Full Repentance for All the Right Reasons │ Msg 18/22

0:01 Just a few verses from Job. I've been saying that for nine years now, I think. This 42nd chapter, Job responds to the Lord's message in a wonderful manner. After all he's been through, listen to these words of submission. Job 42, beginning at verse 1. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have declared that which I did not know, that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know.

1:01 Hear now, and I will speak. I will ask you, and you instruct me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes. Our Father, we find words like that... so appealing to us in this age in which we live, where so seldom our adult ears ever hear words like, I am sorry, and even how rarely our own mouths say, I was wrong, and I repent.

2:00 What a great model this man has been through these long weeks of suffering and growing and struggling, longing for relief. And now what full repentance emerges. For all the right reasons, they emerge. Thank you, our Father, for giving us a book in our own language that conveys to us your mind and directions of your will for us. And on top of that, from it, we learned how to do your will your way, which doesn't come naturally and often doesn't come easily. it's all against our our own wills and we confess to you the fight the struggle and at times even the rebellion and we gather our things up and go in the opposite direction deliberately and you faithfully pursue us as one man put it you set the hounds of heaven after us thank you for not giving up on us for more often than not loving us in spite of ourselves thank you for understanding us in the process helping us amazingly to understand ourselves but it really is all about you Lord it's all about you Thank you.

3:52 today I want to thank you for the faithfulness of a prophet with honor Dr. Billy Graham his ministry in the Metroplex thank you for his unswerving confidence in the Bible thank you for the faithfulness of the gospel presentation from the 40s all the way into the 21st century. Thank you that we've not had reason to question him morally, doubt his integrity, or fear that somehow, ethically, something had gone awry. Thank you that he is not only godly, but he's accountable. Thank you most of all for his humility. Great will be his reward.

4:48 for those who stood in the rain and came to your son, Jesus. Thank you for each one, for those even to this day, this night. will realize their need for the Savior and will experience repentance, forgiveness, new hope, new life, new birth.

5:13 Now, Lord, of all things, we, of all people, have the privilege of giving to you of all objects of our faith. There's none like you. no one else has the words of eternal life it is our joy to reach into our treasure all of which is yours to draw from it that which we believe will be used wisely and carefully for your work may it serve nearby and afar may it minister to those we would never personally be able to touch as it is used in these various ways.

6:04 Finally, Father, thank you for your truth that goes abroad every day. And today especially we think of the land of Russia. Thank you for Peter's faithfulness as he ministers your truth. day after day in a place most will never go from these United States. Use him and ignite his message and bless his efforts. And Tatiana's and their children, may they serve you faithfully all the days of their lives for your greater glory with thankfulness for your namesake. I ask it. And everyone said, Amen. It is difficult to cultivate a humble heart in a contentious culture. Put another way, a repentant spirit is rarely found in a litigious society.

7:09 How rarely do we hear the words, I'm wrong, I'm sorry. And as opposed to that, how often we hear the words, I will sue you. I will take you to court. Just this past week, a good friend of mine sent me a classic example of just how litigious our society is. True story. Matter of fact, it's an award-winning story. it won first place in a recent criminal lawyers award contest. A Charlotte, North Carolina lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars. He then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these 24 great cigars, And without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.

8:20 In his claim, this lawyer stated, the cigars were lost in a series of small fires. The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion that was obvious. the lawyer sued and won. In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire and was obligated to pay the claim.

9:17 Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars that had been lost in the fires. And now for the best part. After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson. With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property, was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.

10:16 Something inside every one of us goes, yes. Let me say again how difficult it is to cultivate a humble heart in a society like ours. We who are parents, and you who are now parents of the young of our generation, work overtime dealing with the stubborn wills of your children. which is your and my responsibility. It isn't the school's responsibility. It isn't the policeman's responsibility.

11:10 It isn't the court's responsibility. It is yours and it is mine. And it's a tough sled. First to get their attention and then in the process to gain their respect. deep within our souls we know that our children operate their lives under our authority but that same awareness is not in their hearts it's a learned awareness and there are a few things more beautiful to behold than a child or a young adult who has learned that lesson still evidencing capability and giftedness and confidence in life while at the same time modeling a submissive spirit They will not learn that submission until they discover the words, I am wrong, I am sorry, I repent.

