Pieces of a Beautiful Puzzle

Colossians 3:12-17

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have all the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:  if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

I still recall the speech that Dan gave as part of his class night, just days before his graduation in 1991.  He showed the crowd the beautiful puzzle that he had completed and framed and talked about the many unique pieces that fit together to create the beautiful picture.  Unbeknownst to us in the crowd, he had taped individual pieces from a replica of that very puzzle under each of his classmates’ seats.  As his speech approached its culmination, he asked his classmates to reach beneath the undersides of their chairs to collect those little pieces.  The symbolism was phenomenal.  Each piece was unique in size, shape and color.  Alone, each piece held its own charm and interest, but it didn’t compare to the beautiful picture that was made when each piece came together as part of the larger puzzle.  The whole was undoubtedly more impressive than the sum of the individual pieces. 

God has made us each unique.  We come in different sizes, different shapes, and different colors.  We have different personalities, different callings, and different giftings.  But like a puzzle, the Body of Christ isn’t the beautiful picture it’s intended to be without all of the pieces bringing their uniquenesses together as part of a larger whole. 

In the Romans passage above, Paul writes:  “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have all the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”

Growing up in church, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve heard several messages on this passage.  Whether as a result of the particular presenter’s slant or my own interpretation of what was being taught, I had typically thought of this passage as referring to the slate of positions that needed to be filled within the church each year.  There were Sunday School teachers, musicians, members of the hostess committee, deacons, etc,…  The call seemed to focus on the need for people to assume roles in the church.  While I believe this is a perfectly reasonable application of this passage, I have come to believe that it’s perhaps narrow in its focus.  Depending upon the church structure, there likely is a real need for people to step up and fulfill such roles within the ministry.  What this doesn’t seem to fully address, though, is what Paul wrote in Colossians:  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  This doesn’t seem to be strictly a call to positions within the body.  This seems to be a call to participation within the body, irrespective of position.  Notice the phrase, “teaching and admonishing one another…”  Back in Romans Paul writes:  “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have all the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”  Again, Paul draws our attention to the idea of “individually members of one another.”

I’ve experienced church where people are all serving Christ by serving in their formal roles.  I grew up in it, learned a lot through it, and am thankful for it.  But, I’ve only recently found myself in situations where the Body of Christ is working together such that different members are each bringing their pieces of the puzzle to every worship service.  Whether a word from the Lord, a passage of Scripture, a testimony, a prayer, a word of encouragement, a word of affirmation, an act of mercy, an act of leadership, an act of service, or what have you – it’s a beautiful picture when all in the Body are using their gifts and working together at the leading of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, there’s nothing quite like a worship service like this!  It’s an awesome (not just “cool”, but “awe-inspiring”) thing to see God at work in and through His people to accomplish His purposes and to feel His very presence in the room.  You may have heard the church attendance cliché of “sit and soak”.  I, for one, believe that sitting and soaking is a wonderful way for you to miss out on all that God has for you and for you to cause others to miss out on all that God has for them.  If you’ve ever completed a large puzzle only to find the very last piece missing, you know the tremendous sense of disappointment that brings.  No matter how many pieces are nestled correctly in place, even one tiny piece missing detracts from the beauty and excitement of all the pieces being joined together.  And so it is when even one member of the body is unwilling to fulfill the role that God has uniquely ordained for him/her to fill. 

Let’s not be afraid to step out and step up as the Lord calls us, regardless of our position.  He has gifted each one of us and is looking for us to respond to His calling without hesitation – not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of all around us.  You’ll be truly amazed at how God brings it all together and how the Holy Spirit "shows up" when the many pieces of the puzzle step out in faith to respond to the call of our steadfast God.

Believing Truth or Lies?

Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.”  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Application

Do you ever struggle with your thought-life?  I do.  Do you ever feel as though you are a disappointment to God or to others?  I do.  Do you ever feel as though the challenges before you are too great and that you can’t overcome?  I do.  Do you ever feel like giving up and giving in?  I do.

