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Devotions for the Church Year

Change and Expectation

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One of the scribes came near and . . .seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Mark 12:28 (NRSV)

In this scene in Mark, we discover a teacher of the law who finally gets it. This scribe doesn’t ask Jesus a question out of spite or with the intention to discredit him in public. He appears to have a sincere wish to learn. I’d like to think this scribe was not among those stirring up the crowd at the crucifixion a few days later, or hurling stones at Stephen, and that he was counted among the converted priests Luke writes about in Acts 6:7.

Jesus’ birth and later ministry rocked the world of Israel’s teachers. A new rabbi, claiming to be the Son of God himself, stirred an internal conflict for these authorities on law and religion. They surely sensed in their hearts that Jesus’ actions and words held truth. Everything Jesus did or said fit with the pictures and decrees God gave about his own holiness and character as written in the law Israel’s teachers worked so hard to uphold.

And yet, God hadn’t appeared the way they wanted him to. He didn’t come as the military leader ready to win for Israel the national power they thought they deserved. He didn’t come as a priest, similar in appearance to themselves. Jesus came as a rabbi, yes, but as a sort of hillbilly one. The person of God himself appeared as a humble, nondescript nobody from Galilee of all places.

He sure didn’t appear on the scene as someone capable of taking the world by storm in the way they wanted and with the outcome they hoped for. Because of this, their response to Jesus lacked acceptance. He must act differently or look more authoritative in order to secure their confidence in him. They may have sensed the truth and integrity about him, but in the end they chose to stand behind their own expectations of who Messiah was to be and how he would arrive.

Is Jesus breaking into your life this advent season? Maybe you aren’t sure how to answer because like Israel, you aren’t quite sure what to look for.

Often, Jesus comes quietly, unassuming, allowing us the choice to accept or reject his activity in our lives. But when he does come, his new order can make a mess of things. Jesus’ presence in our lives asks of us new priorities, different ways of thinking, and living from the heart.

If Jesus is breaking into your life this advent season, look for him in the mess, in the humble or the mundane. Look for him in the realities that call you to live out of your heart.

Devotions for the Church Year

Treasures and Thankfulness

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With man this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God. Mark 10:27

Mark 10 is an unusual place to find inspiration for a Thanksgiving themed devotional. Jesus is teaching his disciples as they travel the road to Jerusalem, days before Jesus’ death and resurrection. It appears an unlikely time and place to learn about gratitude, but woven into the teaching is a message about the kind of person who truly knows what it means to give thanks.

Jesus is forming a connection between eternal life, treasure in heaven, and the kingdom of God. Mention is made of reward for giving up relationships and assets in favor of the kingdom. This comes right before Jesus explains his death and resurrection, how he will die, and the number of days that will pass before he rises from the grave.

The rewards are in tension with the inevitable persecution. The resurrection is in tension with the preceding death. The good, the bad, the difficult, and the pleasure are all a part of the discipleship Jesus is asking for. How do we live in this tension? I wonder if we must allow it to become a part of us. We characterize and express it in our person and in our interactions with others.

This means that our witness contains the freedom, the joy, the love, and the abundance of life in Christ alongside the sobriety, the contrition, the lament, and the willingness to suffer. As God’s chosen people, we are joyful, yet lamenting. Free, yet suffering. Abundant, yet contrite.

But beneath it all, we are grateful. We can accept all that the Lord is using in our lives to grow us. Death has a place. Suffering has a place. Waiting has a place. So does joy, freedom, and abundance.

Thankfulness can mean appreciation for good rewards given and the feeling of happiness that comes from enjoying them. Or thankfulness can go deeper and say, “I’m grateful for how I’ve changed. Thank you, God, for allowing the painful and the impossible into my life. Because of them, I have a deeper capacity to feel joy. I’ve learned what it means to give, and I’ve been freed from temptations or habits that held me back.”

This week, as you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, take time to look over the past year. Remember those times where you’ve grown from difficulty, and then thank the Lord for his goodness to you.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

O most merciful Father, who has blessed the labor of the farmer

in the returns of the fruits of the earth.

We give you humble and hearty thanks for this your bounty.

We ask you to continue your loving-kindness to us

that our land may still yield increase.

To your glory and our comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

from the Book of Common Prayer

 

Devotionals

Turn Our Thoughts to Heaven

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He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:3-5

This exclamation is taken from the larger description of the new order Heaven establishes. God will dwell among his people. He will be with them, and they will be his. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:3-4).

