Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin,
    from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
    and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem,
for disaster looms out of the north,
    and great destruction.
2 The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy,
    the daughter of Zion
3 Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her;
    they shall pitch their tents around her;
    they shall pasture, each in his place.
4 “Prepare war against her;
    arise, and let us attack at noon!
Woe to us, for the day declines,
    for the shadows of evening lengthen!

5 Arise, and let us attack by night
    and destroy her palaces!”
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Cut down her trees;
    cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city that must be punished;
    there is nothing but oppression within her.
7 As a well keeps its water fresh,
    so she keeps fresh her evil;
violence and destruction are heard within her;
    sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,
    lest I turn from you in disgust,
lest I make you a desolation,
    an uninhabited land.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They shall glean thoroughly as a vine
    the remnant of Israel;
like a grape gatherer pass your hand again
    over its branches.”

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
    that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
    they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
    they take no pleasure in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
    I am weary of holding it in.
“Pour it out upon the children in the street,
    and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
    the elderly and the very aged.
12 Their houses shall be turned over to others,
    their fields and wives together,
for I will stretch out my hand
    against the inhabitants of the land,”
declares the Lord.

13 “For from the least to the greatest of them,
    everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
    everyone deals falsely.
14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
    saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
    when there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
    No, they were not at all ashamed;
    they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
    at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”
says the Lord.
 
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
    and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
    and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I set watchmen over you, saying,
    ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
    and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
    the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
    and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20 What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,
    or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
    nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
‘Behold, I will lay before this people
    stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
    neighbor and friend shall perish.’”
 
22 Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, a people is coming from the north country,
    a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;
    they are cruel and have no mercy;
    the sound of them is like the roaring sea;
they ride on horses,
    set in array as a man for battle,
    against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it;
    our hands fall helpless;
anguish has taken hold of us,
    pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Go not out into the field,
    nor walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword;
    terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth,
    and roll in ashes;
make mourning as for an only son,
    most bitter lamentation,
for suddenly the destroyer
    will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester of metals among my people,
    that you may know and test their ways.
28 They are all stubbornly rebellious,
    going about with slanders;
they are bronze and iron;
    all of them act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely;
    the lead is consumed by the fire;
in vain the refining goes on,
    for the wicked are not removed.
30 Rejected silver they are called,
    for the Lord has rejected them.”
 
Meditation
Jesus says, ”Come to me and I will give you rest.” Jesus is gentle and humble of heart, desiring to give rest for our soul (Matthew 11:28-29).
 
Jeremiah is God’s mouthpiece pleading with His people to return for rest. False prophets made empty promises of peace (14). Jeremiah’s gracious invitation is a clear path to return to the Lord for true peace (16).
 
“Stand by the roads and look, ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is- walk in it” (16). The roads of Israel should have God’s law on the fence and door posts, easily seen by people who looked (Deuteronomy 6:9; 11:20). The Mosaic Law was the ancient path provided in covenant relationship on which God’s people were to walk in God’s ways (Deuteronomy 5:32-33; 10:12-13). God’s path promised blessing, an invitation to all who heard and humbled themselves under God’s righteous rule  (as Josiah in 1 Kings 22). God’s grace calls God’s people back to a familiar place, needing only to believe to find blessing. By faith we look for God’s word to walk in God’s path.
 
The people said, “We will not walk in it… we will not pay attention” (16-17). Hard hearts cannot humble themselves to receive God’s grace.
 
Jesus invites you to this same place, deep rest for your soul. Jesus walked God’s path, keeping God’s law perfectly, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our rebellion. Jesus rose from the grave, alive, to offer rest by walking with us on the path of His grace.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you need rest for your weary soul? Where are you looking for rest (which false prophets are you listening to)?
 
-Hard hearts will not humble themselves before the Lord to look or listen, to see God’s ways and walk in faith. Why is it difficult for you to humble yourself before the Lord?
 
-The grace of Jesus is the ground on which we walk to find rest. Jesus has kept the law perfectly and died to pay our sin penalty. We can return to relationship to find deep rest for our souls. Where do you need to return to God’s grace to discover great rest for your soul?
 
Key verses
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it…’
17 … they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’

When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. 4 “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, “shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.” 6 And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the Lord and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.25 For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32 Thus they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the Lord.
 
Meditation
God’s grace gives believers a new identity from which we discover a new purpose. Jesus gave His life to make the Church the Holy Temple of God, the house of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). As God’s Holy people we are a priesthood of believers called to “proclaim the excellencies” (1 Peter 2:9) of King Jesus through our life and love.
 