12:34 the truth were known it has been years in some homes hearing me right now since you have heard your mate say something like that It's long overdue. now with all of this as a background a sort of food for thought turn with me to job 42 in verse 6 admittedly it's unusual for me to go at the beginning of a message to the end of my text. But because it forms the climax of Job's inner life, I want you to see it in all of its beauty and then go back with me to discover how it was finally placed there.

13:29 This book ends with a wonderful conclusion on Job's part to say nothing about his home and family and the rewards that came following all the suffering. This is Job personally. This is Job as a man. This is the inner life of the one called the servant of God. 42.6, I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. I think it is noteworthy that God does not yet remove the boils but God has not yet brought back the children that the man is still bankrupt in pain undergoing suffering right up to this point and that's all by design God will stop at nothing to bring us to the place of full repentance.

14:37 He doesn't bring relief and then expect repentance. It is in the midst of the pain he waits for words like this. I retract. I repent. One man very insightfully writes of this, Job has come to a true assessment of himself. before the holy God, Job both renounces all false pride and concedes that God has been true to justice and allowing him to be brought so low that he has had to sit outside the city on an ash dump, on an ash heap. The term recant, translated here retract, is the Hebrew word nicham, N-I-C-H-A-M and it means, listen it means to turn from a planned course of action and take up a new course it implies the strongest resolve to change directions.

15:52 That's it. That's repentance at its best. I've been thinking one way which has caused me to say what I've been saying. I now realize I need to be going in that other direction and as we sometime refer to it, change my tune. having come to an end of himself Job sits humbly before his Lord surrendered and contrite surrendered and contrite two words we're not familiar with especially in our culture turn from here briefly to Psalm 51 we'll be back to Job in a few moments but first I want you to see the words of David following the misery in the backwash of his adultery with Bathsheba he wrote a song realizing the wrongness of his actions and they were plural not just adultery but murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah deception living a lie before the people lack of leadership as the king while caught up in the affair he sees it all, he sees it clearly and he repents. Psalm 51 is the record of his repentance. I commend the reading of it to you. He begins, be gracious to me O God, according to your loving kindness Notice he calls upon the grace of God according to the greatness of your compassion, blot out my transgressions.

17:47 verse 2 wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me there's no hiding of the fact there's no blaming of another there is nothing but naked open confession in a heart of repentance verse 10 create in me a clean heart oh god and renew a steadfast spirit within me he doesn't expect something of the people around him he doesn't expect another individual even to understand he's getting it right with god that's where we start in repentance then he comes in verse 17 to the verse I want to mention, develop.

18:38 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Look closely at the verse. These are sacrifices. These are sacrifices that God finds pleasure in, a broken spirit and a contrite heart. I meditated on those thoughts quite a while and came up with a brief list of five characteristics of a contrite heart. I've observed this in others on a few occasions I'm sorry it hasn't been on many but on a few occasions and I've experienced it myself on a few occasions a contrite heart, number one nurses no grudges nurses no grudges.

19:45 Contrite heart never says, if it hadn't been for what sheep, or if this hadn't happened then, or because I was raised like I was raised then, none of that. A contrite heart, nurses no grudges. Second, makes no demands. I don't come with a contrite heart demanding that you now do this in return. So that leads me to the third. Contrite heart has no expectations. I don't expect good treatment. I don't expect to be treated nicely. I don't expect people necessarily to forgive me. That'll have to take time. I don't come with expectations. My contrite broken spirit and my contrite broken heart come with simply no expectations. Fourth, I offer no conditions.