When someone who is close to us dies, their loss leaves an empty place they used to fill. We wonder what happened to them and where they are now. For the person who believes in Christ, a glorious eternity awaits them. We can trust that the people who have died and left this life are alive and whole, unencumbered with limitations or impairments, freely enjoying the sights and sounds, the joy and light, or Heaven.

Heaven is a real place created by God and is home to angels, and to every believer. Heaven is where God is. It is a place free of pain, death, or sorrow. God’s glory gives it light. His holiness is the reason for unending praise. His family, our brothers and sister in Christ, live there. The ones who died have already arrived. Those who are still on earth will someday join them.

We will recognize people in Heaven, and they will recognize us. Since there is no pain in Heaven, the effects of sickness will not show on people’s restored, heavenly bodies. Neither will old age or physical limitations take their toll. Heaven is eternal. There is no need to mark the passage of time. Our physical selves will no longer tire or wear out. God makes all things new. We will be our true selves, with freed spirits in God’s Heaven, able to last for eternity because we’ve received His gift of life.

Heaven matters. To us, who are still very much on earth, held down by gravity, facing struggles, and grieving those we’ve lost, Heaven can seem inaccessible. And yet, if we’ve made the decision to believe in Jesus, we live with eternity in mind instead of focused on only today and our immediate needs or discomforts. This gives us great hope because we know our source of strength lies beyond ourselves. God holds the future. He holds our lives. He welcomes into his presence those who have died, and he will someday do the same for us.

Devotionals

Quiet Compassion

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Where did this man get these things? Mark 6:2

Embedded in the action of traveling and teaching, Jesus offers a lesson on how to do ministry. It is easily obscured by the skepticism of his hometown and the scandal glaring from Herod’s family, but the lesson is still there and best perceived from the view of a disciple.

These men had given up everything to follow Jesus, and yet they were still discovering who he was, the power he possessed, and the mission that was someday to be theirs. Jesus begins with a basic assignment. He gives them instructions, and then they get to put those instructions into practice. Verses 12 and 13 tell us the disciples went out and preached. They drove out many demons, anointed sick people with oil, and healed them.

This first assignment taught the disciples about outreach and evangelism. Jesus’ instructions to become a member of the community opened the doors for them to use the authority he’d given them.

Later on, Jesus gives another lesson, this one about how to feed and care for others. The miracle Jesus performed with the five loaves and two fish satisfied the crowd’s physical hunger. It also helped the disciples understand a deeper message. In verse 37, Jesus says to them, “You give them something to eat.” The call suggested so much more than providing these people with a meal. It asked the disciples to offer Jesus himself. They participated with him in the miracle. Verse 34 says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

In the moment Jesus told his disciples to give the people something to eat, he invited them to share his compassion and to learn from him how to be a shepherd. He gave them the provisions needed to nourish the group that had gathered. The disciples could give to the crowd because Jesus nourished them.

The third lesson Jesus taught was about prayer. He’d sustained disappointment in his hometown, he’d received sad news about his cousin, John, and he spent a long day teaching and caring for a mob. Now he longed to spend time with his heavenly father. Prayer is where he went to find consolation, to gain wisdom, and to enjoy God’s presence. Jesus seeks out these solitary times frequently. The gospels often mention them in passing but Jesus habits of prayer and his reasons for it are worth paying attention to. He knew consolation, wisdom, and peace could only be found in his father’s presence.

Evangelism and outreach, shepherding and prayer, are Jesus’ methods in reaching the lost and advancing the kingdom of heaven. He called the disciples in and trained them all those years ago. Through their words in the gospels and the Holy Spirit speaking to us, we too, are called in and trained for a mission that produces a bountiful harvest and precedes us into eternity.

Devotionals

Wind-swept Sovereignty

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A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Mark 4:37

This week in Bible studies at COC, we’ve been looking at the story in Mark 4 where Jesus calms the storm. I’ve read this passage before, and each time I read it I am left with more questions than understanding. I ask questions like these:

Even though Jesus slept, was his presence in the boat enough to save the disciples? What if the disciples had chosen to let Jesus get his rest instead of waking him? Would they have survived?

In answer to these questions, I would say “yes,” and “yes.” In a way, both questions ask about the same issue. Is Jesus sovereign, and if so, what was his will for the disciples?

First of all, to say Jesus is sovereign means he has no restraints on his decisions. Jesus is his own source of power. He, as God’s Son, is dependent on no one for strength or authority. Nothing is too hard for him. He continues to do new works. He is not limited by anything he has created or allowed. From his boundless supply of power, he does more work, and with grand design.

Jesus as sovereign is above all others. He’s the chief, he’s supreme, and He is the King. As Mark shows us in chapters four and five, Jesus has authority over the weather, over death, over evil, and over sickness. He chooses to use his power to lovingly direct our lives, like a Good Shepherd provides and cares for vulnerable sheep.

