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#146. Press On to Know the Lord | Hosea's Invitation to Every Christian Mom · Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

• 0:00
  Steph: This is a Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.
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  Steph: I'm Stephanie Higgox.
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  Steph: As we cover the second half of Hosea today, we'll move forward from the husband and wife analogy, because just as the Lord cannot be contained in an image, He also can't be limited to one earthly relationship, and He'll
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  Steph: describe His love for Israel as a father who tenderly loves his son Because Hosea is known for such literary sophistication and theological significance Most of our time today will emphasize God's heart that He spoke through the prophet Hosea
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  Steph: I'll let my words be few Because I think it's really important that we understand exactly why the Lord disciplined Israel in the way that he did Let's begin in chapter seven.
• 0:39
  Steph: There's an interesting oven analogy.
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  Steph: God says that Israel is like an oven, and the baker doesn't even have to stir the fire to keep it going because their sin, adultery, anger and mocking keep it burning all on its own Next, God says that
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  Steph: Ephraim, which is synonymous with Israel, is a cake not turned He explains that strangers are devouring his strength and his hair is turning gray, but he doesn't see it the pride of Israel testifies to his faith, yet they
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  Steph: do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this.
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  Steph: They thought they would find their strength in aligning with Assyria and Egypt, but instead it's been to their demise, and that's why the Lord is determined to discipline them Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling
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  Steph: to Egypt, going to Assyria.
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  Steph: As they go, I will spread over them my net.
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  Steph: I will bring them down like birds of the heavens.
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  Steph: I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation.
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  Steph: Woe to them, for they have strayed from me.
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  Steph: Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me.
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  Steph: I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.
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  Steph: They do not cry to me from the heart, for they wallop upon their beds for grain and wine.
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  Steph: For grain and wine they gnash themselves, they rebel against me.
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  Steph: Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me.
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  Steph: The Lord gives them the very breath they have in their lungs, yet they're actually using their strength to defy Him.
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  Steph: God continues to explain their rebellious ways in 8:3.
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  Steph: Israel has spurned the good, the enemy shall pursue him.
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  Steph: They made kings, but not through me.
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  Steph: They set up princes, but I knew it not.
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  Steph: With their silver and gold, they made idols for their own destruction.
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  Steph: I have spurned your calf, O Samaria my anger burns against them.
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  Steph: How long will they be incapable of innocence?
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  Steph: Isn't that a powerful phrase, incapable of innocence?
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  Steph: even the things God provided for them as a blessing they turn into idols next, God condemns them, saying, "Even if I gave them 10,000 laws, They wouldn't even recognize how good my guidelines are As for my sacrificial offerings,
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  Steph: they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the Lord does not accept them.
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  Steph: Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins, and they shall return to Egypt, for Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, And Judah has multiplied fortified cities.
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  Steph: So I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds.
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  Steph: Israel was to be set apart from every other nation around them, And instead of following God's laws and precepts, they have compromised and followed in the pattern of the pagan nations around them And so God says, Those palaces
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  Steph: and fortified cities I will bring to ruin so that you cannot find strength in anything but me and God continues to be clear about why the nation's judgment is necessary And how he'll do it.
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  Steph: In 10:10, "When I please, I will discipline them.
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  Steph: The nations will be gathered around them when they are bound up for their double iniquity.
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  Steph: Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck.
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  Steph: But I will put Ephraim to the yoke.
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  Steph: Judah must plow.
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  Steph: Judah must harrow for himself.
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  Steph: Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love.
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  Steph: Break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."
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  Steph: When it says that God spared her fair neck, it means the Lord allowed her to have a light and easy existence he wanted to bless them, but because they would not obey in a time of prosperity now they
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  Steph: will receive the yoke of serving the Assyrians But there's still that opportunity to sow righteousness and steadfast love, and to acknowledge that their hearts have been hard But if they seek God, he will reign righteousness upon them.
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  Steph: Sadly, that's not what they choose.
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  Steph: But instead you have plowed iniquity, you have reaped injustice.
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  Steph: You have eaten the fruit of lies because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors.
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  Steph: What might be the things that you and I are trusting in our own ways?
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  Steph: What are the multitude of warriors we rely on?
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  Steph: Is it the books we read that we get online?
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  Steph: Is it the supplements we purchase or the foods we eat?
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  Steph: What are we finding our strength in?
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  Steph: And now the Lord will relate to Israel as a father in chapter 11.
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  Steph: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
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  Steph: The more they were called, the more they went away.
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  Steph: They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.
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  Steph: Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk.
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  Steph: I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.
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  Steph: I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, And I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them They shall not return to
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  Steph: the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king.
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  Steph: Because they have refused to return to me, the sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels.
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  Steph: My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all God is allowing His people to turn from Him.
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  Steph: But we can still see that He has such tender love and compassion toward them.
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  Steph: Chapter 11 continues, How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
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  Steph: How can I hand you over, O Israel?
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  Steph: How can I make you like Admah?
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  Steph: How can I treat you like Zeboim?
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  Steph: My heart recoils within me.
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  Steph: My compassion grows warm and tender.
