In the sermon 'Stop Stealing! Work to Provide' by Carl Provost, the speaker examines Ephesians 4:21-28, urging the audience to renounce stealing and instead embrace labor that is good and honest. Provost highlights the pervasive issue of theft, both in society and within the church, emphasizing its roots in selfishness and laziness. He critiques the moral implications of theft, revealing its detrimental impact on individuals and businesses, and calls for a transformation through the Holy Spirit. Provost stresses the importance of working diligently and ethically, aligning with biblical commands to labor and provide not only for oneself but also for those in need. The sermon underscores the Christian duty to work with integrity, glorify God through labor, and contribute to the welfare of the community. By doing so, individuals can combat the temptation of theft, embody Christian virtues, and receive the blessing of giving to others.

Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Ephesians chapter 4 starting at verse 21. Starting at verse 21. If so be that ye have learned that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole still no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." Heavenly Father, we come before you as we open your word, Father. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would illuminate our hearts and help us to understand and help us to be those who are able to put off and to put on knowing that Your Holy Spirit enables us to keep Your commands. We pray in Your Son, Christ Jesus' name, Amen. Your son, Christ Jesus, Amen. In the study done a few years ago, it estimated that $50 billion a year are lost annually from U.S.

Business due to employee theft. At least 75% of all employees have stolen from their employers at least once, and 35% at least two times. It's said that employee theft is responsible for 33% of all bankruptcies in every area of industry. In the retail industry alone, it said that $8 billion lost annually. 15% is attributed to employee error, 35% to shoplifting, 42% to employee theft, 4% to vendor fraud, and 4% unknown.

We also see that in this nation many people make a living off of theft. Some people rob others at gunpoint, others credit card theft, identity theft, internet fraud. I'm sure we've all received those emails trying to get us to give somebody our information because they want to send us some money. And it's amazing how many people fall for this and how often people's identities are stolen. And the amount of theft in this country, we recognize that we have a huge problem.

But this isn't just a problem, it's a global problem. In fact, there's companies, million dollar companies that make their business off of helping us protect our own identities. But theft isn't just a corporate problem. Theft is found in every class of people in every area. Even individuals not reporting all of their income and oftentimes justifying this, Not returning money when too much change is given at a store.

Oftentimes, assuming that's Not their concern, it was the concern of the cashier to get things right. Or for those in the workplace that steal by the time that they're on the clock, using it for their personal time rather than the time that they're being paid to work. In fact, it's one of the earliest lessons we oftentimes have to teach our children, is teaching them not to take something that doesn't belong to them, teaching them about theft. But as we see from this text, theft is not only a problem of the world, it is a problem in the church. If we notice, when Paul is speaking here to the church, just as he did when he said to tell the truth and just as he did when he said to be not angry.

He's telling the church to stop stealing. The text today we'll be looking at predominantly is just verse 28 here. And we'll be looking at the stop stealing. All men should work. Christian labor should be good.

And Christian labor provides for the needy. First we'll look at stop stealing. Paul in speaking to the Ephesians here has to tell them, let him that stole, steal no more. Now that's interesting that he would have to speak to those who are in the church, those who are regenerate, those who have been saved and tell them, those who have stole still no more. But as we recognize in any church, especially a church in its infancy, is that people come out of many different lifestyles.

And oftentimes, they have to be taught. In fact the Great Commission teaches us to go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And one of the aspects of the Great Commission is teaching others to observe the commands of God. And we recognize that God saves those who are sinners. God saves those who are liars, those who are angry, those who steal, those who can't control their speech, those who have all kinds of sin in their life.

And the process of living the Christian life is a putting off and a putting on, a sanctification that takes place. What marks us as Christians is that God does not intend for us to stay this way. He saves us while yet sinners. But the fruit of the Christian life is that He changes us. He doesn't leave us in our sin.

He first saves us from it. We are forgiven. But then He helps us through the Holy Spirit to overcome that sin in our life. And understanding that it's not just a moralism. It's not just a stop stealing and it ends there.

But he gives us the answer to it. But first we're going to continue to look at what God's Word clearly teaches about stealing. Paul over in Corinthian says, Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revolers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God." Thieves will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So it's only those who are covered in the righteousness of Christ, those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus, not of moralism, not those who claim to be good by their own works, but by those who trust in faith in Christ Jesus and His finished work on the cross. It's these that we enter the kingdom of heaven, but the fruit of the Spirit being in us is that process of putting off and putting on. When speaking to servants and how they should work for their masters, and Paul speaking the Titus said that they should work not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they whom adorned the doctrine of God are savior in all things." So speaking to those who were slaves and who had provided for themselves by pilfering, by taking from their master. Pilfering is a huge problem in this country. In fact, a lot of that employee theft, A lot of it's corporate fraud and managers cooking the books and stealing money.