If you’re like me and you find yourself saying “I do” to any of the questions above, be encouraged.  I don’t have to give in to those thoughts and you don’t either.  The key is knowing that these accusations (and accusations they are) are not from God.  Want proof?  In Joshua 1:5, God says to Joshua, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days or your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”  In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” and then in 4:13 of the same book, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  Colossians 1:13 states, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  These are but a few Scriptures that flooded my mind the very moment I began to consider my evidence that the above accusations are not from God.  These Scriptures are truth.  God is truth.  The accusations are a lie, coming from the father of lies.  John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies”, whereas, Titus 1:2 speaks of God, and says “[He] cannot lie.”  

How then do we overcome these accusations?

We must first realize that it is the enemy that plants these thoughts in our heads with a desire to lead us into sin and/or to keep us from experiencing the abundant life God has for us.  In Genesis 3, we read that it was the serpent, the craftiest of any beast the Lord had made, who suggested that Eve ought to eat of the forbidden fruit.  It was the serpent who first suggested disobedience.  It was the serpent who first planted the notion that God’s truth was not in fact true.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”  Had Eve responded by taking her thoughts captive and refusing to engage with the serpent, history could have played out very differently.  Instead, though, she chose to entertain the idea that the fruit was indeed pleasing to the eyes and desirable to make her wise.  The time she spent considering the serpent’s offer is the time that was needed for her temptation to blossom into sin. 

The key to not believing the lies is to not fall prey to entertaining them.  Instead, we need to take every thought captive.

In chapter 1, verses 12-15 of the book bearing his name, James writes,

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

See the progression…  We are first lured and enticed, but have not yet sinned.  Then desire, when allowed to percolate, conceives and gives birth to sin.  We need to stop the progression early in its tracks.  Instead of reflecting on the accusation, follow the advice that Paul gave in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  Notice the very first thing that we are to dwell on is “whatever is true.”  Don’t dwell on the lies of the enemy.  Don’t dwell on his accusations.  Dwell on truth.  Dwell on the fact that God loves you, sent His Son for you, is your maker, and your Abba Father.  Dwell on the fact that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Dwell on the fact that He will complete the good work He began in You and that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.  These things are trustworthy and true.  These are the indwelling thoughts that will crowd out the lies.  These are the truths of our steadfast God.

A Call to Men

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 7:12

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Today is Father’s Day.  Growing up without a dad, Father’s Day never carried a whole lot of meaning for me.  The first time that it did was in 2009 – my first year as one of the honorees.  And yes – for probably the first time in my life, Father’s Day was a special day.  In fact, it became one of the most joyous days of the year for me – not so much because it’s a day in which my family celebrates me (though I will confess that I enjoy being the recipient of doting as much as the next guy).  Instead, the greatest joy came in the reminder that I have the incredible privilege of being the father to my incredible little girl.  There’s no question that our daughter has lived up to and even exceeded the meaning of her name – “My father’s joy whom Jehovah has graciously given.”  She is absolutely one of the greatest sources of joy in her father’s life and is without a doubt a most gracious gift from our Father in Heaven.  I truly enjoy celebrating the gift of being her father even more than I enjoy being the honoree of the celebrations.

As I sat in church this morning, I experienced an added thankfulness that I don’t think I’ve ever felt before.  Today, I found myself giving thanks not only for my incredible daughter (who is always a source of great joy), and not only for my Father in Heaven (who I’ve always known is the most important presence in my life and more important than my earthly father ever would have been), but also for a man who over the past year has stood in the gap in my life.  This is a man who has served as a mentor and spiritual leader, for me as well as for my wife.  He’s also been a “Papa” to my daughter.  Wow – that one is particularly awesome!  As most any parent likely knows, it’s one thing to go without for yourself.  It’s an entirely different thing to see your child have to go without.  Standing in the gap for me is an incredible blessing.  Doing so for my wife is an even greater gift to me.  Doing so for my daughter – being something for her that I am unable to be, and something I am unable to provide – is a blessing beyond words.  This man is someone who has walked beside my family through some very rough terrain over the past year.  This is a man who has heard me grumble, who has seen me cry, who has celebrated my greatest joys with me, and encouraged me through some of my darkest days.  All the while, he has loved me and my family.  All the while he has been a “Papa” to us all.  Today, I was moved to tears at the opportunity to publicly thank him for all he’s done.  What an incredible gift he is in my life. 

