The following audio is from Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. More information about Shiloh Presbyterian Church is available at shilopc.org. Please remain standing and turn in your scriptures to Psalm 136. Psalm 136, this is a New Year's meditation on giving thanks. Psalm 136, page 520 in your Pew Bibles. Let's give our attention to God's holy word. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him alone, who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever. The sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever. The moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever. And brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever. With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever. and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever. But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever. And killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever. Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever. And Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever. And gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever. A heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever, and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever. He who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let us pray. Open now your word, Lord God, unto us, your children. Feed us with the bread of life. Without you, we are nothing. Without you, we can do nothing. And so we cry out to you, Father in heaven, be merciful unto us. Give me words to speak which honor and glorify your great name. And speak into the hearts of each one of us here present, Lord God, to each according to our need, minister your word by your spirit. For we pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Please be seated. I think you would all agree that New Year is a good time to reflect upon not only the events of the last year, but to put them in some kind of theological framework for each one of us. It is a good time to reflect on the goodness of God and the mercy of God, even in the midst of great trial and hardship. And many of us have experienced great trials and great troubles in this last year. And we as a congregation have experienced great trials and troubles. We've known of hard and difficult bereavements. brethren with employment troubles, family issues, troubles which are common to all of us yet nonetheless painful for all of us. And yet we've also known great blessing in this last year, we as families and we as a church. The Lord has indeed put his hand upon this church for good. And so this psalm calls us to reflect upon the mighty acts of God in our lives and the lives of his people Israel and it calls us to look upon the steadfast love of Almighty God and for us as God's people to respond by giving thanks. Now, thankfulness, brethren, is not wishful thinking. Neither is it the power of positive thinking as the world teaches us in its way of thinking. It is, rather, an act of faith. Thankfulness is an act of faith. because in it we are searching out God's sovereign goodness and mercy to each one of us and to us corporately in different aspects of our lives. God's mercy, or His steadfast love, is the constant refrain of this psalm. 26 times we read, I believe, of God's goodness, His steadfast love. And so we are called, brethren, by faith to look at our lives Amidst all the trouble and hardship that you are facing, and you have faced, and you will face in this coming year, you are called to look upon the steadfast love of the Lord, and to respond not only now with thanksgiving, but to live lives of thanksgiving. And as we consider the small things in life, and perhaps even the larger things in life, where we can see the mercy of God, we ought to remember, brethren, that the chief mercy of God which reflects his steadfast and enduring love, the chief mercy of God is the sending of his son. That Jesus Christ should come down from heaven, live and die and be raised again so that we may have life. We are then brethren to be those who give thanks. And so how does the psalm present that giving of thanks? Well in the first three verses, It deals with the issue of to whom we are to give thanks. Who is the object of that thanks? It's God himself, of course. But then the rest of the psalm, with the exception of the last verse, tells us why we ought to give thanks to God. Verses 4 to 9, we are to give thanks to God because of creation. Verses 10 to 15, we are to give thanks to God because of deliverance. Then in verses 16 to 22 we are to give thanks to God because of conquest. And then in 23 to 25 we are to give thanks to God because of his care for us. And finally in verse 26, like we have in verse 1 to 3, a closing call to give thanks. to God. Let's look then at verses 1 to 3 and ask the question, to whom are we to give thanks? And before we actually deal with the titles of God here, we ought to note how this psalm was used in the life of Israel. Now most commentators agree that this psalm was used at the time of Passover. Passover, and you don't have to look far into the psalm to see the Exodus theme and the wilderness wanderings as they go from Egypt. It's entirely fitting that this psalm was used at Passover. When was Passover in the Jewish calendar? It was the first of the year. It was the start of the new year. And what do we find Israel doing in singing this psalm at the start of the first year? We find them looking back. Looking back at God's goodness to them over generations and certainly over that past year. They're singing about the Passover, deliverance, entry into Canaan, God's care, their remembering. they are remembering this is a memorial psalm of what God has done for his people. And as Israel moved into the land and the temple was eventually built, most commentators again agree that this psalm was sung with a kind of choral call and a commensurate response. That is to say, the Levitical choral priests The choir would sing the first element of the verse, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and the congregation would respond with the refrain, for his steadfast love endures forever. Now that's interesting, is it not? There's a dialogical element in their worship, if that was the case. There is a communicative aspect to the worship of Israel, just as there is a communicative aspect towards our worship. Now, we are not to sing to each other through a choir and a congregational response. That's been fulfilled in the Levitical priesthood, in the work of Christ. But nonetheless, the New Testament speaks to us of how we not only speak to God in worship, but how we speak to each other. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 19 reads this, that we are to address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. That is to say in worship it is not just you and God, and it's not just the people and God, but it is you and the people together. You are to address one another. You are to sing to one another. You are to teach and to speak to one another in the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. That is to say the worship of God is not only vertical, but it is horizontal. It has effect upon each other. And that was probably manifested in the old covenant times in this choir and response pattern to the psalm. But what we see in the first three verses of the psalm very clearly is an opening call to worship and thanksgiving. And there are four things that we need to note in the first three verses. The first is the repeated command to give Thanks. Really that sets the tone for the whole psalm. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. Give thanks to the God of gods. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. That is to say, brethren, thanksgiving is a central element of Christian worship. It is a central element of Christian worship. That is to say, in particular when we give thanks, the lesser, that's us, is giving thanks to the greater, that is God. We're giving thanks because we acknowledge that we are in His debt. that everything we have is from the Lord. And so when we give thanks, when we are engaged in thanksgiving, as I've said, it is an act of faith. But it is also, brethren, an act of humility. an act of humility, because we are the lesser thanking our better and our creator, God. Proud people struggle to worship God, because proud people, what do they do? They elevate themselves so that they are no longer the lesser. Proud people cannot worship God. They are by definition unthankful people, They think they deserve the thanks. And so giving thanks is inherently an act of those who are humble and have been humbled. Those who know their sin. Those who know that everything they have is from God. Those are the ones who are qualified to give thanks to God. James says in the first chapter of his epistle, every good and every perfect gift is from above. Notice that, it's from above. Coming down, look at the direction of the gift, coming down from the Father of lights, which is why we give thanks. We're giving thanks because the gifts we have from God are an aspect of his grace and of his mercy and of his steadfast love. And so we give God the glory. We give thanks to Him and we glorify His name because we know that we have nothing that we ourselves have earned. And thankfulness is not just a word. It is actually an attitude and a way of life. As we give thanks here this morning with words, we are also to give thanks with our lives, blessing others as we have been blessed. Ultimately, not for our own glory, but for God's glory, which is why the psalm has this repeated refrain, for his steadfast love, his mercy endures forever. You'll notice how the psalm works. There's a call to worship and a reason to worship. And the reason is the same throughout. To put it short, brethren, thankfulness is at the heart of Christian piety. Piety is not a bad word, pietism is not so good, but piety is very good. It's necessary. It's how we nurture our relationship with Almighty God. Thanksgiving then, brethren, ought to be a central part of your Christian life, of your piety, of your prayers. Where would you be without the grace of God today? It's been attributed to John Bradford, 16th century English reformer, as he saw prisoners walking to the gallows, the phrase, there but for the grace of God go I. That's why we give thanks, brethren. because the grace of God is manifested in this steadfast love which endures forever. So the first thing we notice in the first three verses is the command to give thanks. Secondly, there's the object of thanks. In verses 1 to 3, we have three descriptions of God, and in verse 26 we have another description of God. He is the Lord, He is the God of gods, He is the Lord of lords, and He is, in verse 26, the God of heaven. He is first of all the Lord, capitalized the name Yahweh, the way he introduced himself to his people through Moses, his own personal name. And this book Yahweh dominates the fifth book of the Psalms. And the fifth book of the Psalms really sets in context the kingship of Israel. No longer will the Davidic kings who have failed rule on the throne, it will be Yahweh himself who rules on the throne of his people. That is to say, the Davidic kingship has, in a large sense, failed until God himself will come and rule over his people. God then has sworn by himself to be our God. and to draw us unto himself, and to rule over us. And he's presenting to us in this psalm the content of his blessed rule over us, his people. That's Yahweh. He's also the God of gods. Verse 2 and verse 3, there's almost a touch of irony. The God of gods, the Lord of lords. Well, the psalmist isn't acknowledging that there are other gods out there. I mean, there are, of course. There's Baal, there's the Asherah, and so on, but they're false gods. It's almost as if the psalmist is saying to the nations round about, Nations, you know your gods? They have a god. He's the god of gods, he's Yahweh, and he's our god. It's the same with the Lord of Lords. There are earthly lords. Some are good, most are bad. And the psalmist is saying, you lords of the earth, you rulers and kings, you have a lord. And we are going to worship, not men, but we are going to worship almighty God. And yet, as we look through scripture and look at the titles God of Gods and Lord of Lords, we find ourselves we're