20:45 No ifs. no wishes I simply come broken and contrite nursing no grudges, makes no blames, has no expectations, offers no conditions, anticipates no favors. That's fifth. I don't anticipate as a result that you will do this or hopefully you will do that. I'm simply acknowledging the wrongness of my actions, attitude, words. now what was it that brought such a response to job when you turn back you will see those previous verses leading up to chapter 42 beginning in chapter 40 in verse 6 god begins by getting his attention to use a human term by shaking his shoulders nice and firmly and then god gives him two unforgettable examples that show Job just how far down he is in his own estimation before God. But to begin with God shakes his shoulders. Before I read verse 6 and following let me mention what we've all gone through as parents. And nothing I say will be politically correct and that's why it's true what I'm going to tell you. There are times parents all alone without embarrassing their children before anyone else all alone get their children by the shoulders and give them a good firm shake right we'll just stop with the shake okay whatever else you do that's between you and God and I'll leave it with that but you give you have had enough of their rhino will, you are not going to put up with another day of it

22:52 to say nothing of even another minute of it, and you pull them aside, and you have a good talking to, we say. And we say, I want you to understand that you are the child, and I am the parent. You will do under this roof exactly what I tell you to do, whether you like it or not. Is that clear? Some of your lips are moving. You've done this before. And we are in the process of helping every teacher your child will have in the future. Every time they're around a policeman, that policeman, though he doesn't know about it, will thank you. Every time he's playing on a team with a coach, that coach will be grateful that you did your job as a parent. You got their attention. And you didn't stop with just one shake. It may have to happen again in another three or four days. You are fed up.

23:44 you have had it and that child is discovering that she or he does not rule that roost, you do and there's something wonderfully healthy about that realization I believe the Lord takes Job by the shoulders and gives him a good shake in verses 6 to 14. as a matter of fact, in these verses, I think he's saying to him, Job, listen to me. I am God, you are man. I am authority, you are servant. I am in charge, you are the clay. I'm molding and shaping, you will be shaped. It's important that you understand, Job, you are not on my level. you are not God.

24:39 See how he begins? Lord answered Job out of a storm. Verse 6, chapter 40. Now gird up your loins like a man. I think it's his way of saying, take this like a man. Listen to me. I will ask you and you instruct me. You let me know how you would answer. Will you really annul my judgment? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? or do you have an arm like God and can you thunder with a voice like his it's a picture of power can you do what I do if you can then verse 10 adorn yourself with eminence and dignity and clothe yourself with honor and majesty pour out the overflowings of your anger and look on everyone who is proud and make him low you're able to do that I can do that bring those proud people down Job look on everyone who is proud and humble him tread down the wicked where they stand hide them in the dust altogether And bind them in the hidden place then I will confess to you that Your own right hand can save you obviously joe can't do that let's go back to the shakes for a moment okay let me make something real clear to you son as the father i'm the one who earns the living in this home if you're in charge you earn the living you go where i go you work where i work you make what i make you make the decisions i make you take care of the mortgage you handle the details of this family, you get everything in line, you make the plans, you are in charge, you're able to do that?

26:16 Obviously the son has to say no, I can't do that. Then understand son, you're not the dad, you're the son. That means you answer to me. I love you, I will forever love you, but you will not rule this home. I am the authority. Sometimes they need illustrations that help convey this.

26:43 And so God gives him a couple of illustrations. I think Job may have been a lover of the animal world and something of a student of that world, and the Lord knew that and chose a couple of animals. Got your pen ready? I want you to circle two unusual words. Verse 15, behold now behemoth circle that I know it's unclear but just circle it behold behemoth verse 1 of chapter 41 circle Leviathan can you draw out Leviathan?

27:29 Right about now, you're glad you're the listener and not the preacher, aren't you? Because it would be a tough thing, and believe me, it's not that easy to ferret out exactly where God is going with his speech. And it is my task to try to do that. I believe he is showing Job two animals that are at the top of the food chain, two animals that are virtually unintimidated. They can take care of themselves in the wild. Most every other animal bows to them, and if they don't, they pay a terrible price, usually their life. The behemoth represents the hippopotamus. H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S. I had to look it up, too. the behemoth in those ancient days would be today the hippopotamus which I understand is far more dangerous and deadly than most of us usually think of when we think of the hippopotamus the leviathan is the crocodile we'll look at the leviathan in a moment we'll look first now at the behemoth.

28:42 God's point, before we get there, God's point, both of these beasts, though they are intimidating to you, were made by me and are continually subservient to me. They have the natures I gave them. They do precisely as I built them or created them to do.