As David lays on deaths doorstep, he establishes plans to build God’s temple. There are 160 verses of organizational detail in the last four chapters of 1 Chronicles and 41 verses about building materials and supplies. Today’s reading reveals the king’s priority for priestly activities “in the house of the Lord” (4, 24, 28, 32).
 
David leaves a legacy of life through detailed direction for the temple. David organized the sons of Levi and ordered their duties according to the law of Moses. No longer was the wilderness tabernacle the house of God. A new temple would be built in Jerusalem! And every son of Levi had a role in the new temple.
 
Likewise, the temple in Jerusalem is no longer the house of God’s holiness. After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension Jesus sent The Holy Spirit to His people. David directed Levites to “assist the sons of Aaron.” Jesus directs children of God to embrace our roles as “apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers” who “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:8-12). Every Christians has a new identity with a new purpose, a holy temple called to be a priesthood of believers.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about David’s direction as he stands on death’s doorstep?
 
-How does David’s priority for building and ordering the new temple strengthen our understanding of David’s greater Son, King Jesus, and His desire for us to understand our new identity as God’s temple with a new purpose of proclaiming His excellencies with our life and love?
 
-How can you grow in embracing your identity as the temple of God’s Holy Spirit? And in your participation of living as a part of His priesthood of believers?
 
Key verses
25 For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.”

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.
10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.
17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.
18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.
25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”
32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550.33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.
34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers' house.
 
Meditation
Our King dwells in our midst.
 
History details the formation of the Egyptian military prepared for battle under Pharaoh Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). The army was organized around a tent in the middle, the tent of Ramses II. The king was in the midst of the army as they prepared for war.
 
Moses was giving the Lord’s direction around 100 years after Ramses II and the formation for Israel would not have been lost. God is King and He dwells in the midst of His people preparing for war (2). God goes with His people in the wilderness and on His mission throughout the world. God’s presence is power for protection, provision, and an anchor for hope in His promises.
 
God organizes His people with a particular place and purpose. Organized by family and tribe, the people post around the tent of meeting with Judah being “at the front of the march” (4-9).  God has designed each person and people for a place within His body to accomplish His purposes.
 
Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Revelation 5:5) who is the head of His Body, the church (Colossians 1:18). The Body of Christ is commissioned to accomplish God’s mission (Matthew 28:18-20). Each member of Christ’s body has an assigned place and role to form a well-functioning whole (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
 
And our King dwells in our midst, providing power through His presence, protection, provision, and an anchor for hope in His promises.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the formation of God’s people in the wilderness? Why?
 
-How does this help you understand the roles and places people have had appointed by the Lord in His Body, the Church?
 
-Why is it empowering to have God’s presence promised, to have our King in our midst, as we navigate the wilderness and His mission in the world?
 
Key verses
2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”;
6 as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
    after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
 
Meditation
There are various reasons sociologists and scientist hypothesize for why humans are the only mammals that drink milk beyond infancy. There is only one reason Christians continue needing spiritual milk beyond infancy: Immature faith. Peter tells Christians to crave spiritual milk to “grow up into our salvation” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Hebrews wants to cure delayed spiritual development, not “growing up” into our salvation at all!
 
The author states clearly what he has implied to this point, namely Christians were “dull of hearing” (11). They had not “paid close attention to the message they heard” (2:1) or “considered Jesus” (3:1). Like with the wilderness generation, they had “hardened their hearts” (3:8), “not believed” (3:12), “disobeyed” (4:11), and therefore had not “entered God’s rest” (4:1). The difficult diagnosis is now given a cure: Christians need someone to teach the basics of Scripture and doctrine (12).
 
This section of the letter concludes an introduction to “Melchizedek” as the author finishes the foundation of his argument for Jesus being a greater High Priest (1-10). These key themes (through chapter 10) offer a helpful diagnosis for our hearts by compelling the question: Do you understand the purpose of the High Priest in the Old Testament? If not, what does this reveal about your maturity of understanding God’s word and the doctrines therein?
 
Growing in spiritual maturity is not simply studying more. We must apply God’s word to all of life, “constant practice” of distinguishing “good from evil” (14). Growing in maturity is being grounded in God’s grace and growing in God’s Word to walk in God’s ways in all of life.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you delayed in spiritual development? Do you need to move from milk to maturity?
 
-Where in your life are you not responding to God’s grace with studying God’s word and being shaped by God’s authority so you can more faithfully and fruitfully live for God’s glory in all of life?
 