back in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 17. For Yahweh your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who is not partial and takes no bribe. He's the God of Heaven and the God of Earth. There is none like Him. There is none like him. And yet what is Deuteronomy 10, 17 doing? It's part of that time, isn't it? That transition between leaving Egypt and going into the promised land. The Psalmist has used these titles intentionally for us to think of this period of Israel's history. And what does God say to Israel around Deuteronomy 10, 17? He says this, and now Israel, What does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your hearts, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord? Moreover, Deuteronomy 10 verse 16, just prior to the verse we've read, circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stubborn. In light of what God has done and in light of who God is, circumcise your hearts, repent. Remove the flesh as it were, that sinful element. Walk before God in faith and be blameless. You see what we have here in verses one to three, is a description of who God is. And the third thing we notice in this description of God is that he is good. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. It is what God is, good, and therefore it is what God does. He does good. And that's a great challenge for us, is it not, brethren, when we think back on our lives and on what might come. With all the challenges and trials and hardships of your life, is it your testimony that God is good and he remains good? And that's reflected in the fourth thing we notice about this introduction, the refrain. The refrain of the psalm, he is good for, there's the connector, the reason, for his steadfast love endures forever. His mercy, in the Hebrew it's the word chesed, that's his covenant love, his covenant mercy, which he has reserved for his people to whom he has called into relationship with himself. That's the refrain of this text. His steadfast love endures forever. It is without beginning, it is without end. And so the first thing then that we are to give thanks for, and the psalm does itself, is creation. Now clearly we've got 26 verses to get through. We're taking a bird's eye view of this psalm. Creation. Look how important it is and how instructive it is that the psalmist begins at the beginning, creation. The thankful heart, that is to say the Christian heart, the Christian mind, is always looking backwards for reasons to praise God. That is to say, there is a matter of remembrance and meditation in the Christian life. We read there in verse four following these words, to him alone who does great wonders, verse five, to him who by understanding made the heavens, to him who spread out the earth above the waters, to him who made the great lights, the sun to rule over the day, the moon and stars to rule over the night. Brethren, you know the reality that creation, even in its fallen state as we experience it now, is quite simply magnificent, awe-inspiring, And there are still many, many parts of this world where we can go and look at the creation and simply be stunned into silence. And that's a fallen creation. This creation is an exhibition of the most excellent power of Almighty God. Man in and of himself has created nothing. He has never created something from nothing, yet here is our God who has made the universe and the galaxies with the most intricate of detail. It is a statement of His glorious power. Also a statement of his glorious wisdom. Who is like our God? Who can create like our God? With the intricacy and complexity of the created order, we are fearfully and wonderfully made because our God is wise. But it's also a statement of what? His steadfast love which endures forever. Brethren, God did not need to make us. He's transcendent. He's independent of us. He does not stand in need of us. He does not need you and me. And yet He made us. And He made this glorious creation, pristine originally, still glorious now, which is an act which shows His power, His wisdom, and His love. All the more so then, brethren, should we praise God for creation when we learn in Scripture that His original design was to dwell in this creation with us. Genesis 3 verse 8, they heard the sound of God walking in the garden. It's the Son walking, dwelling in the garden with his people. And we get images of that throughout scripture, chiefly, of course, in the coming of the Son in the incarnation to walk this world with us once again. And so we see this psalm has a trajectory. Yes, it's looking back, but surely it's calling us to look forward as well. The psalm has a trajectory. It's calling you to look through the themes of Scripture. Just like if I had a ball now and threw it to the back of the room, the ball would have a trajectory and a point where it lands. This psalm, and in fact all of Scripture, has a trajectory. And it leads us to Revelation 21 and 22. We read in Revelation 21 and verse 22 that the former things will pass away. And we read there also in Revelation 21 verse 23, I saw no temple in the city, for its temple, the dwelling place of God, The temple is the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is the Lamb." You see, when we read there in verse 6, 7, and 8, that it is God who spread out the earth, God who made the great lights, the sun to rule by day, and the moon by night, it is calling us not just to look back at creation, but to look at the new creation. where there is no need of sun or moon. Why? Because the Lord God Almighty will once again dwell with His people and His radiance will be all the light that we, His people, need. It's a glorious reflection, not just on what has happened in the past, but what is going to happen in the future. We are to give thanks then to God for creation, its glory, its complexity, its beauty, which is the work of our triune God. And we're to give thanks for its ultimate design also, that the dwelling place of God will be with men. Why? because his steadfast love endures forever. Next, the psalmist turns to the Exodus, verses 10 to 15. Notice we move from creation immediately to redemption. It follows the well-trodden pattern, not