29:02 And if you're unable to handle these, obviously you're not on my level. And if you, in fact, are afraid of them, as Job certainly must have been, then you certainly are not what would qualify as deity. And another reminder of the importance of submission to one who was creator. Now behold the hippopotamus. Isn't this an interesting sermon? Hippopotamus and crocodiles. I dare you to tell anybody tomorrow at work that that's what the preacher preached on yesterday. It may be a great opportunity for you to share with them something else you'd like to say. But anyway, first the hippopotamus. Verses 15 to 24, chapter 40. I made that animal as well as you. Notice the opening. You're both creatures, very different. It walks on all fours.

29:54 You walk erect. It eats grass like an ox. You eat, you do not eat that diet. he mentions his strength to begin with his strengths in his loins 16 through 18 is a reference to the strength of the hippopotamus the power is in his muscles tail is like a cedar, picture of strength sinews of thighs are knit together his bones are tubes of bronze this is poetry, colorful language to illustrate this his limbs are like bars of iron he is first of the ways of God that intriguing statement probably means he's chief or the mightiest among the animals other animals when they see him move away from him God has given him an uppermost level of authority in among his fellow creatures surely the mountains bring him food and all the beasts of the field play there. Verse 23, if a river rages, he's not alarmed.

31:01 He is confident though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. And look at this interesting statement about capturing the hippopotamus. Can anyone capture him when he is on watch? It's the picture of a hunter in those days. With barbs, it's the idea of a spear, can anyone pierce his nose? it was believed in ancient days that to capture one of these you'd have to pierce the nose or plug it up so that he'd have to open his mouth to breathe and when he opens his mouth he'd drive the javelin or the spear into the throat you're able to kill him but how rare that was the task is piercing the nose to begin with getting there Job is listening the whole point even one species of animal life is enough to make you back down Job you're no match against something this strong, this overpowering if I, Yahweh am powerful enough to create and subdue a creature this strong and intimidating I'm deserving of your trust your submission your worship Thank you.

32:13 but before Job can digest all of that, the Lord moves on to the Leviathan. Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook or press down his tongue with a cord? Now, we who love to fish and hunt, we remember times when we chose the size hook depending on the size fish we wanted to catch. Larger hook, larger fish. smaller hook usually meant a little smaller mouth or smaller fish when I did a lot of fishing my younger years I fished my dad and my granddad both and sometime down this bays of south Texas we would we'd hang a gar old saltwater gar you've seen pictures of them some of you have even caught them or tried to and they tear up your tackle I don't care how big your hook is usually they'll bend the hook and get away or they'll tear everything up in the process plus they're no good to eat and when you get them there you just throw them back in so my dad would say as I thought I'd caught the biggest trout on the planet and the water was swirling and had had all the signs of a huge fish that hadn't yet surfaced he'd say son you got a guard just cut the line just cut the line or he's going to tear your rod up he's going to tear your pole up certainly going to tear up attack. We're not going to get him in this boat. He'd tear us up. So cut the line. How much more crocodile? That's the point as he begins. Can you draw out a Leviathan or croc with a fish hook?

33:54 Now this is even more fierce. Look at all the can use and will use that follow. Can you put a rope and its nose? Verse 3, he has a little fun with the subject. Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Literally, it's an absurd thought. Will he literally speak soft and tender things? Do you ever have a crocodile give you soft little words and loving comments? Hi.

34:32 How are you? Looking great today. Makes us laugh. There's a little humor here. Verse 4, will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant? Will you make a pet out of it? Will you play with him as with a bird? We all have the parakeets or cockatiels in mind. Will you have a little pet 12-foot crocodile that you've got running around the house? Will you bind him for your maidens? It's a picture of putting a leash around him for the daughters to have and to take them to school with a little pet crock that they've got. It makes us laugh. It's supposed to. It's ludicrous. It's absurd.

35:17 And he goes on and on and on talking about his skin that you can hardly harpoon and the armor of their back and the strength that's in their limbs, verse 12. And who can strip off the armor, verse 13, and come within his double male. He goes on and on and on and on until he comes to the end, verse 33. Nothing on earth is like him. And I control him, Job, this creature. Now, you know, when I use the crock, I realize I'm working against television because there is on this earth this man who swims with these suckers and thinks they're the greatest thing on earth. Late at night he's out in his little dinghy and he slips into the swamp with his lantern and he says, I've lived all my life for this moment. And he gets down in the water and he's swimming in a swamp and he, and he says, look at their feet. They're beautiful. I look at the feet and I think, that tear you apart. Get out of the water. Now we all watch that. We're sitting there eating chips and sandwich and go, hey, this is really great.