-The grace of God is the ground from which we “grow up” into our salvation. How does God’s unconditional love and forgiveness through the finished work of Christ fertilize your faith to trust His word for all of life?
 
Key verses
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
Habakkuk's Complaint
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
    and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
    and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
    and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
    so justice goes forth perverted.
The Lord's Answer
5 “Look among the nations, and see;
    wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
    that you would not believe if told.
6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
    that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth,
    to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are dreaded and fearsome;
    their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
    more fierce than the evening wolves;
    their horsemen press proudly on.
Their horsemen come from afar;
    they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9 They all come for violence,
    all their faces forward.
    They gather captives like sand.
10 At kings they scoff,
    and at rulers they laugh.
They laugh at every fortress,
    for they pile up earth and take it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,
    guilty men, whose own might is their god!”
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
12 Are you not from everlasting,
    O Lord my God, my Holy One?
    We shall not die.
O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment,
    and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
    and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
    and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
    the man more righteous than he?
14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea,
    like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 He[a] brings all of them up with a hook;
    he drags them out with his net;
he gathers them in his dragnet;
    so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
    and makes offerings to his dragnet;
for by them he lives in luxury,
    and his food is rich.
17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net
    and mercilessly killing nations forever?
 
Meditation
God’s sovereign grace both comforts us in the present and controls the future. God calls us to put our faith in Him, to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Bold faith fully trusts a faithful God in a fallen world.
 
Habakkuk was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom after the fall of Nineveh (605 BC) and before Babylon turned their sights to Jerusalem. Chaos reigned on the international stage and problems within his home country amplified the anxiety (sound familiar!?!). The question of God’s justice and faith of God’s people dominate the book. Palmer Robertson summarizes the general message saying, “A mature faith trusts humbly but persistently in God’s design for establishing righteousness on the earth.” Faith trusts God’s faithfulness in a fallen world.
 
A dialogue with God is the prophet’s proclamation to his nation, potently commencing with a question: “How long!?” will God’s people need help and God not act (2), violence perpetrated without justice, and the wicked win (1-4)? God responds, “I am doing a work you will not understand…” raising up their enemy for His purposes (5-11). Habakkuk responds: Does God’s use of evil for His purposes mean He approves of injustice (12-17)?  No. Faith waits for God’s timing, trusting God’s sovereign grace.
 
Habakkuk uses a lament (See Psalm 13) to launch his questions into God’s steadfast love. God engages Habakkuk! God’s sovereignty orders the chaos of this fallen world for His purposes. God is faithful! And bold faith trusts God’s unchanging character.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you in Habakkuk’s Divine dialog, his first two complaints sandwiching God’s first response?
 
-Why is it difficult to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding when chaos seems to reign in our world?
 
-How does the cross of Christ demonstrate God’s sovereignty over what seemed dark and despairing in the moment? How does this fuel both security and hope for you at such a time as this?
 
Key verses
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

Praise the Lord, all nations!
    Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
 
Meditation
The shortest song in the Psalter has the broadest scope of impact. Firm faith worships God for His faithfulness, claiming the fullness of His promises even before they are already realized. God is truthful to His promises and His gospel will reach every nation!
 
“All nations” are called to praise the Lord, “all peoples” to worship Israel’s covenant God. The scope of this song of salvation is undergirded by God’s revelation. The Lord is creator (Genesis 1-2) and calls His people to Himself (Genesis 12:1-3) in order that He may bless them and through them “bless all the nations of the earth.” God’s purposes through His people are confirmed in Revelation 7:9 when people from every tribe, tongue, and nation are in worshipful celebration around the throne of the Lamb.
 
God’s “great steadfast love” (2) toward Israel is confirmed by His faithfulness that endures forever. One way God’s faithfulness is seen is through His commitment to His promises, in this case to bless all the nations of the earth with His grace so that they can participate in this song of salvation. Paul quotes this Psalm in Romans 15:8-10 where he describes God’s faithfulness to reach every nation as a “display of God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promise given to the patriarchs.” This is, the promise to bless Abraham and through him to bless all the nations of the earth.
 
God is truthful and we can trust His word. God will keep His promises, not least of which is for worship to rise from every nation, tongue, and tribe.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Which aspect of the scope of this Psalm speaks the most to you, the breadth of God’s mission (every nation) or the depth of God’s faithfulness?
 
-God rules over the nations and is working worship from every people in every place of the globe. Do you believe this? Why is it significant that the apostle Paul did?
 
-How can you trust God’s promise through participating in His purposes? If God is truly truthful to His promises then should it not have radical implications for your life? How?
 
Key Verse
1 Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!