But a lot of it is employees. In fact, the sheer waste of those who steal time in the workplace. There's been studies that talk about how much lost productivity has come because of the internet and because of cell phones. And many businesses today have to have policies regarding this and filters so that they can monitor what's going on because people who are on the clock, not on their personal time, are using their time for themselves and not for their employer. And so we see that theft is a very, very big problem.

And it's not just those in the world. It's a problem even for those in the Christian community and how they use their time and whether they use their time in an appropriate way that's not stealing from others. Cell phones and computers have become a major problem. In fact, most young adults, when they get their first job, have to learn how to manage a cell phone. Most of them do not enter the workplace knowing how to manage one because they can't seem to keep their eyes away from it.

Even when it work. Some places of employment require you to leave your phone in a locker or a break room when you work because the temptation to look at the phone is so great that they know that many of their employees cannot resist. God's Word gives us many reasons why we shouldn't steal. But the first and foremost is because God commands it. Thou shalt not steal the eighth commandment.

The first thing we should teach a new believer is how to obey the commands of the Lord. And we should teach them the Ten Commandments. And they should learn that stealing is wrong. But it's not only stealing time. Oftentimes, stealing theft takes place even in church.

In speaking to the resources that God has given us, God speaking to Israel and Malachi says, Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we robbed you? In t'avs and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation." We have church leaders today that teach people that the Old Testament no longer applies to the people of God today, and that they are not required to tithe.

But in understanding that all of God's Word is for the church today, we recognize that God says that the firstfruits belong to Him. And many people today in studies, it's a very small percentage, give money in churches today. For many people have justified robbing God. So what's the motivation behind this? What's the motivation behind this theft?

We shouldn't steal. For one, it points to somebody being selfish and self-centered. Why would someone take something that belongs to someone else for their own use? Because they're only concerned about themselves. They're self-centered.

They're not concerned about their neighbor and the welfare of their neighbor. In fact, their selfishness and self-centeredness brings harm to their neighbor. You cannot love your neighbor and steal from them at the same time. We see clearly that people that steal are only concerned about themselves. We also see that it's laziness.

It amazes me oftentimes the innovation that some will go to to not work but yet still And the amount of time that they'll put into coming up with a way to steal from the government or to steal from other people in order to not work. Or the shame that they'll take upon themselves to steal. There have been those that have done studies on these homeless people on the street asking for handouts. And they followed some of them after they left the street back to nice cars and nice houses, often times nicer than the people that were giving them money. They would rather put time and effort into looking homeless so that they can stand on the side of the street and receive handouts.

There are all kinds of ways that people come up with for stealing money. Proverbs in many places speaks clearly against those that are lazy. Proverbs 10-4 says, a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 13-4, the soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 18, 9.

Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. See the one who is lazy brings destruction. The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. We have all seen people that bring destruction upon their families and upon themselves because they refuse to labor. In the New Testament, Paul speaking to Timothy said, but if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

That's the seriousness of one who is unwilling to work, And one of the characteristics of a thief is someone who is lazy and unwilling to work. But Paul here does not just give us the command to stop stealing, he also gives us the solution. And as they put off stealing, for those who stole, steal no more. It says, but rather let him labor. But rather let him labor.

Now some would look at work almost like it's part of the curse. They don't think, you know, they just talk about work as if it's this horrible thing that they must do in order to obtain some money, and as if it's a part of the curse. But it's clear from God's Word that work was intended from the beginning, even before the fall. Chapter 1 in what's often called the creation or dominion mandate. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it.

And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." For those who recognize this as a dominion mandate recognize that Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and to replenish the earth and to subdue it. And that takes effort and work. That takes those who can build bridges across rivers, and those who can Have the ingenuity to develop new towns and buildings and houses for those to live in. To be able to take dominion over the animals requires a study in science and understanding. To manifest dominion requires one to work.

Now obviously as we see from a result of the fall that work has changed since the fall. But work was a part of the original dominion mandate. All men are called to work. It's not a result of the fall. God intended us.

He put Adam and Eve in the garden to tend the garden, to name the animals, to exercise dominion over the animals. We also see that the difficulty that we now see often times in work today comes from the fall in chapter 3 over in verse 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. Clearly in that verse we now see the spiritual warfare that we will be in between Satan and the seed of the woman.

This is, until the woman, he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. I think women understand the word labor much more than any man. But if you have been there with your wife when she's having a child and you understand and see labor, You understand the difficulty and sorrow that came because of this curse. But we also see the result and the fruit of that labor when God gives us godly offspring.