As I sat there with God preparing my heart to encourage this man with a few words of thanks, He took my thoughts a little further.  I was thinking how thankful I am to have such a Godly man stand in the gap in my life - how it’s made such a positive difference for me and for my family, how I love and appreciate him so much.  And then God, in a virtually audible voice asked me, “Are you willing to give as you have received?”  Wow!  Am I willing to give as I have received?  In this day and age when so many are without fathers of any kind, never mind Godly fathers who point their children to the greatest Father of them all, am I willing to stand in the gap as Papa has done for me?  Am I willing to enter into intentional relationships with the generations behind me to fill in any gaping holes?  Am I willing to hear them grumble?  Am I willing to see them cry?  Will I celebrate their greatest joys and encourage them through some of their darkest days?  And will I show the love of the Father throughout it all?  Will I go even further and rally the Godly men I know to stand up and do the same?  I realize we’re all busy.  I realize that intentionality takes time, effort, energy and so much more.  But, I also realize from my own firsthand experience that the results can’t be bought, can’t be manufactured, and can’t be counterfeited.  These types of results will only come when Godly men will stand up and accept the roles that God is calling each one of us to play in the lives of the next generations.  It’s not always going to be easy, it’s virtually never going to be convenient.  But, it is good and right and fitting for us to do for others as we would have done for us.  And not only is it fitting, but it’s a privilege to be used of God in this way.  If any of you men have been the recipient of this type of relationship, you know what a difference it can make.  Won’t you do the same for someone else and be the hands, feet and mouth of our Father?  Won’t you take the opportunity to stand in the gap and be the one who points the next generations to the greatest Father of them all?  I truly believe this to be part of the calling that God has laid on each one of our lives.  I’m so thankful to be the recipient of such a relationship and am going to do my best to rise up and stand in the gap for others.  I invite each of you to join me and to do the same as servants of our steadfast God.

A Lesson from Jonah

Jonah 3:10 - 4:2

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country?  That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

Context:

At the beginning of the book of Jonah, we read that God called Jonah to go to Nineveh to speak against the city as a result of the evil being done there.  But, Jonah resisted and headed in the opposite direction in a feeble attempt to flee the presence of the Lord.  Through miraculous works (a storm, a big fish, and God’s direction to the big fish), Jonah eventually found himself sharing the message of the Lord to the people of Nineveh.  The end result – the king of Nineveh issued a proclamation that all should turn from their wicked ways and repent in the hopes that God might turn away from His fierce anger against them.  And that’s exactly what happened – the people repented and God forgave.

Application:

We might be tempted to imagine that the end result for Nineveh would have been pleasing to Jonah.  Think about it – a whole city saved because he (eventually) showed himself faithful to bring them the message of the Lord.  God chose to use him to save the great city from destruction.  As I think about it, I’m equally tempted to imagine that I too would have been pleased to be used by God to bring His grace, mercy and abounding love to this wicked city.

But, we read in the beginning of Jonah 4 that Jonah was not pleased.  In fact, he was downright displeased – exceedingly displeased – angry even!  If you can imagine, he even goes so far as to tell God that he knew this was going to happen, because God’s too soft, too forgiving, too slow to get angry, too filled with steadfast love, and too willing to relent from disaster.  This seems to border on utter craziness!!!  I mean, really, what is Jonah thinking?  Why on earth would he complain about the very attributes that make God so amazing?  These are the very attributes that led God to shower Jonah himself with His grace and mercy.  Jonah had never had to experience the wrath of God for his own sin.  He should therefore be thanking and praising God for His wonderful characteristics.  Instead, he is speaking against God as if it were God who was flawed.  It’s downright crazy!!!  Why is Jonah so caught up in his own sense of what’s just for the people of Nineveh that he can’t even recognize that he himself is the recipient of God’s grace, mercy, and love, rather than God’s justice.  Jonah seems to be nothing more than self-serving, judgmental, and crazy!!!!

