The people of Israel have sinned against the LORD. What will God do? Will He abandon His promises to the Patriarchs? You already know the answer--He won't. He was faithful to His Word then, and He is faithful to His Word today. And, just as the Israelites have a choice to walk in obedience to a God that longs to dwell with them, we have the opportunity to draw near to the God of all grace. And you are... because you're here.

Today's Scripture: Exodus 37-40

Listen to more about the color-coding system mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-on-biblical-motherhood/id1700555502?i=1000749419735

Get the free guide to the color-coding system here: https://www.entrustedministries.com/studies#gtwo

Scripture Read or Referenced:

John 14:6

Various verses throughout Exodus 39 and 40

The Life Application Study Bible from Zondervan was quoted.

This is the Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today

we're concluding the Book of Exodus.

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That means you've already walked

through 132 chapters of scripture.

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If you're wondering why we're going

at this fast pace, it's because.

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It could not be more clear that God

is the main character of scripture.

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When I read these pages of Exodus

37 through 40 and I think about how

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Bealle Was filled with the spirit

of God to do everything that he did,

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and then he did it exactly according

to how the Lord commanded him.

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we know from Galatians that the

fruit of the spirit is faithfulness.

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And self-control, and I can see be allele

being led in consistency by the spirit of

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God and it just challenges me that when

I think of being filled with the spirit,

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that I don't necessarily connect it to a

loose goosey, go with the flow attitude.

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The Zondervan Life Application Study

Bible provides a really simple overview

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of the Tabernacle pieces, and I like how

they explain what each one symbolized.

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Jesus declared, I'm the

way, the truth and the life.

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No one comes to the

Father, except through me.

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And in the same way, there was only

one entrance into the tabernacle.

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The first piece you'd approach.

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Would be the large wash basin, and

this was used by the priest to cleanse

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themselves before their duties.

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It symbolized the need

for spiritual cleansing.

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Then there was a large

altar for burnt offerings.

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And this symbolized how sacrifice

restored their relationship to God.

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A special oil was used to

anoint the priests and all

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of the pieces of furniture.

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This fragrance represented

being set apart for God,

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and then there was the altar of incense.

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It was in the holy place in front

of the curtain, and it was used for

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using this special recipe of incense,

and it symbolizes our prayers.

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Then you'd see the lamp stands.

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There was a golden

lampstand in the holy place.

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It had seven oil burning lamps.

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It lit the holy place for

the priest to serve in.

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Then on the table

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was the bread of the presence.

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And there were 12 loaves of baked

bread, one for every tribe, and it

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symbolized the spiritual nourishment

that God was providing for the people.

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inside the holy of Holies

was the arc of the covenant.

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It represented God's covenant with his

people and atop it was the mercy seat.

40

This lid that held two cherubim with

their wings raised symbolize the

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presence of God among the people.

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God wanted blue, purple, and

scarlet thread to be woven

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into the textiles and fabrics.

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I thought it was interesting to learn

how they would've created these colors.

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Blue would've been from a shellfish

purple from the secretion of a meric

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snail and the crimson was from powdering

eggs and the bodies of worms which had

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attached themselves to Holly Plants.

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I think it's amazing.

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How these things were discovered.

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And Egypt had a reputation for

producing really excellent, fine linen.

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And I promise I didn't plan this,

but today on the Again podcast,

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Betsy and I talk about how color

coding our Bibles has absolutely

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transformed our view of scripture.

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Someone could read today's

reading and just think, wow,

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there is a lot of repetition.

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Lord, why did you put this in your word?

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But when I think about the context.

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I can understand why their obedience

would've blessed the heart of God.

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This section of scripture is surely

in the Israelites highlight reel.

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Think about it.

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God rescues them in a mighty powerful way.

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within days they're complaining

about their source of water,

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wishing they would've died in Egypt.

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Then they're complaining

about their lack of food.

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And then water again, and all the

time God is providing for them

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then they get to Mount Sinai.

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70 of the elders go up and Moses,

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but then Moses gets to go to

the tap and as the people are

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waiting, they're wondering.

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What happened to this man?

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Maybe he's dead.

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But you know what I thought about today?

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We know that God was still

reigning down the manna every day.

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Every single day.

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He reigned it down for 40

years except on the Sabbath.

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So while Moses was up there and

they were wondering what happened,

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they were still being provided for.

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How did they fall into idolatry?

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But it's convicting.

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When I think about, every single

day, God is providing for me.

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I live in a warm house

with a comfortable bed,

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and then there'll be a hiccup in the road.

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And I can wonder, God, are

you gonna provide for this?

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God, are you gonna bless us here?

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God tells Moses, this is a stiff necked

people, and I'm still gonna bless

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you, but I'm pretty done with them.

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God's heart is grieved.

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He has performed some of the most

incredible miracles in history

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for these people, but it doesn't

seem they return his affection.

