Genesis-55 – The One Who Watches Over Me
The word of God is from Genesis 16:7 to 16. Please listen carefully to the holy word of God.
“The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."
The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." The angel of the LORD also said to her: "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi ; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.” Amen.
The Story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar
Genesis 16 tells the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Traditionally, we have understood this as the story of Sarah attempting to have offspring through Hagar using human means, which resulted in Hagar being driven out, and God graciously calling her back. This interpretation is clearly present in the text. However, we need to look at this story more deeply, considering the progressive nature of revelation.
Hagar and Sarah from the New Testament Perspective
In the New Testament, when Paul interprets Hagar and Sarah in Galatians, he doesn't simply divide Hagar as a Gentile and Sarah as the ancestor of the children of promise. Paul compares Hagar and Ishmael to Mount Sinai and Jerusalem. This symbolizes Israel itself, not just Gentiles. Here, we find an important contrast: if the carnal Israel is Hagar and Ishmael, then the spiritual Israel is Sarah and Isaac. The fact that Jesus Christ came from the descendants of Sarah and Isaac is the core interpretation of the New Testament.
Progressive Revelation and the Flow of Redemptive History
It's difficult to say that Moses or Abraham, who wrote the Old Testament, had a clear understanding of Jesus Christ. Biblical revelation doesn't reveal everything at once but unfolds in an increasingly clearer manner. In the early chapters of Genesis, the promise "the offspring of the woman will crush the head of the serpent" is given first, and then through Noah and Abraham, God gradually concretizes His plan of salvation. God promised Abraham, "through your offspring all nations will be blessed," and Abraham waited for that offspring. Jesus himself testified to this. However, it's unlikely that Abraham fully understood all the plans of redemptive history at that point. Because revelation is completed in Christ in the New Testament, we can understand its meaning much more clearly.
Hagar's Attitude and Sarah's Reaction
Hagar considered her ability to conceive, and her actual pregnancy, as her own power, and she despised Sarah because of it. Consequently, Sarah mistreated and persecuted Hagar. Today's passage records that Hagar could not endure it and fled. This incident, even if it ended at this point, would be a complete story in itself. On the surface, it seems like Sarah's revenge. Sarah appears to have triumphed. Abraham did not intervene in the situation and left everything to Sarah, and Hagar fled on her own, so from Sarah's perspective, the matter was completely resolved. There was nothing more to say, and she had no further interest in it.
However, there is an astonishing reversal. It was God who sought out Hagar. Because of this, the story does not end as a mere human conflict or tale of revenge. As God's grace and sovereign intervention begin, the story moves to an entirely new dimension.
Hagar and Carnal Israel
If we consider Hagar to symbolize carnal Israel, this passage becomes much easier to understand. What God has done throughout the entire history of Israel is to constantly seek out Israel, who continuously betrayed God and went outside of His will. This is the entire story of God in the Old Testament. Even though Israel was carnal Israel, God did not abandon them but continued to call them. Similarly, Abraham also sought Hagar.
Hagar's Flight and Our Temptation
But why did God insist on Hagar's return? The incident seems to have no major problem if she is simply left alone. When we understand why Hagar fled, we will also more clearly understand why God wanted her to return and what her return signifies. Hagar's flight is not merely a personal problem for Hagar. If Hagar symbolizes carnal Israel, then this event is very important because it is connected to the temptations that we Christians today often fall into.
In the New Testament, the typical appearance of carnal Israel is best exemplified by the Pharisees. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes most strongly. In our terms, the people who received the most persecution from Jesus were the Pharisees. But the problem is that those who confess to be "children of God by faith" are often the ones most prone to similar mistakes and temptations as the Pharisees. Therefore, we should not view Hagar's story as merely someone else's story, but as our own.
The Temptation to Return to the Law
Although we stand on the side of Abraham and his descendant, Jesus Christ, much of the New Testament teaching warns us, "What is the most common mistake and temptation you are prone to? It is to return under the law." That is why the New Testament repeatedly says, "Why do you, who are free, try to take on the yoke of the law again?" Today, we will examine how seriously this teaching affects our faith.