Confession time…  I had a revelation during house church this morning.  I’m Jonah.  I’ve at times experienced the hurt that accompanies the wrongs of others.  And, I’ve even recognized that God’s desire is for me to forgive.  The problem has been that I haven’t wanted to.  Forgiveness is letting those who have hurt me off too easily.  It flies in the face of the justice that I believe is needed.  It goes against my grain and leaves me wanting to flee from the presence of the Lord.  I just plain don’t want to forgive.  I know God’s calling me to do so, but I want to go to Tarshish.  I want to exact justice. 

All that said I have at least a faint recognition that fleeing to Tarshish will only bring storms into my life.  Carrying unforgiveness and bitterness may indeed cause pain to those who have hurt me.  But, at what cost to me?  As tempting as it is to carry that garbage, I’m the one who’s going to get hurt the most.  And like those on the ship with Jonah during the storm that God sent to get his attention, the people I love the most in this life – my wife and daughter – are in as much danger of getting hurt as I am.  They are along for the ride and are going to have to suffer through those storms with me if I can’t make the conscious choice to follow God’s call to forgiveness.

Yesterday’s Our Daily Bread devotional was written by Anne Cetas and includes the following:  “C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak…  We are far too easily pleased’ with lesser things than Him.”  Wow!  What an incredibly poignant statement!  In the situations noted above, I desire to exact my own form of justice, and to do so at the expense of God’s call for my life.  I desire to flee.  When I think about the forgiveness alternative that’s available, I often find my opposing desires too strong.  It seems that throughout my entire life, the decision to do right vs. wrong has been directly related to the intensity of my desires.  The more I desire to go my own way, the more likely I am to give in to the temptation.  That’s why the devotional statement at first seemed so odd.  My desires at times can feel too strong to overcome and I’m therefore susceptible to falling into sin.  But, as I pondered the statement a little further, I realized that it’s not my desire for sin that’s lacking strength – it’s my desire for Him – for intimacy with Him, for closeness with Him, for His grace, for His mercy, for His love and for His forgiveness – for me and for those who have hurt me.  It’s my desire to be the man that God has called me to be that is weak.  If my desire for Him exceeded my desires for all other things, I would never choose to give in to the temptation of the lesser things. 

My “aha” moment – I need to develop my desire for God and for the things of Him so that nothing else compares.  Once I’m able to do that, I’ll never want to flee from God’s presence again.  I’ll know that no matter how difficult the journey, the path that God has for me is the path that’s best for me.  It’s not always going to be easy, but it will be far better than the storms that come when I try to run away.  And, it will be far better than having to spend three days and three nights in the belly of a fish, only to be vomited up to travel the road that God had for me all along.

Forgive me, Father, for thinking my form of justice is more important and more virtuous than Your characteristics of being gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.  Make my desire for You the strongest desire of them all.  In the powerful Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Key to Knowing Truth

Acts 17:10-12

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.  Now these Jews were more noble then those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.  Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

For such men are false apostles, deceitful of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.  Their end will correspond to their deeds.

From time to time, I like to watch Jeopardy - particularly those days when the categories are ones with which I tend to be most comfortable, i.e. Mathematics or The Bible.  These are subjects I enjoy, have studied my entire life, and regarding which I expect to do well.

