Modern-day Miracle

It doesn’t all get fixed and made right until the very end.

 Until then? It is hard, and He is with us.

Dorcas Smucker~ Presence and Presents~

Author of Notes From The Sparrow's Nest

Below Devotion from Pathways to His Presence 

by Charles Stanley

SO many people I love are being tried by hard circumstances, 

common to this broken, sin-cursed world,

but difficult as ever!

The Miracle-worker of old is the Miracle-worker of today!!

Oh pray that we call on Him until we hear Him say

'Son/daughter, Thy faith has made thee whole.

Go in peace...' Mark 5:34

It is not often up to us

To pick and choose the hues of life

The path of day-to-day runs thus;

Through golds and grays of joy and strife

The unpredictability

Of what we can see, but in part

Invites us universally 

To trust in God with all our heart

For circumstances rise and fall

Poverty and prosperity

Both contend with the beck and call

Of love's accountability 

We pick and choose hues of reply;

Whether we will acknowledge He

In all our ways, who knows the 'why'

That He withholds from you and me 

Today's Altar of Sacrifice

Invites us to believe in God

Who paid pardon's ultimate price

And sheds His saving love abroad

...where, though it is not up to us

To choose the ups and downs that spill

The path of joy and peace is thus;

To hope in God and trust His will

Because until we shed the part

That cradles the immortal soul

To trust the Lord with all our heart

Will prove the faith that makes us whole 

What age-old joy, to go in peace

Because 'Thy faith has made thee whole'

What modern-day miracle, this;

To rest in God's perfect control

Lord, bid obedience begin

With godly fear, humble and true

The miracle You work within

Starts with my/our faith and trust in You

Janet Martin

For each of life's let-downs there is  a 'look up'!

Rom.5:1-5

Therefore being justified by faith, 

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 2By whom also we have access by faith

 into this grace wherein we stand, 

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: 

knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

 5And hope maketh not ashamed; 

because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts 

by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, 

whose confidence is in Him. 

 He is like a tree planted by the waters 

that sends out its roots toward the stream. 

It does not fear when the heat comes, 

and its leaves are always green. 

It does not worry in a year of drought,

 nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Prov.3:5-10

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall [b]direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8It will be health to your [c]flesh,

And strength[d] to your bones.

9Honor the Lord with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10So your barns will be filled with plenty,

And your vats will overflow with new wine.

I know I've shared this hymn many times,

partly because it is a fav. 

I love the picture the words paint,

resting in the cleft of the Rock!

Sweetly Resting (In the Rifted Rock)

To Be Obedient and True...

My oldest grandson is having a life-lesson

in what it means to give his fears to God

and trust Him when he is afraid!

After a tragic accident the other week claimed the life of both parents

of a family they were/are quite closely connected with

he expressed his fears this morning, as he and his siblings are preparing

to spend the day at our house to give our daughter and husband a day to themselves

to be refreshed a bit during this season of grief...

'but what if you get in a car crash?'

They explained to him they will do their part to drive carefully

and then we need to trust in God and not live in fear.

To trust God is faith's first step of obedience,

as we trust Him for our salvation!

Through faith's reverence for God's Word/promises

His love for us grows our love for Him! 

My prayer is for my grandson to begin discovering

God's joy and peace in his childhood, 

as he learns to trust because none of us can see

what lies ahead!

To be obedient and true to God whose commands never shift

Would be impossible to do without love for His glorious gift

Through Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life to break the curse of sin

And, all who repent and believe, receive His divine pow'r within

To be obedient and true wreaks havoc with our stubborn/fearful will

Until we yield without holds to He who alone can joy fulfill

Then as we walk by faith not sight, trusting, knowing God will provide

His law will be our chief delight and Self more readily denied 

To be obedient and true to God's commands is to secure

The riches of His promises through tests faith is bound to endure

Because we, without tragedy and loss would not find wealth untold; 

The proven character of faith, more precious by far, than much gold

To be obedient and true, to seek God and His Kingdom first

Would seem a thankless thing to do while idolizing/idealizing goals, sin-cursed

But, when we repent and believe, we receive faith's glorious goal

That none but God's grace can achieve or grant; salvation for the soul 

We all like sheep have gone astray and turned from our Shepherd, the Lord

Who died upon a cross to pay a debt that no one could/can afford

Like a Lamb led to slaughter He bore the chastisement we deserve 

Oh, pray faith's eloquence will be obedience without reserve 

Janet Martin

Philippians 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man,

 He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

 who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, 

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Isaiah 53:11

After the anguish of His soul, 

He will see the light of life and be satisfied. 

By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, 

and He will bear their iniquities.

Eph.2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

  2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and

 of the ruler of the power of the air, 

the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

  3All of us also lived among them at one time, 

fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. 

Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 

5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses.

 It is by grace you have been saved! 