Hagar's Heart and Performance-Based Faith
On the surface, Hagar fled because of Sarah's mistreatment. However, looking a little deeper, there is a more important message. Hagar considered her ability to have a child as "power" and relied on that "power." In this respect, Hagar can be understood as a symbol of the Law and works. Hagar believed that she could take Sarah's place in the household by her own strength, and even mistakenly thought that she could replace God's grace, God's work, and God's hand. Therefore, she is playing the role of representing the Law and works.
Faith Entangled in Self-Will and Pride
We generally do not deny that we are saved by God's grace. But the problems we often encounter in our lives afterwards are that we continuously rely on ourselves or consider what we can do as our own strength and ability. In the 1970s and 80s, the Korean church experienced a great revival, and in that process, the word 'power' was placed at the center of faith. The phrase "Let's receive power and do God's work" eventually led to the dangerous misunderstanding of "I become a powerful person and carry out God's work." But the Bible tells us not to become powerful people, but to rely on the powerful God. Faith is not my conviction, but a relationship of constantly leaning on God. I don't change the world through faith; I trust God through faith.
The Derailment of Faith: Pride and Self-Justification
Ultimately, attempts to strengthen ourselves by using faith as a tool lead us away from God's covenant. This is exactly Hagar's situation. Though she is God's people, she unknowingly drifts away from God, running away—this is our own image. That is why Hagar's story is important today. The moment God's people rely on themselves, Satan naturally exploits our weakest point, like an Achilles' heel. This is a sense of superiority, a comparative mentality, and the illusion that "I am doing well." It's thinking, "Because I have power and I'm using it well, God's kingdom is growing and progressing." On the surface, it might look like they are working very diligently, living for God's kingdom, but in reality, both the church and their own souls are gradually drying up. They are not becoming powerful Christians, but Christians who rely on themselves. And the result is a gradual drying up. In Hagar's case, it means running away from God. But she doesn't even realize that she's running away. She's running away from God's covenant and promise, ultimately running away to "a kingdom just for myself." She believes in God, but that God is actually becoming a God for her. But we don't even realize that. That's why it's even more terrifying. Hagar is going to Egypt, but she doesn't even know where she's going.
That's why what Paul does, what the Bible does, and the role of pastors and preachers become so important here. It is to inform you, to tell you. Because we don't realize it ourselves. It's so hard to see the plank in my own eye, and so easy to see the speck in someone else's eye. That's why we must stand before God's Word. To realize that there is a plank in me now. And this word today is proclaimed to the very person who thinks, "It won't be me." If you heard this message and thought, 'Oh, this is for Deacon Kim... Deacon Lee really needs to hear this,' then at that very moment, remember that this message is directed at you.
Hagar's attitude leads to another significant reaction: being consumed by victim mentality instead of repentance. "I did my part. Abraham and Sarah wanted me to have a child, and I clearly had one. So haven't I done my job? Then this whole problem isn't my fault, but Sarah's fault, and Abraham's fault, or perhaps God made me this way?" This attitude, too, ultimately is an attempt to avoid responsibility and cling to self-righteousness. I believe I am keeping the law well, diligently serving according to God's will, and doing God's work, and I rely on that 'me' who is doing the work. I think, "I am doing this out of God's love because of Christ who died on the cross for me, and therefore I cannot be shaken," but in reality, I am a person who can be shaken at any time. Because I am important. Because the 'me' who is serving is more important than the act of serving. Because I am relying on myself. So, ultimately, I cannot see the plank in my own eye.
Friends, the Bible translates "Sarah dealt harshly with Hagar," but actually, the word means 'caused suffering.' In Hebrew, 'harsh treatment' and 'suffering' are the same word. And as we well know, who received the most suffering, harsh treatment, and rebuke from Jesus? It was the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadducees, and Israel. We must properly understand that message. That's where the terrifying essence of this message lies. Even though Jesus told the Pharisees to see their own plank, to repent, to understand, they believed they had no plank. And so, they ultimately crucified Jesus. This is how terrifying this matter is. It is also that difficult, and it is why we must be utterly humble before the Holy Spirit. If anyone thinks, "I know this much now," or "This is the most correct faith," you, please, re-examine your faith. A person who cannot see the plank in their eye ultimately does not repent.