And it's always amazing to me that immediately after the pain and the sorrow of childbirth is the joy on the mother's face as the child is handed up to her as she's forgetting all that she had just gone through. For labor bears fruit, but we are all called, all men are called to labor. And unto Adam, he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it. Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return into the ground. For out of it was thy taken for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Now most of us, we don't live in an Agrarian society anymore. But for the bigger and larger part of history people grew up where they were dependent upon planting their own fields and producing their own food. And they understood what it meant to have the ground cursed and to have to deal with the thorns. But we still see that there is a fruit to the laborer, even of those who till the ground.

There are promises to those in Scripture that those who are diligent will have an abundance and be able to feed their families. But the slothful will waste away with their land being covered up in briars and thistles and having no food to feed their families. God rewards the labors of His people. Now the word labor here means until one is tired. In fact it can mean to work hard to be tired.

Now many of our younger generation today, you mean I'm supposed to be tired after this? They don't understand the concept in many of the jobs today of a labor until you're tired. In fact, many young people are looking for a profession where they can make as much money as they can make and work as little as they can possibly work. The goal is to not be tired. But that's not what this word means.

It means to labor until one is tired. It's to go to bed at night and feel like you have worked a full day. And to enjoy the rest of the night. The sleep that is a blessing to be able to rest. In fact, wicked employers are those who do not allow their workers enough sleep.

And so that time of resting is a time that's looked forward to by those who have worked and they're retired. Even in God's created order, He gives us a day of rest. And the mandate to work six days and to rest by worshiping Him on the seventh. We see this displayed in Scripture in Proverbs 24. It says, verse 30-34, I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding, and there it was, all overgrown with thorns.

Its surface was covered with nettles. Its stone, its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.

So shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man." This is saying that those who are lazy, those who do not labor, will become those who are overcome with poverty. They'll be those who are in need. And we'll look at a little later that there are a right way to be in need and a wrong way to be in need. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 says, For even when we were with you, this we command to you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

Now, them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. The instruction there is those who will not work shouldn't eat. Hunger is a motivator. In that they should be instructed to work in quietness and to eat their own bread, meaning that they should provide for themselves. This is speaking of those able-bodied, those who are able to work, but yet they're lazy, they're slothful.

So how much should one work? If we see that all men should labor, is there a requirement of how much one should work? There are some that would argue that we should work six days and rest on the seventh. Exodus 29-10 says, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. But the seventh day was the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates." I believe there's liberty of conscience here in how one utilizes his work week. I think the principle here is that a man should labor. And he should labor to the point that it's sufficient to provide for his family and to provide for any future incidents that might come up and to provide for helping others. But the other principle we see here is that you are given six days in which to complete your labor so that you can worship on the seventh day that is the Lord's. Now we see examples of this even in our own society.

Some people work 4 10s or 4 12s and then have 3 days off. They still get in a full work week. And I'm not going to argue whether 40 hours is a full work week or 60 hours or 80 hours. I know there's people that argue that even our system of a 40 hour work week is lazy by the biblical standards. And anybody who's ever done any amount of farming recognizes that it's pretty much a daylight to dark job.

But We live in an industrialized nation where we have a work week, but we work, most of us now no longer work at home, we work at a job. And so when we come home, we still have work to do. And so I think It's right for us to have a limit on the number of hours we work outside of the home so that we can still attend to things at home. But I think there's liberty of conscience in exactly how many hours a day you work, with the key principle being adequately providing for your family their needs and to be able to help others. To be able to leave an inheritance to our children as God's Word commands and to make sure that in the six days that we're given that we do all the work necessary, that we are good stewards of that time, so that we can observe the Sabbath.

We also see in this text that it's not just any kind of job that a Christian can have. In fact, there are many jobs that when somebody comes to faith in Christ Jesus, they should be looking for a new job. Because they're in a job that is not glorifying to God. We see in Ephesians 4, it says, Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good. Working with His hands.

One who works with his hands is a good thing. In fact, I think one of the best things we can teach our children, No matter what their talents are, it's how to work with their hands. There should be some form of labor taught to all children, no matter what they intend to be when they're an adult. And no matter what they plan to work as an adult, It is healthy that all know how to work with their hands. There's something satisfying about working with your hands.

Art just had a good example of that with Asher, as those that followed it on Facebook, he got to dig up half of his yard and replace his plumbing line. But there was a satisfying aspect to working with your hands and to have your son alongside you and to complete this labor. It's a blessing to be able to see the fruit of the labor of your hands. But we're told that the labor that you apply your hands to should be good work. Working with your hands the things which is good.

See, a Christian should not participate in labor that requires him to break the moral law of God. You know, there are many professions I could think, professional gambler, probably, or not probably, definitely needs to look for a new profession if he comes to face. Those who work in the medical field that provide unethical procedures need to look for new employment. Those who work In an environment, an immoral environment like a nightclub or something, when they come to faith they need to recognize that they need to look for new employment because a Christian should be one who works a good work. Because of the immoral ethics and oftentimes ethical statements that have to be signed in many corporations today, you have to be very discerning.