6And God raised us up with Christ 

and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

  7in order that in the coming ages 

He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, 

demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, 

and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9not by works, so that no one can boast. 

10For we are God’s workmanship,

 created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

 which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

On Conditional Promises

We all desire a beautiful life,

as glorious as a chocolate-cherry hibiscus in full bloom!

But there are certain conditions necessary for flowers to

bloom profusely, such as adequate sun and rain!

So too,  there are conditions when it comes to a truly, beautiful life

 rich with spiritual blessings; 

the beauty of true hope, joy and peace

Each of the preciously comforting promises below, 

(a few of many)  are conditional;

God's part contingent on our response to Him,

reserved for all who fear God and keep His commandments. (Eccles.12:13)

Ps.145:18

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call out to Him in truth.

Ps.103:17-18

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

18To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Rom.8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Rom.8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Matt7:21

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,

but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

John 14:15-17

“If you love Me, [d]keep My commandments. 

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, 

that He may abide with you forever— 

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; 

but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In light of promises such as these, a prayer,

(because God sees my heart and who/what I most truly worship)

Without His help and righteousness, my faith is impossible to please Him! 

Lord, help me do my part to trust You and obey

Then You will satisfy my heart and hear me when I pray 

The comfort You instill grants joy and peace divine

Impossible to know, until I yield my will to Thine

You are the God of hope; there is none besides Thee

Without You, Want is doomed to grope in faithless misery

But with You, come what may, Your promises abide

To all who trust You and obey You faithfully provide

And satisfy our need beyond our wildest ken

You hear our prayers and intercede with perfect love. Amen  

Janet Martin

Rom15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My camera is on its last gasp!

I'm so thankful it worked well enough to capture

this beauty before it fades

Take Time Out For Jesus 

Before The Winepress and Threshing Floor

Wheat harvest is in full swing! 

The 'winnowing fan' is separating the wheat from the chaff!

Many less visible 'harvests' are in full swing too!

John 15: 1-4 & 16

(read the whole beloved chapter HERE)

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 

 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; 

and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. 

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, 

neither can you, unless you abide in Me...

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, 

and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, 

and that your fruit should remain: 

that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

James 2:17

So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance...

As we study the ripple effects of carelessness, of sin/ disobedience to God,

its consequence is ghastly, rolling though generations with ease,

if left unchecked,

until the 'pit'-fall once disregarded by a few,

 is so crowded that the awareness of it ceases.

(why is it we are prone to lamenting sin's consequence, 

rather than the origin of the consequence- sin?!)

Wisdom always considers, beyond instant gratification, where the action or choice

if unchecked,  will lead and whether the fruit of it will ultimately,

draw us nearer to God or to the world...

is it a fruit of the Spirit or flesh?

If we have truly repented 

and if we truly love

our Saviour, then fruit in keeping with repentance

will/must be evident!! 

We live in a pleasure-driven age with exorbitant amounts of money

poured into the fleeting fruitlessness of many-a-joy toy...

Oh pray we never let the 'thorns/things' choke out the desire for God;

the Giver of every good and perfect gift!

We don't need to be wealthy to afford the gifts He promises to all

who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

'they shall be filled.' Matt.5:6,

while, the opposite is true when it comes to feeding carnal appetites;

the more we feast, the more we starve! 

If we are rooted in Good Soil we will grow and bear fruit...

Years ago one of the families I did childcare for, 

generously built/gifted me an arbour

and some grapevines, after I casually mentioned to them 

in a gardening conversation that someday I would LOVE to have a grape arbor.

What grand anticipation followed the planting of the vines!

but, nothing happened!!

For three years I watched as each spring a few valiant leaves appeared, 

assuring me there was still some life in the vine,

but it only ever survived each season, rather than thrived! 

Suddenly it dawned on me that perhaps the arbor is too close to

the black walnut trees bordering the neighbor's property!

Sure enough, only wild grapes are juglone tolerant!

In disappointment I dug them up and carelessly plopped them in a hole

in my 'miscellaneous' flowerbed assuming by the looks of them

that this time there was no life remaining...

I was wrong!

Finally the thing that hampered their growth was removed 

and they leaped from the earth like a visual hymn!

thankfully, wisteria is unbothered by juglone!

(walnut tree beauties in background)

the mouth may boast a myriad of profound piety

but fruit will always tell the truth of fig or thistle tree 

how careful then, we ought to heed, before the consequence

the seeds we strew, of righteousness or disobedience 

...because, no matter what we say, our actions do not lie

Who we live for is proven by the one we most deny;

the God of love or god of self; no one can serve two Lords/lords

And by the fruit the tree is known; not by the wind of words

    Producing fruit in keeping with repentance, none can do

apart from the True Vine; then call on Him; He helps us to

endure the painful pruning of the Vinedresser, before

the Grim Authentication of winepress and threshing-floor 

 

Janet Martin

Ps.33:18-22

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

Our Sorrow Comes As No Surprise...