If there is no true prayer of repentance and life in your prayers, in your life, if you are not turning back but just thinking, "I'm doing well now," if you are just thinking, "I worshipped today, and praised, and received grace, and heard the sermon, and I felt the sermon was biblical, so I'm fine," if you are not changing at all in that state, if you are not returning to God, you might be walking Hagar's path. Why is this terrifying? Because even when Jesus rebuked them, they didn't return. There is only one reason: they thought they had no fault. Even the suffering Sarah inflicted on Hagar did not make Hagar return. If Hagar had realized through that suffering, "Why am I being treated like this?" "Ah, I was arrogant. My heart that boasted of having a child and despised my mistress was wrong," then she would not have fled. Instead, she could have restored a better relationship with Sarah and the family would have become more beautiful. But instead of realizing her pride, Hagar chose to be trapped in herself and flee. That is all of us. We think, "I am not a person to be treated like this, to hear such words, and what I did was not so greatly wrong." So sometimes we have a saying among ourselves, though it's not a word of truth: "It's hard for truly good people to believe in Jesus." Why? Because it's so hard to break their self-righteousness. They haven't specifically harmed anyone, they've tried to live cleanly, and they still dislike harming others more than anyone, so they think, "I'm still a good person." It's not that such a life is bad. Their life might even be quite clean and worthy of applause from people. But the problem is, when we start to rely on that 'self' who is living that way, we stand at a place where we let go of God. Ultimately, that can put us in the most terrifying and dangerous state, that is, falling into a false faith rather than a true one.
Friends, that is why there is a reason why saints stop repenting. Why do saints not repent? Because they don't realize their own faults. They don't think they are proud. "I have understood the Gospel to some extent." "I know God's will a little." "I am at least taking one step on the path of true faith." They think this way. But no. None of us has ever fully possessed true, correct faith. If our 'correct faith' was truly correct, even a little bit, this world would have already changed. The power of faith is the power by which the whole world is turned upside down by Christ alone. But if we think, "I have the right faith," please, please think again. The reason we feel we have the right faith is because of Jesus Christ. Because I know I am in Christ, I can still confess my faith before the Lord, even though I admit that I am still lacking, that my thoughts are foolish, and that what I know is still foolish. The reason I can stand before the Lord now is not because of my knowledge. It is not even because of my faith. It is only because Christ died for me, and Christ's cross saved me. That is precisely why we can confess, "I have the right faith." Because we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, not our own.
Dear ones, if you remember this fact, it is not right to depart from God's abundant grace, from that freedom, and flee to a kingdom for yourself alone, to self-righteousness. That is a path that should naturally be avoided. The Bible expresses this by saying, "they make the law their strength." Perhaps some of you might think, "I don't keep the law well, and I don't really even think about it." So today I want to share this passage with you. Let's look at Galatians 5:17 together. "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." Here, we generally understand 'desires of the flesh' as the desires of the flesh, like greed, my arrogance, my selfishness, my wicked heart—that these things go against the mind of the Spirit, that is, the mind by which the Spirit controls us. We can primarily understand that the Spirit prevents us from doing what we want to do, which comes from the mind close to the flesh. But the way the Bible, more precisely Paul, explains 'desires of the flesh' is a little different. Look at verse 18. Let's read it together. "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." So, what is a life that follows the desires of the flesh called? It's called constantly going back under the law. "No, if that's the desire of the flesh, why go under the law?" Let me explain a little more. The moment we rely on ourselves, the moment we think we can stand before God, or approach God with our own skills and abilities, we are under the law. When you go under the law, what becomes unnecessary is, because you rely on yourself, you fundamentally and actually don't need to rely on God and the cross of Christ. That's the most terrifying aspect of a life that follows the law. It's not bad to try to keep the law. Why is it bad to keep the Ten Commandments? As we will confess soon, the Ten Commandments are very precious commandments given by God. Why would it be bad to keep them? The Pharisees were not punished for keeping the Ten Commandments. They were not criticized either. But the problem is that the 'me' who keeps those commandments seems so good. Although they don't say it, they start to rely on themselves for keeping those commandments.
