By Mike McElroy
O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. - 1 Chronicles 29:18 (NIV)
kAms2G:5’D AC2J6C @7 AC2:D6 2?5 E92?<D8:G:?8 E@ v@5 7@C E96 E6>A=6 @776C:?8 :?4=F565 2 C6BF6DE 7@C E96 {@C5 E@ <66A E96 962CED @7 9:D A6@A=6 =@J2= E@ E96:C v@5] %92E b[___ J62C @=5 AC2J6C 7@C E96 2?4:6?E A6@A=6 @7 v@5 :D 2 8@@5 @?6 7@C 9:D >@56C? A6@A=6[ E@@] k^Am
kAm{@J2=EJ :D 72:E97F=?6DD] %96 5:4E:@?2CJ D2JD =@J2=EJ >62?D “72:E97F= :? 2==68:2?46 E@ @?6’D =2H7F= 8@G6C?>6?Ej 72:E97F= E@ 2 AC:G2E6 A6CD@? E@ H9@> 7:56=:EJ :D 5F6j 72:E97F= E@ 2 42FD6[ :562 @C 4FDE@>]” (6 E9:?< @7 =@J2=EJ 2D 565:42E:@? E@ @?6 H:E9 H9@=6 H6 D92C6 2 7C:6?5D9:A @C 2 >2CC:286] |2?J 2C6 7:6C46=J =@J2= E@ E96:C 72G@C:E6 DA@CED E62>] $@>6 7@=<D 2C6 BF:E6 =@J2= E@ 2 3C2?5 @7 AC@5F4ED @C E96:C 72G@C:E6 DE@C6] (6 D9@F=5 36 =@J2= E@ E96 =@42= 4@?8C682E:@? @7 H9:49 H6 2C6 >6>36CD] qFE 23@G6 2== E9:?8D[ H6 D9@F=5 36 =@J2= E@ v@5] w6 23@G6 2?J @E96C :D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 @FC 8@G6C?>6?E] ~FC 9:896DE 7:56=:EJ :D 5F6 v@5] (6 @H6 @FC 9:896DE 2==68:2?46 E@ v@5’D 8C62E 42FD6] k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE EH@ 4@>>2?5D v@5 82G6 xDC26= 4@?46C?65 E96:C =@J2=EJ E@ 9:>i Q*@F D92== 92G6 ?@ @E96C 8@5D 367@C6 >6] *@F D92== ?@E >2<6 7@C J@FCD6=7 2 42CG65 :>286[ @C 2?J =:<6?6DD @7 2?JE9:?8 E92E :D :? 962G6? 23@G6[ @C E92E :D :? E96 62CE9 36?62E9[ @C E92E :D :? E96 H2E6C F?56C E96 62CE9” WtI@5FD a_ib\cX] p=>@DE c_ J62CD =2E6C[ E96 tI@5FD 86?6C2E:@? H2D 5625[ 2?5 |@D6D C6>:?565 E96 6?E6C:?8 86?6C2E:@? @7 E96D6 4@>>2?5D :? 2 4J4=6 @7 DA66496D H6 ?@H <?@H 2D E96 3@@<D @7 s6FE6C@?@>J] pD E96J AC6A2C65 E@ 8@ :?E@ r2?22?[ |@D6D H2?E65 E96> E@ <?@H 2?5 C6>6>36C v@5 2?5 C62=:K6 E96:C @3=:82E:@? E@ <?@H 2?5 D6CG6 E96 {@C5] k^Am