 

The benchmark of obedience reveals the hallmark of faith~

Prov.3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

Today's post is inspired in part as I am reading the book of Job

and in part by a recent devotion...

Our sorrow comes as no surprise to He who works for our good

What appears is a brief disguise for purposes misunderstood

To trust the Lord with all our heart rather than lean on mortal ken

Requires yielding every part; heart, soul and mind to Him. Amen

God does not fret when faith is vexed with logic stripped of theory

Our well-laid plan is oft perplexed, if but to test humility

Woe’s merit oft veiled at first glance; the pain of loss oft misconstrued

As passion earns faith’s meeker stance and learns love’s deeper gratitude

This world is full of trouble sore; some barely touched, some crushed, it seems

Without fail, death levels the score of life’s temporal field of dreams

It cuts position down to size where no disguise can thwart its ways

And often takes us by surprise but not to God who numbers days

He has prepared a dwelling place for every person that repents

He cheers faith onward as we face the learning/leaning curves of Providence

He helps us as we suffer long, obeying without compromise 

‘When I am weak then am I strong' at last pride's broken spirit cries 

The thoroughfare for faith is forged from broken pieces held to God

When sight is no longer engorged with this world's promiscuous laud

But content with God's no or yes, faith does not fret with futile whys

But focuses on promises no circumstance takes by surprise 

© Janet Martin

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, 

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

 through Him who loved us.

"By Faith" from Praise and Harmony's Resurrecting God

 Lyrics

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation's grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God's own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the pow'r to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go

In the pow'r of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In every corner of the earth

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith this mountain shall be moved

And the power of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Oh, we will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend / Kristyn Getty

No Suitable Substitute

For the last while on Sunday mornings
our teaching messages have been from 1 John,
and have kindled many a meditation
of both somber evaluation and profound encouragement
leading to many coordinating passages throughout scripture.

Eccles.12:13-14
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing,
whether it be good,
or whether it be evil.

Ps.51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.

1 Sa.15:22
So Samuel said:
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 John 5:3
This is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments.

Disobedience/sin separated Adam and Eve
from their perfect relationship with God. Gen. 3
Sin made God sorry that He had made man; Gen.6:5-8

Sin kept Moses from the Promised Land. Num. 20:12

...and ultimately sin took God's only Son, Jesus to the cross
to be the eternal Sacrifice for sin;
to purchase our pardon, for all who repent and believe.
Jesus, who pled to God the Father,
if it be possible let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will... Matt.26:39
And Jesus was obedient to death, even death on a cross. Phil. 2:8

Thus, by the grace of God we can be saved,
not by good works lest we boast,
but for good works God prepared in advance for us to do.
Eph. 2:8-10

The old quote 'actions speak louder than words' rings true!
How hollow are the words 'I love you' without the fruit of deeds to prove it!

Oh Lord as we begin a new week help us anew
to trust in You with all our hearts,
and to fear you and keep Your commandments!

No substitute could suffice to wash away our sin, but Jesus' blood. Heb.10:4-10

No substitute, outside of obedience, can bear witness to the righteousness of God in us. 1 John 2:3

No substitute will do
No pretense will suffice
Nor lenient logic reason through
Faith in God’s proving price

No joy will be complete
No noble cause defend
No clause corrupts the mercy seat
Of God, both Judge and Friend

God, faithful to forgive
Beholds the heart alone
He witnesses the fruit we live
And thus, the tree is known

There is no substitute
No judgement-proof façade
Obedience is the pure fruit
Of love and faith in God

© Janet Martin

Not For Nothing, This...

We are all part of a 'secret service'

only our Creator knows as

He beholds our hearts...

Does it sometimes seem like the altar of today

is heaped with ashes of sacrifice rather than reward?

Take heart, my dear!

There is a much bigger picture

than the part we see!

Gal.6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Not all 'rewards' are as quickly beheld

as the treat inside a popping corn kernel!

Grand-sonny could not contain his exhilaration

as they tried out their new stir-crazy last night! 😋😍

No, it is not for nothing, nor forgotten or ignored

No, every loving sacrifice will gain a rich reward

So fix your eyes upon the prize that only faith can win

When God Himself will say 'well done' and bid Thee enter in

No, it is not for nothing, every secret second mile

Or earnest intercession between Abba and his child

Or every 'cup of water' given in the Name of He

Who sees in secret but someday will reward openly 

No, it is not for nothing, to live with Heaven in view

To give love's highest honour to He whom all praise is due

To love your neighbour as yourself, to be earth's sav'ry salt

Knowing what matters most is treasure poured/stored in Heaven's vault 

No, it is not for nothing but for God, who sees the heart

And a much bigger picture than we who see but in part

Until that day when face to face, His beauty we will see

As He reveals faith's resting place for all eternity  

Janet Martin

The Key/Path To True Happiness

Happiness is not listed with the fruits of the Spirit,

however, happiness is promised to those who trust in and obey the Lord.