Friends, that's why everything we learn in church feels like a double-edged sword. When we learn Q.T., instead of kneeling humbly before God's Word, we become someone who says, "I'm a Q.T. person." They give us discipleship training, right? Then through discipleship training, we should become a person who is 부족 (lacking) and says, "God, I need Your cross every day," but instead, we become someone who says, "I've completed beginner, intermediate, and now even advanced courses," or "I'm a person who has received training that others haven't." When it comes to reading the Bible, "I've read the Bible ten times, five times, twenty times." How does that turn out? It turns out, "I'm different from others because I've read the Bible this much." What's wrong with reading the Bible a lot? Reading it a lot is really good. But if through that, you start to feel that you are different from others, then you have gone under the law. Then what will arise? Naturally, a condescending attitude towards others will arise. A feeling that others are inferior to you will arise. You will feel, "I am better than that person." Why? Because you've gone under the law. What if you had gone under grace instead? You would confess, "God, it's by Your grace that even one Bible verse comes to my mind." "It's by Your grace that I shed tears while singing one hymn." But people don't go that way. The Bible calls that "going under the law."
Here, I will read to you. The works of the flesh are listed like this. And these are the results that come when you go under the law. "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies," and I think most sins are included here. And to prove my point, for fear that you might read all of this and still think, "But I don't fit in. I don't belong here," Paul wrote at the end, "and things like these." So, ultimately, it includes everything. You and I, every day, say, "Why am I so lacking in faith?" "Why couldn't I live according to God's will today?" "Why do I still hate people?" The Bible diagnoses it like this: "You are still going into the flesh." "You are not relying on God, not relying on the cross." "You are only loving yourself right now." Isn't it strange? You realized you were wrong and thought, "But I'm doing well," and then you say, "That person doesn't even know their sin. But I at least know my sin." But what does the Lord say? "It's not important that you know your sin. All your sins come from the law, and by going under the law, you think you're good even amidst all those things." Ultimately, "That person doesn't realize their sin, but I realize my sin. So I'm a little better" is, in other words, going under the law. So you come to realize what, and how terrifying, things are testing your faith.
Hagar's Flight and God's Intervention
Friends, if we understand this fact, then we have pretty much understood today's passage. Because another problem of Hagar, revealed in the last part, is that she is fleeing. We also easily flee, don't we? When a problem arises, we want to forget it and run away. Of course, we can understand her because of how difficult and painful it must have been. But at the same time, it shows that she held onto the problem herself and did not surrender it to God. Isn't that right? She runs away with the problem in her hand. Instead of coming before God and confessing, "God, I am experiencing such difficulties. I am so upset and tired," she chooses to run away because it's hard, which ultimately means she wants to solve this problem herself, doesn't it? She is still holding onto that problem in her own hands. God is by her side, but she doesn't reach out to God. The owner of the problem is still herself. In this way, Hagar shows us what a person who relies on the law and their own strength looks like. She thought that because she had a child, she could have everything. But in the end, she lost that family, that stability. Because she relied on herself, she could not grasp God's hand. She had the strength to run away, but she could not hold onto God. So she lost everything. She could have nothing.
Friends, from Hagar's perspective, it's truly a terrible thing. A woman is pregnant. But she's fleeing from her home, heading to Egypt. There are many wild animals on the way, and she doesn't know when she might encounter robbers. Even if she reaches Egypt and gives birth while fleeing, she has to raise a child without a father. She is experiencing something difficult for a woman to bear. And yet, look. How terrifying human beings are, they don't seek God. They think they are the owners of the problem.