just of the history of Israel, but also of the experience of the believer. We're brought into this world, we're created, and as soon as we're brought into this world we stand in dire need of what? Redemption and salvation. We're reminded that as Israel was in bondage to sin, sorry to Egypt, we also were in bondage to sin itself, in slavery to sin. which is why the Psalmist is now going to speak of God's mighty act of deliverance of Israel. I'm not gonna touch on every verse, but notice verse 10. To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever. Does that pose a difficulty for you? Is that difficult for you to swallow? that God struck down the firstborn of Egypt, those poor innocent children. No. The striking down of the firstborn of Egypt was a judicial and righteous act against an unrepentant and rebellious people. It was an exhibition of God's justice against sinners. And yet, brethren, we would do well to remember that this judgment was not just on the Egyptians, but on everyone who dwelt in Egypt, unless, of course, their doorposts and the lintel of their doorposts were daubed with the blood of the Paschal Lamb, the Passover Lamb. If it was not for the covenant blood of the Lamb, then Israel themselves would have faced the death of the firstborn. So what do we see? We see the steadfast love of God, enduring forever, in that he supplied a way for his children to escape the penalty that was due unto them. a righteous act against the Egyptians, and an act of mercy towards his people. His steadfast love endures forever. Brethren, we are reminded, are we not, in 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7, at least I think that's the reference, it's not, but I'll tell you what it is, it's 1 Corinthians, yes, 5 verse 7, We're reminded of this, cleanse out the leaven that you may be a new lump, as you already are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. You see, this is not just some remembrance of Israel thousands of years ago, this is the very experience of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. that just as God delivered Israel by means of the Passover lamb, we are delivered from our sin by means of the great Passover lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord. So brethren, we don't rejoice in the death of the wicked as if we were any better than they. Rather, we rejoice in the justice of God and in the mercy of God that has delivered us from his justice as it was laid upon Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Salvation, then, brethren, is all of God. Look at the verses that follow. God brought Israel out from among them, God with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, God who divided the Red Sea, and so on. You see, our salvation is not just a one-off event. It is a record of God's preserving of his people. Time after time after time after time. I wonder, brethren, whether you can enter into that. whether you can enter into this reality that God has kept you for all your days. Not just delivered you from your sin at point X in your life, and then you can get on with it yourself, but time after time after time, as these verses say, God has been there for you and with you, delivering you from whom, not really the Egyptians, but if truth be told, the one from whom God has delivered you the most is yourself. yourself. So great is the sin within each one of us that we have put ourselves in mortal danger more often than any other one of our enemies. But do we not see our enemies in the world? And do we not see the enemies of Israel in this text? What has God done? He's cast them down. Do we not see, brethren, in our own lives such a great victory and overthrow of our own enemies, even as God overthrew the Egyptians. Our Lord's care for us, brethren, is great. It's profound. It's complete. He loves us more than we love ourselves. and he will not let you go, he will not let you fall. But not only does he take us out of Egypt, he brings us into the promised land of heaven itself. Verse 16 to verse 22, we're to give thanks to God for conquest and the provision of the promised land. were to give thanks to God, and Israel gave thanks to God, because, verse 16, he led them through those wilderness wanderings. Now, if you were an Israelite who had any sense, and you knew your history, You know that each one of these verses, but particularly verse 16, is a loaded verse. The theology and the activity behind this verse is remarkable. Israel in the wilderness wanderings did not exactly cover themselves in glory as God's people, and neither did they give glory to God. Exodus 15, three days, three days, mark this, after the Red Sea, we read this, the people grumbled against Moses. Exodus 16, what do we read? The whole congregation grumbled against Moses. Exodus 17, we read, the people quarreled with Moses. By Exodus 32, they've made a golden calf. Numbers 11, they're bitter and they're weeping because they have no meat to eat. Numbers 14, they rebel against God. That's all behind verse 16, brethren. The rebellion of the people of God, time after time after time. And brethren, we are reminded, are we not, in the New Covenant Scriptures, Hebrews chapter 3, that we are not to be like them. Hebrews 3 verse 7, Therefore as the Holy Spirit says, Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion. Numbers 14 and so on. On the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test. It finishes with this phrase, They shall not enter my rest. And neither did they enter his rest. A whole generation died in the wilderness because of their rebellion. And yet it says, to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever. Brethren, we're reminded, are we not? that we are not to be like Israel of old, rebellious, complaining, critical, grumbling, but we are to remember that all our lives we have been delivered, yes, once again, from ourselves. Surely we of all people ought to have this refrain in our hearts and upon our lips, for his steadfast love endures forever. God has kept us. God delivers us. Look also at verse 22. Verse 21, He's given their land, the land of Canaan, after He defeated the kings. He's given their land as a heritage, as