( we just might need to take a closer look at what we define as happiness

and who our 'happiness' serves) ooh

Happy/blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Ps.144:15

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

Jer.17:7

Happiness is the the phoenix that rises

from the ashes on the altar of sacrifice/obedience

So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight

 in burnt offerings and sacrifices, 

As in obeying the voice of the LORD? 

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

 And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 Sa.15:22

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,

and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,

this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

The law of liberty is not freedom/permission to

do what we prefer, but rather to trust God (who) works all things for good

to those who love Him are called according to His purpose (not ours)

Rom.8:28

John 13:17

If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,

but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Luke 11:28

But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

1 Peter 3:14

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

James 1:22

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

The path to the house has been cleared so we can get to the front door!

The path of righteousness has been cleared too, not by a shovel

but by a Shepherd 🙏 

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And acknowledge the selfishness, that hinders true humility

That frustrates full surrender to He who knows and supplies our need

His love, faithful, tender and true secures the law of liberty

He cannot keep in perfect peace, the mind that is not stayed on Him

Who prefers rather, to appease the ways of want with willful pride

And cater to the nature that justifies stubborn wish and whim

Rather than honour the Creator who is able/faithful to provide

The Way, The Truth, the Life is not a 'pick-your-flavour-of-the-day'

His commands are not optional, but He gives us freedom to choose

To accept the duty of man; fear God, keep His commands, obey

He, who authored salvation's plan and paid its price. Or to refuse

With God all things are possible; why are we so deceived by sight?

Making logic more credible than He who rules seas, tempest-tossed

And numbers stars; who through His word grants wisdom to know wrong from right

A Shepherd who is undeterred and leaves the fold to seek the lost

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And recognize that selfishness approves the wayward ways of sin

We first must bow in thankful wonder before He who fills our need

Who rent the temple's veil with thunder so that all may enter in

So that all may find sweet rest for souls that once were lost, like sheep

For all who trust the Lord are blessed; who make His law their chief delight  

So that we need not fear the vales that wind through Unknowns, dark and deep

The Shepherd, whose love never fails leads us till faith is turned to sight

© Janet Martin

Psalm 95:6-7

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Better-Awareness

Sometimes we misunderstand things because we don't wait for the finished picture!

It takes time for an Artist to complete His (or, as below, her) work

Better to be patient in waiting

Than impatient and settling for far less than God would grant...

After she completed the swing set I thought she was done,

and I praised her drawing but, after she studied it briefly she returned to it.

Something seemed wanting.

Then she added grass, sky, clouds and people!

A much prettier picture than I was ready to settle for 💝

Better to be reprimanded than to flourish in deceit

To obey is better than the pomp and show of sacrifice

Better to be bowed in bearing, washing fellow-traveler's feet

Than to be proud and uncaring; always counting giving's price

Better to be poor and gentle than world-wealthy and unkind

Better to be robbed and beaten, than to be the one that steals

Better to walk by faith daily, than coast through life, seeing-blind 

Better to be led through fire than to trust in how one feels 

Better to be mocked and hated than applauded for sin's fruit 

Better this, to suffer wrongly than to live without a care 

Better to be wild with hunger than succeed in greed's pursuit

Better, tossed by trouble's tempest than smooth sailing without prayer 

Better to be God's-grace strengthened than to never know its need

Better to grow wise in waiting, than a fool, soon gratified 

Better to trust in the Lord than lean on Logic's shaky reed/lead 

Better to be stumble-humbled than poised on tight-ropes of pride  

© Janet Martin

Proverbs 15:17

Better a dish of vegetables where there is love 

than a fattened ox with hatred.

Proverbs 17:1

Better a dry morsel in quietness 

than a house full of feasting with strife.

Ecclesiastes 4:6

Better one handful with tranquility 

than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

Not every aftermath  is instantly visible

as outlined HERE 

but without a doubt,

we reap what we sow! 

Deut.10:12-21 BSB

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you

but to fear the LORD your God

by walking in all His ways, to love Him,

to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

13and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD

that I am giving you this day for your own good?

14Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens,

even the highest heavens,

and the earth and everything in it.

15Yet the LORD has set His affection on your fathers and loved them.

And He has chosen you, their descendants after them,

above all the peoples, even to this day.

16Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

17For the LORD your God is God of gods

and Lord of lords,

the great, mighty, and awesome God,

showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.

18He executes justice for the fatherless and widow,

and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.

19So you also must love the foreigner,

since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

20You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him.

Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.

21He is your praise and He is your God,

who has done for you these great and awesome wonders

that your eyes have seen.