This leads to the question of what his will is for the disciples. As with our own lives, we may not be able to say confidently that we know exactly what God’s will is for us. But there are some traits about God we can rely on to grow our trust in his will, as Paul writes to the Romans, “His good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Only God creates storms and calms them. The idea to leave by boat and cross the lake to a new location belonged to Jesus. This meant that he intended for the disciples to encounter the storm. They needed the opportunity to see Jesus’ divine power on display. Often the stormy stretches of the journey hold some revelation of glory. This was certainly the case for the disciples. They witnessed Jesus in command, calming the weather, rescuing the disciples from the inevitable drowning, and growing their faith.

His will for the disciples included a special revelation meant just for them with the goal of strengthening their trust in Him.

Going back to the question, Jesus’ presence in the boat with the disciples was enough to save them. The storm didn’t throw them out of God’s will. Rather, it belonged in his will. Jesus’ sleepiness couldn’t interfere any more than the disciples’ fear did. Everything stayed on track for the moment when Jesus’ glory shone.

O you Winds of God, bless the Lord, praise him, and magnify him forever.

O you Lightnings and Clouds, bless the Lord, praise him, and magnify him forever.

O you Seas and Floods, bless the Lord, praise him, and magnify him forever.

O you Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise him, and magnify him forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Praise him, and magnify him forever.

–from “The Book of Common Prayer”

Devotionals

A Paralytic with a Purpose

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Mark 2 is full of fascinating stories complete with heroes, villains, and the unexpected. The friends of a paralyzed man do whatever it takes to get him to Jesus for healing, but the mission proved much more difficult than they thought. Everywhere he went, Jesus drew a crowd. On this particular day, the only way to reach him was not by entering a home politely through the front door, but by cutting a hole in the roof. These men wanted to make absolutely sure their friend received Jesus’ exclusive attention.

But when the moment came for him to receive a diagnosis and treatment plan from the Great Physician, Jesus shocked everyone with his assessment. “Your sins are forgiven. Get up, take your mat and go home.”

And the man did.

His friends’ ounce of faith that got him into Jesus’ presence in the first place produced so much more for him than just the surface healing of his paralysis. He received freedom, wholeness, and the ability to function. Jesus knew this man’s paralysis was a result of sin in his life. If Jesus went to the source of his suffering, the man would enjoy so many more benefits.

Later in the chapter, Jesus meets Levi, the tax collector. Despised and ostracized as a thief, Levi fell into the Pharisees’ class of people known notoriously as “the sinners.” But Jesus comes along and sees Levi for who he really is. He offers Levi the invitation, “Come, follow me.” When Levi accepts, Jesus changes his name to Matthew, a name that means, “Gift of Yaweh.”

When society saw Levi as a crook, Jesus saw him as a gift. Where he experienced rejection and hatred, Jesus offered him acceptance and love. He gives Levi, known in the kingdom as Matthew, a new name, new purpose, belonging, and an important place in the kingdom. Matthew spoke two languages; the language of the Roman world, and the language of the Jews. Even though he couldn’t yet see what lay ahead, Jesus knew he would become one of the writers of the gospels, influencing people for generations.

This is what Jesus does for us. When we lay paralyzed in our sin and unable to function, Jesus sets us free. He heals and he restores in those places where we cannot change our situation on our own. We’re helpless to acquire the rich, full life we desire until Jesus steps in and redeems us. After this happens, we have new purpose, belonging, and an important place in the Kingdom of God. Jesus sees us for who we really are. This truth fuels our lives with meaning and grace so that we can move in freedom, and for eternity.

Of the Dearly Beloved

Thoughts From a Sheep on Psalm 23

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Recently, a colleague in ministry asked me what it means to have a good shepherd. The church where I lead worship has just completed a series of sermons on the 23rd Psalm. This past week, I shared these thoughts with the congregation that attends the service I lead, so I thought I would also share them with you. I trust that these thoughts from a sheep who gets scared, seldom knows which way to go, and is always in need of rescue, will encourage you as you journey at the side of the Good Shepherd.

What does it mean to have a Good Shepherd?

Having a Good Shepherd means that we, as our vulnerable selves, can stand against the forces that aim to destroy us. These forces include sickness death, oppression, spiritual attack, prejudice, and injustice.

God as our Good Shepherd provides us with all that we need to live in health, freedom, and truth with victory, and for eternity.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23 tells us that we do not lack protection, strength, or comfort because the Good Shepherd provides them. He knows where we can find nourishment. He makes sure we have a place to rest. He keeps us walking in the ways of truth.