a heritage to Israel, His servant. Again, that's theologically loaded language, because the whole concept of Israel as a servant is fulfilled in the person and work of Christ. In fact, it's the person and work of Christ that fulfilled the terms of the covenant that the people of Israel had so frequently failed and broken. What do we have here? We have a picture of God giving an inheritance to his son. And do you know what that inheritance is? The New Testament says it's the church. Not only is it the new heavens and the new earth of which the promised land is a picture, it's the people that populate it. We are the inheritance of Christ Jesus, our Lord. We are the inheritance of Christ Jesus, our elder brother. Our elder brother has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. that where he is, we as his younger brothers may also be. Brethren, the destiny of the church is bound up with the destiny of Jesus Christ. We must by necessity go through times of trial as churches, as families, as individuals. We must by necessity go through times of humbling, but remember, Proverbs 15.33, humility comes before honour. This age needs must be an age of humbling. As it was with our Lord, so it must be with us. But our Lord is not humbled now. He sits on a throne in the highest heaven and is worshipped by thousands upon ten thousands of angels. And there will be a day where every knee will bow to Jesus Christ. We ought to give thanks to God that our destiny is bound up with the destiny of his son. Why is that? For his steadfast love endures forever. Finally, in this section, thanks for the care that God has for us. Verse 23 to 25, it is He who remembered us in our lowest state and rescued us from our foes, He who gives food to all flesh. Firstly, notice this, God remembers us in our low estate. And I think there's probably two elements to that idea of a low estate. There's the objective reality of we who are of a low estate. It's not talking about how much money you've got in your bank account or what kind of clothes you are currently wearing. It's talking about your nature, what you and I are by nature, that we were born into sin. into trouble, into death, into a helpless estate where we could not, neither did we have the desire to help ourselves and extricate ourselves out of that low estate of sin and misery. His steadfast love endures forever in that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live and to die for us. Dear friends, are you thankful for Christ Jesus? And if there be any here today who do not know Christ Jesus, you need to know currently that verse 23, and indeed the rest of the Psalm, is not applicable to you. You cannot give thanks because God has remembered you. Because at the moment, it doesn't appear that he has. You must repent. You must turn from your sin. You must love the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, trusting in him and nothing else for your salvation. But I think there's also a subjective element to this, that we often find ourselves in a low estate spiritually. Perhaps our own sins have mounted up against us to accuse us. Perhaps the providences of God are hard for a time in our lives. Perhaps even you feel that God has departed from you and you feel forsaken. God may step back from you for a time, either in chastening or simply to test and improve your faith. He might remove for a time his hand of blessing, but verse 23 tells us this, he has remembered us and he will remember us. He will never forget. He does not slumber or sleep or go on a journey. It is He who has remembered us and rescued us from our foes, verse 24, and provided for all our material needs, verse 25. Why has He done this? because he has a love so expansive and intense and directed towards us that it endures forever. Endurance. Notice the endurance. It endures forever. It remains steadfast. Why? Because that love is not conditioned upon how well you perform as a Christian, but it's conditioned upon God himself. that He swore an oath by Himself, and there was no greater. He swore by Himself that He would be your God and you would be His people. And that will not change. No matter how low you feel, no matter what your circumstances are like, His steadfast love endures forever. Verse 26, that closing call, give thanks to the God of heaven for His steadfast love endures forever. He's the God of heaven. It's a title which appears 22 times in the Old Testament and only twice in the New Testament. It pictures God enthroned in heaven, holding sway over the entire earth. Ruling, defending, restraining, conquering, as our catechism says. He's sovereign. That is to say, he rules over all. That is to say, there is nothing too great for our God, and there is nothing too small for our God. He is the God of heaven. His rule is absolute, and nothing gets by God. And his whole attitude towards you, if you're a Christian here today, is this. His steadfast love endures forever. That is to say, brethren, in every age of your life, the life of the church, a family or an individual, His attitude towards you does not change. And so our attitude towards him ought not to change either. There is no period where he departs from us or changes towards us in our lives. And so there is no period, whether it's a time of trial or blessing, where we ought to withhold thanks from God. God's mercy has never failed his people yet. and God's provision will not fail for his people. There is not one true Christian in the history of the world who has ever rightly said, God has let me down. It's never happened. rather his goodness comes to us daily like a stream and Matthew Henry says we ought to trace every stream back to the fountain which is God himself another way of saying this brethren count your blessings name them one by one and then give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever let's pray We bless you, our triune and our eternal God, for you are very great indeed. Surely and truly there is no God like you, and we bless you and we give you thanks. Work in our hearts then, Lord God, that we might know you rightly and that we might act towards you properly. For we pray this in Jesus' matchless name. Amen.