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Moses intercedes for them and begs

God to continue to go with them.

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And next we're told that the

Israelites bring all of the offerings

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that God had requested before him

and that they bring so much that

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they actually have to be stopped.

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And then we have chapter after chapter

saying they followed the directions

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exactly as God had commanded.

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It almost makes me think of a

wife who's been betrayed and

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she lays out a path to say.

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Here's what I need you to do If

you're really serious about restoring

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our marriage, and if her husband

were to do every single thing on

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the list, can you imagine how that

would bless her heart to know, wow,

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he's really taking this seriously?

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Or think about a prodigal who

has deeply hurt his parents.

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And he comes back and he says, mom

and dad, I'm willing to completely

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restore their relationship.

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I will do whatever you say.

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I am a changed man.

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Can you imagine their joy?

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So when I look at these chapters

of scripture, that at first

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glance might seem like complete

repetition of God's directions.

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I want you to think

about how their obedience

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after their lack of faithfulness

would've blessed the heart of God.

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And I'm gonna focus on

those verses today.

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In 39, 1 from the blue and

purple and scarlet yarns, they

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made finely woven garments for

ministering in the holy place.

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They made the holy garments for Aaron as

the Lord had commanded Moses in 39 5.

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And the skillfully woven band on it was

of one piece with it and made like it

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of gold, blue and purple and scarlet

yarns, and finally, twined linen as the

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Lord had commanded Moses in verse seven.

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And he set them on the shoulder

pieces of the EOD to be stones of

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remembrance for the sons of Israel

as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Verse 21.

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And they bound the breast piece by

its rings to the rings of the ephod

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with a lace of blue, so that it

should lie on the skillfully woven

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band of the ephod and that the breast

peace should not come loose from the

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ephod as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Verse 26, a bell and a pomegranate, a

bell and a pomegranate around the hem

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of the robe for ministering as the

Lord had commanded Moses in verse

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29 and the sash of fine twined linen

and of blue and purple and scarlet

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yarns embroidered with needlework

as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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In verse 31, and they tied to it a

cord of blue to fasten on the turban

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above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Verse 32.

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Thus, all the work of the tabernacle of

the tent of meaning was finished and

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the people of Israel did, according

to all that the Lord had commanded

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Moses, so they did in verse 42.

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According to all that the

Lord had commanded Moses.

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So the people of Israel had done all the

work in verse 43, and Moses saw all the

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work, and behold they had done it as the

Lord had commanded, so they had done it.

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Then Moses blessed them

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in 40 verse 19.

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And he spread the tent over the

tabernacle and put the covering

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of the tent over it, as the Lord

had commanded Moses, verse 21.

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And he brought the ark into the tabernacle

and set up the veil of the screen and

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screened the ark of the testimony as the

Lord had commanded Moses in verse 23 and

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arranged the bread on it before the Lord.

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As the Lord had commanded Moses.

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Verse 25 and set up the

lamps before the Lord.

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As the Lord had commanded Moses in verse

27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as

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the Lord had commanded Moses, verse 29,

and he set the altar of burnt offering

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at the entrance of the tabernacle of the

tent of meeting and offered on it the

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burnt offering and the grain offering.

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As the Lord had commanded Moses and verse

32 when they went into the tent of meeting

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and when they approached the altar, they

washed as the Lord commanded Moses.

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And he erected the court around the

tabernacle and the altar and set up

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the screen of the gate of the court.

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So Moses finished the work,

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Let's read how God responds.

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Then the cloud covered the tent

of meeting and the glory of

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the Lord filled the tabernacle.

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And Moses was not able to enter

the tent of meeting because

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the cloud settled on it.

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And the glory of the Lord filled the

tabernacle throughout all their journeys.

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Whenever the cloud was taken

up from over the tabernacle.

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The people of Israel would set

out, but if the cloud was not taken

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up, then they did not set out till

the day that it was taken up for.

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The cloud of the Lord was on the

tabernacle by day, and fire was ended by

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night in the sight of all the House of

Israel throughout all their journeys.

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It is abundantly evident that

this is a God who longs to be

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restored to us, to dwell with us.

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He is a God of forgiveness,

and he relentlessly makes a

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way for us to come back to him.

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Heavenly Father, as we read about how this

obedience blessed your heart, we pray that

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we would also walk in obedience, the kind

that stems from love and worship of you.

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I pray that whatever you are calling us

to, that we would do it for your glory.

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When we evaluate our own hearts,

we know we are also a stiff neck

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people and we know our children

have that tendency as well.

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Even when that awareness is painful.

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God, I pray it would bring us to our

knees in repentance and in gratitude,

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but that by your spirit You would help

us walk in faithfulness toward you.

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Thank you for allowing

us to dwell with you.

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It is our greatest treasure.

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In the name of the way,

the Truth and the Life.

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Jesus Christ, we pray.

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Amen.