He restores my soul.

When destructive forces invade our lives, the Good Shepherd rescues. He offers healing and restoration. When all looks lost, the Good Shepherd saves. He is the Redeemer, and He makes all things new.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Talent, accomplishments, reputation, possessions, or physical comforts offer no consolation. These things do nothing to calm fear when we journey in the dark. The only source of peace that can be found is in the knowledge that God is there. God is present in our darkest hours. When we can’t see Him, we can rest in the truth that He stands very near, holding each of us close, and holding us steady.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

When prejudice or injustice appear to have more influence over the direction of our lives than God’s plan for us does, He as the Good Shepherd honors us, and he favors us. On the battlefield where conflict rules, the Good Shepherd invites us to a table, in full view of the enemy, and satisfies us with all the comforts of home. He gives love, nourishment, belonging, and rest so that we might have the strength to continue in the fight.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The journey with the Good Shepherd is one of identity based on grace. The first three verses of Psalm 23 talk about the Shepherd in third person, as though telling of His gracious attributes. He deals gently with His flock. He provides, comforts, and heals.

Starting in verse 4, the Psalm changes to referencing the shepherd as “you.” Now the Psalm is no longer talking about God, but talking to God. It is a much more intimate explanation of the Good Shepherd because the person tended by this shepherd finds their whole sense of who they are in this careful nurturing.

We can say the same thing. Because the Good Shepherd is gentle, provides for us, comforts, feeds, and heals us, we are ones who walk with no fear. We are favored and we belong. We are loved by the perfect, all wise shepherd who has promised us an eternal home with him in heaven forever. We are content, and we are willing to wait on Him.

Of a Wife and Mother

Make a Wise Investment

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On Wednesday evening, I attended a fantastic community event hosted by the Pella Youth Coalition (PYC). My husband and I are members of the initial team of people who got together this spring with the vision of addressing the trend of substance abuse among the teens in our community. Comprised of concerned parents, law officers, school principals, youth pastors, and non-profit leaders, the PYC is a compassionate group who cares deeply about our community.

The mission of the PYC prompted my thoughts for this week’s blog. Whether you live in Pella or not, I trust the truths you read here are things you can apply to your own daily lives and spheres of influence.

Reach Out to the Community

Five courageous people gave personal testimonies Wednesday night. One of them was a local mother who had been caught off guard by the drug activity in her neighborhood that eventually affected her son’s life. Her story was read by someone else. Another person, whose story was also read by a person in attendance, is still in jail because of the effect alcohol and drugs had on their life.

The other three people were at the meeting and stood before everyone to tell their story. I commend them, but what I found so interesting was the fact that all these stories had a common theme of relationship. One of them said “If I’d just had a relationship with a person I trusted and felt safe with, my life would have gone in a very different direction.” Another met God while in jail. Her sobriety is due to the redemption God worked in her life. She has since found safe relationships.

Our children are suffering a silent crisis. They don’t know how to articulate what it is they need, and they don’t always know where to go to find it. We can help them by being someone in their life who accepts them, brings out their best, listens, helps them grow in relationship with the Lord, and guides them in making good decisions. This is really what our kids are looking for, and we, as people who are on their side, can give it.

Spend Time With Your Family

The second concern on my mind today is for our own families. We live in an era of history when many experiments are being performed in an attempt to redefine the foundations of what it means to be a family. I have one simple admonishment to make. Please make the time to sit down to a meal with your entire family as often as you can. The statistic was shared at Wednesday night’s meeting that children who sit down to an evening meal with their family five times per week have better chances at success in emotional stability, sense of identity, and a higher overall ability to function. This kind of investment in our children’s character is worth saying “no” to all the other pressures that compete for our energy and attention.

At the dinner table is where values can be shared. Heritage is passed on. Discussion takes place. Devotions are read. This is one of the best things we can do for our children, which is to promise them a place where they are nourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sunday dinner is still a thing at my house. My husband and I are both blessed with jobs that allow us Sundays free. But even if this isn’t the case in your home, designate a meal time as your stand-in Sunday dinner.

I encourage this because we as parents not only have the privilege of providing our families with nourishment, but also with Sabbath rest. Our homes must also be places where our children are given permission to leave the pressures of excelling and performing. Home should be a place of rest. If your home does not allow for this, please consider making changes so that peace rules. Kids catch on to strife and conflict. It affects them for a lifetime

Please join me in the call to influence our youth, and therefore the future of our communities, for good.

