are exposed to different people who have different views and opinions on religion and faith in Christ.  We participate in different personal and professional gatherings.  We live in homes and neighborhoods where we associate with different people.  Some of us are close to our families, and we spend a significant amount of time with them.  Social media also has an impact on our thoughts and beliefs as well when we are exposed to information daily that is influenced by the people we associate with online.  And the most significant influence, our spouse or significant other.

Does the “tribe” of people you associate with influence your faith in a positive or negative way?  When you speak of faith, or even going to church, do your friends and family encourage and acknowledge in a positive way? Or do they shun you like you are crazy to believe that “religion stuff?”

My prayer for you today is that you guard your life and who you associate with carefully.  Surround yourself with individuals who push you to grow in your faith.  Spend time with people who care for your well-being and constantly put you before themselves.  Guard your spiritual life and ensure you spend time with those that help you grow your faith in Jesus by living out His Word daily.  Find a great church family that inspires you to dig into the Word of God and study it daily.

The parables in chapter 13 speak of the “evil one” or “enemy” who pull us away from God.  Be careful.  The devil does not always appear to us in obvious ways.  Evil can come in the simple form of creating doubt in Jesus and our faith.  That may come from your friend group. Evil can pull us away from attending worship, reading our Bibles, or even reading daily devotions like this one.  That could be your neighbors or, unfortunately, members of your family. Our thoughts that are generated from a place of pity and self-doubt can gradually erode our faith and pull us farther from God.  That may come from our own frustration when our prayers are not answered.

I think the biggest “trap” that can pull us away from our faith is pain and disappointment.  Many times, friends or family may question our faith because of tragedies, pain, or unanswered prayers.  How can you believe in that “religion stuff” when (fill in the blank) didn’t work out?

Paster Andy Stanley says “The foundation of our faith in Jesus is not answered prayers and everything going our way. It’s always a mistake to wrap our faith and confidence in God around the fulfillment of our dreams or answered prayers. Dreams that don’t come true say nothing about the presence or faithfulness of God.”

When you question your faith, perhaps due to the influence and elements around you, remember that some of the most inspirational believers to ever walk the earth went through terrible challenges and pain.  Our faith should not be based on every wish and dream coming true.  Our faith is based on knowing Jesus is our Lord and Savior, is with us all the time, and will provide a “soft place to land” when the bad times come.  Although we do not understand in that moment, He is using the challenges and difficulties to grow our faith in Him.  Yes, bad things can create good.  Guard the people and places you associate with in your life as well.

My final thoughts today are wishing my bride, Kim, a Happy 24th Anniversary (the best 20 years of my life LOL! Kim will get this).  She has been such a blessing in my life. We have had an amazing life together with many adventures.  Our marriage has been filled with joy and happiness as well as sadness and tragedy.  What I love about our marriage is that we lean on our faith, both individually and as a couple, to partner in our union together.  We give credit to Christ in the happiness and turn to Him for strength in the sadness. As every day brings uncertainty and challenges, I know with Jesus at the center of our lives, we will continue to grow in our faith together as a couple.

LIGHT or darkness

Matthew 12 starts out by Jesus confronting the Pharisees about the way they changed the meaning of God‘s word, spreading satan’s darkness. Couldn’t they see the darkness they were spreading?

The Pharisees accused the disciples of meeting their selfish desires of hunger and breaking the Sabbath. They go on to persecute Jesus for healing a man’s paralyzed hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees lived in darkness, but Jesus clarified God’s word, pushed their darkness back and spread His truth, His light.

I cannot begin to imagine the exhaustion Jesus felt at times. He would often retreat to be by himself with God, however, how many times when Jesus tried to retreat to a quiet place, He was followed by the crowds not giving him a moments rest or quiet time with God.

When I first came to know Christ, my pastor encouraged me to spend time alone with God every day, even 15 minutes. At that time, I had 3 small children and there was always activity in my house. It seemed impossible for me to spend quiet time with God because the world crowded my time with good and negative things.

I realized that if I wanted to spend quiet time with God, I would have to get up early before anyone else. At first it was easy to get up before everyone and do a 15-minute devotion. But 15 minutes turned into 30, 45, 60, 90 minutes.

I’m thankful I started that discipline then and continue it today, I need to start my day with quiet time alone with God, however, the world tries to follow me. My mind is often bombarded with thoughts of problems, worries and desires I have. I often have to pray for God’s help to block those thoughts so I can worship Him which prepares me to live each day in His truth. It is my responsibility to push back the darkness and allow more of His light, His truth, His forgiveness and His love into this world.

satan’s darkness is not always as easy to identify as we might think, satan is a master deceiver and hides his evil incredibly well. Can you recognize the darkness in your life?

  • In the world
  • In government
  • In your workplace
  • In your schools
  • In your churches
  • In your home?

3 times in chapter 12 Jesus confronted the Pharisees of twisting God’s word to something dark and confining. God’s truth is light and liberating, yet darkness has filtered into our churches. Loving everyone and allowing them to worship at our church is very important to help everyone find God‘s light, we are all sinners.

However, darkness has plunged its way into our churches creating division. Matt 12:25 Jesus says, “every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction”. People are changing the meaning of God’s word and the darkness is now overwhelming God’s house of worship where we come together to push back the darkness.

My quiet time every morning studying God’s word is vital:

  • Read God’s word and be able to discern what is or is not God’s truth in the world.
  • Pray, ask for God’s help to go into the darkness and love, not condemn or criticize

Matthew 11 & Rest

It is summer in the northern hemisphere where there is a generally optimistic view of the status of the pandemic. Covid 19 vaccines are becoming more readily available and worldwide there have been over 3 billion doses administered. As a result, people are starting to take vacations and there is some excitement in the air.

Not sure about you but I’m exhausted and ready for some rest. Work stress, pandemic stress, not having seen friends and family for two years stress, etc. The closing verses of today’s chapter (Matthew 11) were very timely.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (Matthew 11:28-29)

First thought was yes, I am going to enjoy some rest and vacation time. Then praying over the same verses the thought came that “this isn’t about me” and its not the “rest” that I initially had in mind. Then some guilt with the realization that selfish worry was ruling my emotions. Worrying about things beyond my control. Nudging God out. I had “unrest” because I wasn’t putting all of my hope and trust in Jesus.

And so I repented and asked for God’s guidance, for wisdom. For my heart and soul to have the kind of rest that HE has in mind. I prayed for the new opportunities with friends and family to be fruitful, to be more focused on others and not myself. To share the reasons for my hope. If you pray a similar prayer you will not be disappointed.

Soul Taxi

One answer to prayer surprisingly arrived in a taxi. A couple days ago my boys and I were en route across town when a Christian song came on the radio (and it is a song we know and love). The driver started singing and the boys and I looked at each other with smiles and surprise. And for the first time in our lives, Peyton and I started singing out loud in a taxi, not caring whatsoever how bad we sounded. It was pure joy (and yes, I got a little misty). That was the kind of rest and rejuvenation God had in mind for my soul!

Father God, thank you for your word, for your timing, for revealing yourself in miraculous ways, for the rest that can only come from you. Thank you for listening and responding to our prayers. I repent of worry which is a symptom of a lack of trust in you. May our hearts seek rest in you who are eternal instead of the temporary things of this world. Amen.