36:30 Go for it, babe. Go get them. You know what? He married a wife that likes them. So he's got this woman that just likes to hang around him, and she grabs him and hugs him. He's never read Job 41. It's a crocodile, and it's not made to be a pet. It lives in the depths, and it is ferocious. It is bloodthirsty. It is brutal. It is a killer. but it is submissive to God. the crocodile cannot operate outside the realm, the parameters, the borders that God has established for the crocodile.

37:10 Never dawns on him to do that. He does exactly what he was built to do. He swims because God made him to swim. And he feeds on this because God made him to do. He did it all. He made it all. He owns it all. That's verse 11. who has given to me that I should repay him whatever is under the whole heaven is mine there's the sheik, Job you're mine, you're mine, you are clay in my hands, I'm doing a great work and trust me in the mystery of it all remember I said that in the mystery of it all Thank you. Job listens and as he gets to the end of his second speech, verse 34, he looks on everything that is high.

38:06 He's king over all the sons of pride. Job may have done this. I don't know that he did, but may have put his hand up and said, I've got enough. I got it. I got it. Remember Job earlier had said, if only he would come and talk with me, I would plead my case before him. He owes me a hearing is the implication. He owes me an audience. I mean, after the way I've lived and look at my condition, at least he can present himself. Stop, Job. You don't give God a script. You don't dictate the parameters of God's existence and plan. I've got it. Look at the response. It's fabulous. He answered and said, I know that you can do all things.

39:00 Whether it's creating and growing the hippo or the other creatures of the forest and the jungles or whether it's a crocodile or whether it's a man or a woman. No purpose of yours can be thwarted.

39:20 It's like Daniel 4.35. Listen, listen to this. King Nebuchadnezzar, who has suffered for years living in the field as a wild, insane man because of pride, having finished his years in the field he comes to his senses and Nebuchadnezzar says Daniel 4.35 all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing and he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and no one can stay his hand or say unto him what are you doing? that's submission. Oh God. I may be king on this earth, but you and I know I don't even breathe without your grace giving me breath.

40:21 I can't move without your spirit giving my muscles and my ability, my bones, my body, the ability to locomote. All heaven and earth is yours. you own it all and nothing of yours can be thwarted Job asked who is this that hides counsel without knowledge I have declared that which I do not understand things are too wonderful for me which I do not know I've come to the end of my understanding and I leave it with that it's yours oh God it's yours to unravel the mystery, to handle the profound, strange events of my life. By the way, God never in this passage or even later in the passage tells him about the deal between him and Satan. He leaves Job in the mystery of it.

41:18 And Job simply acknowledges his inability to understand why. But there's never a fist in his words. How dare you do this to me? there's a broken and contrite spirit he says, I've heard you by the hearing of the ear, and now my eye sees you, and I take back so much of what I said, and I repent. I repeat it. years ago Cynthia and I were friends with a wonderful family who was made up of a dad and a mom and three sons a son was greatly gifted intellectually and musically took up the violin and was a splendid young violinist the father had earlier in his high school years with the boy had some trouble with the boy's spirit of submission but you know how you'll do with your gifted children.

42:26 You'll give them room or give them slack. The boy decided when he came college age that he would go to school on the West Coast, chose a renowned university. The father paid the full tuition, and the boy began. Got with a tough crowd, continued his musicianship, found a place in the school's orchestra, as I recall if not first chair soon to be and while he was there he picked up a surly independent spirit and he came back home at the summertime at the end of his first year and it wasn't long before mom and dad and by now brothers realize they've got a real hellion on their hands. He's bright he's gifted he's also stubborn he's arrogant, conceited the family harmony was being disrupted and the father late one afternoon had had enough he called the boy in, called his name and said sit down he said everything that you have is mine I bought every stitch of clothing in your closet your car that's in our garage is mine the money in your pocket came from my account I want you to leave everything in this house and I want you to get out you leave the money, you leave the car. Oh, by the way, the violin, you leave the violin.