kAms6FE6C@?@>J e\`` :D 2 C64@C5 @7 |@D6D’ 6I9@CE:?8 xDC26= E@ 36 =@J2= E@ v@5] x? 492AE6C f[ |@D6D 82G6 E9C66 6I46==6?E C62D@? H9J E96D6 A6@A=6 D9@F=5 36 56G@E65 E@ v@5] %96D6 C62D@?D D9@F=5 2=D@ 96=A FD C6>6>36C H9J H6 ?665 E@ 36 =@J2= E@ v@5 E@52J] |@D6D 7:CDE 4:E65 H92E v@5 925 2=C625J 5@?6 7@C E96> 2D 2 C62D@? E@ 36 =@J2=] w6 C6>:?565 E96> E92E E96 32D:D @7 E96:C 72G@C65 DE2EFD H:E9 v@5 H2D 9:D 49@:46[ 9:D =@G6 2?5 E96 @2E9 96 925 DH@C? E@ p3C292> Ws6FE6C@?@>J fie\gX] w6 D2:5[ “z?@H E96C67@C6 E92E E96 {~#s J@FC v@5 :D v@5[ E96 72:E97F= v@5 H9@ <66AD 4@G6?2?E 2?5 DE62572DE =@G6 H:E9 E9@D6 H9@ =@G6 9:> 2?5 <66A 9:D 4@>>2?5>6?ED[ E@ 2 E9@FD2?5 86?6C2E:@?D” Ws6FE6C@?@>J fihX] v@5’D A2DE 562=:?8D H:E9 xDC26= 82G6 DF77:4:6?E C62D@? 7@C E96> E@ 36 =@J2= E@ 9:>] }6IE[ |@D6D C6>:?565 E96> @7 E96 AC@>:D65 3=6DD:?8D E92E =2J 29625 @7 E96> WG6CD6D `a\`eX] %9:D 72:E97F= v@5 925 AC@>:D65 E@ >2<6 E96> “3=6DD65 23@G6 2== A6@A=6D” H96? E96J 6?E6C65 E96 =2?5 @7 r2?22?] v@5 82G6 E96> 255:E:@?2= :?46?E:G6 E@ 36 72:E97F= 2?5 =@J2= E@ 9:> 3J AC@>:D:?8 E96> 7FEFC6 3=6DD:?8D] %96?[ |@D6D 2DDFC65 E96> E92E v@5 H@F=5 AC@G:56 E96 A@H6C E@ 56762E E96 7@C>:523=6 6?6>:6D E96J H@F=5 7246 :? E96 AC@>:D65 =2?5 WG6CD6D `f\aeX] v@5 H@F=5 8@ 367@C6 E96>[ 8:G6 E96> G:4E@CJ @G6C E96 6?6>:6D 2?5 5C:G6 E96> @FE] %96 8:2?ED[ E96 >F=E:EF56D[ E96 <:?8D 2?5 E96 8@5D @7 E96 r2?22?:E6D H@F=5 36 ?@ >2E49 7@C E96 A@H6C @7 v@5 @? xDC26=’D D:56] ':4E@CJ H2D 2DDFC65] w2D v@5 366? 8@@5 E@ FDn pC6 H6 2H2C6 @7 E96 8=@C:@FD[ 6E6C?2= AC@>:D6D 96 92D >256 E@ 9:D 49:=5C6?n s@ H6 ECF=J C62=:K6 E92E @FC DEC6?8E9 4@>6D 7C@> 9:>n x7 E96 2?DH6C E@ E96D6 BF6DE:@?D :D “J6D[” 9@H 4@F=5 H6 36 F?72:E97F= 2?5 5:D=@J2= E@ 9:>n pD =@?8 2D xDC26= H2D =@J2= E@ v@5[ E96 3=6DD:?8D 2?5 G:4E@C:6D H6C6 E96:CD] (96? E96J 7@C8@E 2?5 7@CD@@< E96 {@C5[ E96J 7@C76:E65 E96:C 3=6DD:?8D 2?5 DF776C65 56762E] r2? H6 =62C? 7C@> xDC26=’D 72:=FC6n r2? H6 277@C5 ?@E E@ =62C?n {6E’D ;@:? s2G:5 :? AC2J:?8 E92E v@5 H:== <66A @FC 962CED =@J2= E@ 9:>] k^Am