God's Call and Repentance
Therefore, the turning point of the whole story doesn't come from Hagar, Sarah, Abraham, or Israel. Where does this turning point come from? The turning point begins at the very moment Hagar felt she was running away alone, when God called her name. "Hagar, servant of Sarai!" Ah, with just this one phrase, we can feel the weight of this verse. "O Israel, how can I give you up? O Ephraim, how can I surrender you? My heart is stirred within Me"—that very heart of God is contained within the words, "Hagar, servant of Sarai." He calls her. And the ensuing question is one that makes all of us pause. "Where have you come from? And where are you going?" In life, there are not many questions as great as this one. What about you? Where have you come from? "Pastor, I came from home." That's not the kind of question, is it? Where have you come from? If you can answer this question accurately, you are truly a blessed person. The Bible wants us to remember where we were saved from. Where did I come from, what was my starting point? And then the Bible asks where we are going. Hagar says, "I am running away now." Then God gives the answer. The answer is what we already looked at last week. "Return to your mistress." In other words, repent. "Submit to her authority." 'Submit to her authority' means 'submit under her hand'. In other words, return to Sarah's path and live in obedience to her. As we saw last week, Sarah symbolized grace, and Hagar symbolized the law—those who were under the law had to go under grace.
The only way you and I can escape this problem is to recognize that we are falling into the law, and even when we are unaware of that fact, to return to the cross. "I am going down the wrong path." Sometimes we don't even feel this. What should we do then? We should go to God's grace, to the cross. Whatever conviction we have, however diligently we do mission work, however much we serve God, however much we read the Bible, despite all these things, where should we go? To God's grace, to the cross. Because without knowing it, we are easily people who fall into Hagar's path. We must constantly return to the cross. Then we will realize how full of self-boasting and self-righteousness the law is without the cross. Conversely, how beautifully the law with the cross builds up God's people.
Two Names: Ishmael and El Roi
Friends, now, the last part I want to share with you today is about 'two names'. In these two names, we discover that God is not just a God who gives answers, but one who persuades and explains those answers. Is it enough to just say, "Go back, obey"? It could be, but God doesn't do that; He begins to explain to her. That story itself is so rich that we can't share it all in this short time, but God's love is expressed in those two names.
The first name is the name God gave Hagar, Ishmael. The meaning of the name Ishmael is "I heard you." The word 'El' usually refers to God when it's attached to the end of a name. Most names ending in 'El' or 'Yah' are like that. But the first part, 'Isma,' means 'heard' in Hebrew. In other words, "God heard." What did He hear? "I have heard your suffering." God says this. And through this name, God explains who He is. This is how God persuades Hagar. "Hagar, who are you? What do you possess?" The Angel of the Lord said to Hagar, "I will multiply your offspring greatly, so that they cannot be numbered." This was originally a promise made to Abraham. But now He is saying that to Hagar. In other words, He is telling Hagar, "When you are in Abraham's house, remember who your son is." Friends, do you know what Abraham calls Ishmael? If you read today's passage carefully, you would have seen it. Ishmael is called "Abraham's son." This means that he is within Abraham's promise and is able to enjoy all the grace Abraham received. He is Abraham's son.
In this way, through Hagar and Ishmael, we come to know who God is. And through how He responds when they are in pain and groaning, we learn what kind of God He is. As I mentioned earlier, God is now inviting Hagar and Ishmael into His grace. These were individuals who had been trapped in their own world. Especially Hagar, because Ishmael was not yet born. Hagar believed that because she was pregnant, she deserved special treatment. She was a person trapped in her own anger, injustice, suffering, and tears. Humans are all like that, in fact. Unbelievers also struggle greatly whenever they encounter this problem. It's a very difficult issue of self-esteem. So we teach our children, "You are a good person. You are okay." "You are okay." God, on the contrary, says. As we know about Hagar, God clearly tells her how precious she is, based on evidence. "Why are you precious? To what extent are you precious?" "I, who created this universe and brought the world into being, consider you precious enough to care for and love you." Friends, this is God's confession to Hagar and to you. "You truly don't know how precious I consider you, how precious a being you are." "You truly don't know." "But I know." "Because I love you." The Creator of the universe loves us. We are people loved by God. How precious is this fact. What's more astonishing is that it's not because Hagar did nothing wrong. God didn't say, "You are my beloved daughter" because she listened well to His words. Rather, Hagar was arrogant, knew only herself, and tried to live according to her own will. The fact that God came to such a Hagar and said, "Yet I love you" makes it even more astonishing. Hagar had not yet turned back; she was still in sin. But the Bible's expression is truly accurate: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This means that God demonstrated His love for us. God came to Hagar as well.