44:13 I bought that instrument. You leave everything that you possess. I'll let you keep the clothes on your back and the shoes on your feet. You get out. When you are ready to change your mind and come back into this place as a family member, you need to know we accept you and would love to have you back. But you're not the boy that I raised, and I'm putting up with it no longer. father told me the boy turned on his heels put the money right there on the table left everything and walked out the door took a left and got about three blocks and he had a massive education between the front door of his house and about the third block at the curb. And he said he stood there with his hands in his pockets, thinking through as night was falling, the elements he would be facing, the street life about which he knew nothing, and everything back home which he needed and longed for. He turned around, came to the door.

45:40 Knocked on his own front door. Dad opened the door with Mom standing near. and then came the words, I'm wrong. I'm sorry. Arms of embracing. Probably the brothers were thinking, who's going to get his room? You know how brothers are.

46:09 But as I recall that evening, there was a dinner together as there was a sense of the return of another young man. I'm not through with the subject, but I need to stop here. it is all about God. Men and women, it is all about our God. Your business is about our God. Your family is about our God. Everything you say you possess, he owns. Every privilege you enjoy is granted. none of it deserved we don't get it we don't get it until we are faced with these impossible moments that level us and we finally begin to emerge as a people of God.

47:18 We don't lose any of our giftedness. We don't lose any of our sense of ability. In fact, it's enhanced. And the beautiful thing to witness is this still, strong-hearted person who is surrendered. and humble, with a broken and contrite spirit, entertaining no grudges, making no demands, having no expectations, offering no conditions, anticipating no favors. we repent before our God. And the marvelous thing, he begins to use us. In the most amazing ways, because the world doesn't see that kind of combination very often.

48:17 I so want you to be one of those people. Job finally gets it. the result is blessing after blessing, double blessings, double blessings, and he dies an old man full of days, the last verse of the book says. let's bow our heads. Let's close our eyes. I don't know who's shaking your shoulders. Somebody probably is.

48:59 Think of it, if you will, as the Lord. I'm not talking about yielding to abuse and molestation. That's not in my subject today. Please don't rush there. I'm talking about giving up rights that were not your rights to begin with. They're God's rights. I'm not talking about defending our country. This is not that subject. This is about a very personal relationship with the God who made us, who is trying in every possible way to get our attention, to give up the fight, to learn to say, yes, sir. No, sir. I agree with you, sir. I bow before you as the servant you are my master oh God if it is your pleasure use me if it is not take me if that would bring more honor to you I exist for you if you've never come to the Lord Jesus Christ, of course this sounds absurd to you.

50:07 It's the most impossible suggestion you could ever sit through and endure because you've not made the first commitment of submission that you can't save yourself. If you were to die tonight, nothing in your person would deserve heaven or would cause God to graciously provide you with forgiveness and eternity with him. Your sins separate you from him and you know it.

50:37 So begin by coming first to Christ. Because most of us have done that, I say to all of us who remain, you may very well be at that crossroads where it's time to say, I surrender. I give up the fight. I repent. I release my rights for God to do with me however he may be pleased to do. It's our great desire, our Father, to live a life that is wholly committed to you.

51:23 We still are on this earth. We still must connect with other earthlings. We still have a life to live here for as long as you would grant us. but we long to be your men and women living and moving among this world that has long since lost its direction. I pray that you will use these words, halting though they have been at times, these simple words, these examples from your book to stop us in our track, make us realize how arrogant and conceited we have become and how wholly dependent we are upon you for forgiveness, for the ability to go on with our lives. I pray that you would set apart a handful of men and women who now truly grasp this.

52:23 Change their whole direction, I pray, so that a difference will be made where they work. where they play among their family members. and most importantly, in the quietness of their own hearts. Give them a blessed relief and release of their wills to yours. And then may we know the joy of a renewed life lived truly for your greater glory. Now, our Father, I commit to you and to your power and grace, we who have been a part of this worship time, I pray that you will begin the process of change even this day, and may it never cease until we see your Son face to face, whom having not seen, we love, in whom though now we see him not yet believing we rejoice with a joy unspeakable