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  Steph: I will not execute my burning anger.
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  Steph: I will not again destroy Ephraim.
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  Steph: For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
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  Steph: At the beginning of this chapter, God said, When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."
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  Steph: This certainly corresponds to the Lord leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
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  Steph: But in Matthew, it's also applied to Jesus's life.
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  Steph: Because as King Herod was trying to kill Jesus as a baby, an angel came warning Joseph, and Joseph took his young family and fled to Egypt And it's this Messiah who submitted himself to be the object of God's
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  Steph: wrath.
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  Steph: That is the reason God can say, For I am the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath."
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  Steph: Israel will receive the discipline of God, but his wrath will be poured down upon Jesus so that God can show mercy to those who will humble themselves before the Lord And though God will scatter them in discipline, he
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  Steph: will bring them back They shall go after the Lord.
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  Steph: He will roar like a lion.
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  Steph: When he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west.
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  Steph: They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria.
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  Steph: And I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord interestingly, the chapter ends saying Judah has been faithful to the Lord, but one commentary suggests it would be better translated, Judah is unruly to God."
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  Steph: Regardless of the original intent, the rest of the book makes it clear that Judah's judgment is different than Israel's Verse 12:6 reminds us of the availability of God.
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  Steph: God calls out to Judah, So you, by the help of your God, return.
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  Steph: Hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."
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  Steph: And I always love to read what God says about Himself in scripture.
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  Steph: In 13:4 He begins, but I am the Lord your God From the land of Egypt you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.
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  Steph: It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought But when they had grazed, they became full.
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  Steph: They were filled and their heart was lifted up.
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  Steph: Therefore, they forgot me And in verse nine, he says He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper.
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  Steph: Even though God is their savior and their helper The people have become filled by other things it's easy to judge the Israelites for their wayward hearts.
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  Steph: But if we're honest you and I also have things that we're tempted to be filled by And God says to his people, "Where now is your king to save you in all your cities?
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  Steph: Where are your rulers, those of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'?
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  Steph: I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath."
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  Steph: Do you recall in 1 Samuel 8 when God warned them, Really, you don't want a king.
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  Steph: You're not gonna be happy with how this ends up."
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  Steph: But the people begged, and God says, "Where are they now?"
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  Steph: But thankfully, even when we fall into these patterns of seeking worldly things over Jesus, who is the bread of life and the living water, God so often extends His grace as He calls us back In chapter 14, he
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  Steph: says, Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
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  Steph: Take with you words and return to the Lord.
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  Steph: Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity.
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  Steph: Accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.'
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  Steph: Assyria will not save us.
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  Steph: We will not ride on horses, And we will say no more, 'Our God,' to the work of our hands.
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  Steph: In you, the orphan finds mercy."
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  Steph: And God says that when they do, He will heal their apostasy and love them freely, His anger will turn from them, and that they will flourish and dwell beneath His shadow And to ensure you that this book of
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  Steph: the Bible is for you as well, Hosea ends, Whoever is wise, let him understand these things.
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  Steph: Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
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  Steph: For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."
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  Steph: It reminds me of the last episode when we concluded with the charge, Let us know.
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  Steph: Let us press on to know the Lord."
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  Steph: And 6:6 told us, For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."
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  Steph: It might strike you as odd if you know from Corinthians that knowledge can puff up, but this isn't the kind of knowledge we're talking about here and to give us greater clarity about why knowledge is so pivotal, I'd
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  Steph: like to read the beginning of Second Peter.
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  Steph: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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  Steph: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very
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  Steph: great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
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  Steph: For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
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  Steph: For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
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  Steph: Our goal is not to know the most about God, but to be transformed by the truth of the goodness of the Lord.
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  Steph: if you ever wonder, does it really matter if I know the Bible?
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  Steph: Does it really matter if I go to church and listen to the sermons?
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  Steph: Does it really matter if I teach my kids Bible stories?
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  Steph: It absolutely does so you, mama, as you're raising your kids, keep pressing on to know the Lord for yourself and keep encouraging them to do the same thing, to be faithful in the Word Because God says I desire
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  Steph: steadfast love and not sacrifice the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering.
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  Steph: Heavenly Father, we come before you thankful for the clarity in your Word That you desire to be known.
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  Steph: And I thank you that when we know your true character, we cannot help but love you So I pray you would help us to order our days in a way that honors and glorifies you.
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  Steph: Help us to turn away from temporal earthly things Because we realize you alone are our savior and to find our sufficiency in you in the midst of so much busyness and chaos we want this clarity so desperately for
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  Steph: ourselves, but also for our families, that they would know the goodness of your statutes and the delight of dwelling with you We pray you would produce in them a steadfast love and that they would be good soil.
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  Steph: May the pleasures of this earth not tempt them, but rather help them to break up any fallow ground in their hearts and sow seeds that bear eternal fruit.
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  Steph: Thank you that you love us as a husband and as a father, that you are our strength and our Savior and our helper.
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  Steph: May we find our sufficiency in you, Jesus.
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  Steph: It's in your name we pray, amen.