Friends, sometimes we find people who give up their lives for a great cause. Sometimes they even give their lives for things that are absurd and wrong. And they invest in things that seem promising. I think so too. Pastors are no different. When someone in the congregation listens to God's word well and strives to live according to God's will, I might naturally think, "Ah, that person has potential, so to speak. They are someone I can teach the Bible to." "I should teach them more." "I should take care of them more." But there are also people who are hard to even see on Sundays, and some with whom I never have a chance to make eye contact during worship. Would I easily think, "I will invest my life in that person"? Humanly speaking, I should, but the reality is that it often doesn't happen that way. We humans are all like that. But the Lord tells us that He loved even us, by giving His all. That's what's truly amazing.
Now, let's look at today's passage, chapter 16, again. Let's read verse 16:13 together. "So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are El Roi'; for she said, 'Have I really seen Him who looks after me?'" This is the second name given to Hagar. It means, "How have I looked upon Him who watches over me, even here?" The translation carries a subtle nuance. It expresses Hagar's astonishment. "How can I meet God?" "It's unbelievable that I would receive God's grace." "It's utterly incomprehensible that God would seek me." It's a statement of awe and wonder. That's why the second name, 'The One Who Watches Over Me,' appears. From the word 'El Roi', 'El' means 'God', and 'Roi' means 'to see, to watch over'. 'El Roi' means 'The God who sees me'. Here, the direct translation of "How have I looked upon Him who looks after me, even here?" is "I have seen the back of the One who watches over me, even here." Although it's somewhat omitted in the Korean translation, the original meaning is precisely 'I saw the back of God'. That is, "Although I cannot directly see God's face, I have seen God's back, that is, His presence and protection." It is also an expression of wonder, "How could I meet God here?"
Hagar was walking the lonely path of a fugitive, sought by no one. Instead of repenting, she was lamenting her situation, had lost everything, and the future of her unborn child was bleak. She was completely trapped, with no way out, even the sky seemed blocked. Moreover, she was a slave, and in that era, she knew that running away meant death. She could have been killed instantly if caught. But God watched over her. She called Him 'La-hai Roi', meaning 'the living God saw me', in the sense that the living God paid attention to her. It's not 'El Roi' but 'La-hai Roi', meaning 'the living God saw me'. And the word 'Be'er' is added before it, meaning 'well' or 'spring'. So the place name became 'Be'er-lahai-roi'. Hagar's astonishment at meeting God was indescribable. So there, she confessed 'El Roi', meaning 'the God who seeks me'. Friends, perhaps we came here today without much expectation. We might have come with the thought, "I have to worship," or "I have to listen to God's word." It varies from person to person, but I think the story in today's passage will resonate with many. God does not turn away from our weaknesses and wounds; even in despair, He seeks us, loves us, and holds us. Believe this fact and live boldly in God's love. Now, I will conclude today's message with a short poem written by someone, embodying this heart.
Poem: The One Who Watches Over Me
Today, with no expectations, I sit in a corner of the sanctuary. Today was no different from yesterday. My eyes, my hands, My rough heart, My disappointment, my pain, I am running away even in worship. But here, how, even here, Under my fleeing feet, Can I meet the One who holds my feet? He takes hold of my feet. He holds my wounds. And He calls my name. "You are My beloved. And I am your love. My name is El Roi, The One who watches over you."
"Your name is, Even if you wander here, Even if you flee during worship, Even if you expect nothing, Even if you came here with a lonely heart," "Even here, My beloved one, My son, My daughter, You are My love, And you are My love."
Prayer
Let us pray. Be'er-lahai Roi, the living God, El Roi, who watches over me. Even in this place, at this moment, amidst complaints and lethargy, even if I remain with a superficial faith, You are the loving Lord who watches over me and calls my name. Thank you, thank you. Lord, help me to turn back to You in the face of this truth, and to live a true life through You in any situation. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.