Of the Dearly Beloved

The Word is at Home in Our Hearts

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In my work with the early service at the church where I lead worship, I’ve been guiding the congregation in the memorization of valuable supports to the Christian faith as found in Psalm 23, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Jesus Prayer. As part of the memorization process, I’ve developed some tools to retain information. I’ve been sharing them with the congregation during the month of July, so I thought I would share them with you in today’s blog post.

Memorization as Contemplation

A helpful practice in memorizing Scripture is to make an association between an image and a verse. Find pictures that bring to mind the meaning expressed in the verse. If you enjoy drawing, you may even wish to create your own pictures. If, like me, you struggle even to create a decent stick figure, then simple symbols work as well, drawn in the margins of your Bible near the corresponding verse.

Memorizing in this way captures the meaning of the Scripture with less concern for precise wording. Translations vary and certain words stick in each person’s memory better than others. Images help us tell a story about what we see and then the essence of the Scripture will stay with us.

I have found in my own experience that by using pictures as part of the memorization process, each time I see that object or perform that task, it brings to mind that particular passage of Scripture, turning my attention to the Lord. Memorization becomes contemplative when it has the ability to help us focus on God at any time and in any situation.

Memorization as a Process for Growth

Our first goal is to get the words of Scripture into our minds. Whatever tool you must rely on to make this happen doesn’t matter. The point is to get the words of God inside of us. Once that happens, these words start to speak to our emotions. Pay attention to how you feel as you read the Bible.

Which verses create a resistance in your spirit? What stirs doubt, fear, anger, or hostility?

Which verses can you accept? Are there ones that you find easy to believe or that you’ve seen proven true in your life or in the life of someone else?

Where are you learning something new?

Where are you hearing a word from the Lord just for you?

Spend time answering those questions by praying and writing your thoughts down. The next time you come back to that passage, you will already have connections made. There will be things you remember that presses you to a deeper understanding. Over time, the Scriptures take root in our hearts. Then we apply them to our lives. These are the verses we remember, the ones we’ve lived.

As we live out the Scriptures from our hearts, they have the power to change us, and that’s really what memorization is all about. It’s more than just retaining information in our minds. Memorization becomes a transformation tool helping us become more like Christ.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive

us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Devotionals

Do Something Dangerous

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Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

One of our family’s favorite movies is “Dudley Do-Right” based on a cartoon with a Canadian Mountie as the main character. The Canadian Mountie is a legendary figure with “Maintien le Droit,” or “uphold the right” as his motto. The responsibilities of the Mountie called for bravery, heroism, and strength. They were fearless, and the were the law, worthy of authority and respect.

Dudley is anything but these expected Mountie qualities. He is spineless, clumsy, and intimidated. As the movie progresses, we see Dudley surrounded by a whole gang of bad guys. Robbing the local bank and taking over the town, these surly characters in black jackets and face masks are moving fast.

Dudley finds himself outwitted. He loses his job and stumbles across a bum up in the mountains. He takes Dudley under his wing and teaches him how to be a hero. The bum’s last words to his foundling student are, “get out there and do something dangerous!” Bruised and confused, Dudley stumbles away in search of adventure.

Get out there and do something dangerous. This sounds an awfully lot like the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-22. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the enemy’s schemes…put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul is cheering on a new church intent on advancing the gospel in the pagan Roman Empire. Paul himself sits in prison bound in chains as he writes. He knows what is at stake for the church if they do not heed these words. The Christian faith will die out. Justice and righteousness according to God’s law would no longer be maintained. Yet, Paul knows what is at stake for the new church if they do heed his words. Persecution. Imprisonment for daring to worship anyone but the Caesar. Maybe even death. It was a tough choice. One that needed to be made in spite of the danger and hardship it would invite.

But following Jesus is dangerous. In his book, The Good and Beautiful Life, James Bryan Smith says, “Jesus observes that those who pursue righteousness are going against the grain of society, and that will result in persecution. Following Jesus is dangerous–if we lead the kind of life he calls us to. When we choose to fight for justice and peace or not to lie or judge others, we will face backlash. The promise in the last beatitude is the same as in the first: ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ When we align ourselves with Jesus and observe his ways, we are in the kingdom” (p. 61-62).

The kingdom is the territory where God reigns. It is the place where we are called to live dangerously. Go on a mission. Dare to be a serious disciple of Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Live by values. Pray.

But don’t we often feel like Dudley Do-Right? Intimidated in the face of evil or hardship and bumbling along in confusion hoping that something we did today counted? It is in times like this when Jesus calls us to an adventure. His adventure of living life in the kingdom. Because it is when we are taking the risks and counting the cost that we are in the safest place of all, which is his plan for our lives lived out under his protection in his strength with his armor firmly in place.