Recently, though, I find myself questioning aspects of my faith.  Not the basics.  I know that I serve the one and only true God.  I know that He loved me (and all mankind) so much that He sent His one and only Son to be born of a virgin, live a perfect life, die a horrible death, and then rise victorious over death and the grave.  I know that His sacrifice paid the penalty for all sin and that salvation is a free gift for all who believe and ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become exposed to a wide variety of beliefs about Christianity and the Bible.  I can remember intellectual debates with my best college friend from Germany.  He came from a different cultural background and was always ready and willing to push the boundaries of my rigid beliefs.  Such pushing of my boundaries has only continued throughout my adult life.  Explorations into a wide variety of Christian faith doctrines have all been part of the reshaping of my boundaries.  I’ve learned that I need to be open to the possibility that the fundamental beliefs I learned as a child are not necessarily completely accurate.  And so, I’ve opened myself to hear from trusted friends in a wider variety of Christian circles.  I’ve witnessed things that I once would have instantly thought were not of God and have had to ask myself if perhaps they could be of Him.  I’m 100% confident that God has used such experiences to tear down the walls of the neat and tidy box that I had kept Him in for over 30 years.  I’m equally confident that God is not as “neat and tidy” as I once thought.  Don’t get me wrong – He’s awesome, incredible, and worthy of all our respect, praise, honor and adoration.  And yet, He’s a mysterious God who is clearly beyond our comprehension – to the point that not one of us could fully understand everything about Him.  Not you. Not me. Not Dr. Dobson.  Not Billy Graham.  Not the Pope.  No one.  And thus, my dilemma. 

Throughout these years of exploration, I’ve come to rely on the people I respect to teach me about God.  Learning from others is clearly very good.  Relying solely on others for my learning is very bad.  Remember, none of us knows and understands everything about our great God.  None of us.  And, if we’re not careful, we allow ourselves to grab hold of the teachings of others without testing what they're saying.  We then open ourselves up to be deceived – intentionally or unintentionally.  Either way, it doesn’t really matter.  If we rely on others to teach us everything we need to know about God, we’re relying on people who don’t know everything there is to know about God.  We then open ourselves up to become subject to their interpretations.  What then is the answer to knowing truth in our hearts?

Before I answer that, please rest assured that I am in no way speaking against Biblical teachers.  In fact, I love and appreciate good Biblical teachers and am so thankful for the many I've had in my life.  Rather, I am speaking in favor of Biblical STUDENTS who, as you will soon see, will test the things they are taught.

I am fortunate to have a strong Biblical foundation.  I know many facts about the Bible.  I can tell you the books of the Bible in order, list the names of the twelve disciples (if I really think about it), and talk to you about the books of History versus the Minor Prophets versus the Gospels.  I can even do really well whenever the Bible comes up as a category on Jeopardy.  But, I’m learning that knowing facts from the Bible is not the same as knowing the Bible.  I would liken this to me telling my 5 year-old daughter the answer to a Calculus problem.  She could easily regurgitate that answer any time I asked her to tell me the solution to the problem, but she wouldn’t have a clue how to deal with a Calculus problem that differs in any way from the one fact that she knows.  Knowing facts about the Bible is NOT the same as knowing the Bible.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  Did you catch that?  The “word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…”  Memorizing facts about the Bible, though good in its own rite, is not the same as allowing the living and active word of God to dwell in you.  To be able to discern truth, the living and active word of God needs to dwell in us.  We need to be like the Bereans who search the Scriptures daily and test the things they are taught.  We need to study it, meditate on it, and ask God to open our eyes and our ears to hearing Him speak to us through it.  It must be more than a brisk read through the day’s Scripture.  That’s not enough.  That’s not going to cut it.  It’s no wonder that I sometimes find myself wondering what’s really from God and what isn’t given my tendency to do that. 

God may not be neat and tidy, but He is steadfast.  He is the same God today as He was yesterday as He will be tomorrow.  Scripture tells us this over and over again.  If we truly want to know what’s of Him, we need to spend time getting to know Him.  We need to spend time in His living and active word and we need to spend time with His Word.  John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Here, John is referring to Jesus as “the Word.”  When employers seek references on potential new hires, they are speaking with people who know the character of the candidate, because people who know the character of the candidate are best able to speak to what the candidate is really like – how he will conduct himself, how he will behave.  The same is true for God.  When we get to know Him and His character, we better understand what He is really like, how He conducts Himself, and how He behaves.  The key to knowing what is of God, is knowing God – through meditating on His word and through fellowship with His Word.  Not facts.  Not figures.  But instead, depths of understanding and intimacy with our steadfast God.