In fact, if you're going to work a good work, It's becoming more and more difficult to work for some of these larger corporations and some of the stands that they take and some of the things they require. One of those in particular I think about is those requiring exception to not have money given to the National Education Association. They are forced in many places to give money to an organization that lobbies and supports death. And so there are decisions we must make as a Christian. Sometimes hard decisions because we have the responsibility to provide for our families.

But yet, we are told that we must work at a work that is good. But just as we are given six days to labor, and the seventh is for the Lord, for the worship of Him, another good job is a job that allows you to not work on the Sabbath, so that you may come and worship with God's people and worship the Lord. It's one who is diligent with their time for six days so that they can set aside that day to work. And If an employer will not allow that, one needs to look for other employment. One needs to find an employer that recognizes the importance of worshiping.

Now we know there are jobs in necessity and we recognize there are those in those fields and they are working jobs where they're saving people's lives. And there are some jobs that just require seven days a week. You know, one of those I think about is having owned a milk cow myself, is when you have a milk cow, you milk that cow seven days a week. But I know people with dairies that have scheduled their milking time so that they can still be free to attend the worship of the church, recognizing that it is important to be among God's people and to worship God on the Sabbath. You know, I hear stories of people talking about the other area of theft I talked about with not giving a tithe.

And I've heard people talk about Even when they didn't feel like they had enough money to give a tithe, they gave it out of obedience. And you hear these stories of how God provided for them abundantly, and how the money just went further than they thought it could go, because God owns all of the resources. The money isn't yours in the first place, it's God's. All of the resources you have, everything we have belongs to God. We need to trust Him that way with our employment as well.

I've heard people tell stories about telling an employer that they cannot work on Sunday. And I've heard both sides. I've heard employers that have allowed someone not to work on Sunday because they recognize that this person is such a good worker, far above and beyond his employees that are not Christian, that he was willing to give them a day off. But I've also seen those that have lost their job because they were unwilling to work on Sunday. But God provided other employment for them.

We need to trust that if God commands it, He will provide a way for us to labor six days in work that is good, but yet have a day to worship Him. We also need to recognize that when we go to work, no matter what we're doing, that it's a job that we can do to the best of our ability for the glory of God. Now this is an attitude. This is an attitude that you have when you're at work. Someone could be cleaning bathrooms and still do it for the glory of God.

Now I don't think there's anything wrong with finding a job of doing something that you actually enjoy doing. But recognize that whatever job that God provides for you, that no matter what it is, we are to do it for the glory of God. Colossians 3.17, It says, And whatsoever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and to the Father by Him. When we work, it should glorify, The way that we work should glorify God. In fact, it should give an image of Christ to the others that we work around.

They should recognize there's something different about us. That we have a work ethic that's different, that's driven not by how much money we're going to make, but it's driven by working and serving because we're serving our Lord and Savior. And the last thing I want us to see in this text today is that good Christian labor provides for the needy. It says, let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands, the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." See, a good job is not a job that just makes ends meet. You know, if our budget only allows for the, you know, pretty much when the paycheck comes in and every bit of the money goes to a certain slot and there's nothing left over, that's not providing effectively.

Because the minute something happens that's unexpected, you're in the hole. You're in debt. You're having to put it on a credit card. Being good stewards of what God has given us is planning in such a way and having a job that provides in such a way that not only do we have enough for the needs of our family and that we're prepared for anything that could happen, but we're also prepared to provide for the needy, provide for those outside of our family. Now we recognize that Christians historically have always been and are the most generous people on this planet.

If you look at any good work going on, you'll find that for the most part, there are Christians that are providing the money for that. And in fact, we had a good example of that going on right here with the recovery from the hurricane. And the many Christian ministries that have come in and that are rebuilding people's houses. And there we see a generosity on multiple levels. We see people giving money to provide materials to rebuild these houses.

And we see people giving of their time. And there I think would even be an argument that you don't necessarily have to work at a job six days a week, but those who have the time that they can take a few days off and actually go and give that time to help others. That is those who have organized their lives in such a way that they have enough to provide for the needy as well. Whether it's time or money. Or businesses that give their product and resources to provide, they recognize that within their budget, within their overhead, they have something set aside to help those in need.

And that's what we're called to do as Christians, to not only provide for ourselves, to not be the needy, in fact that's one implication here, is if we are those who are called to labor, that we shouldn't be the needy. Because Christian labor provides for the needy. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion. We shouldn't be compassionate towards the needy. Because circumstances oftentimes are unexpected.

Just as we saw with this hurricane, there were people that were told by their finance company and by their insurance company, you do not need flood insurance. But yet, their houses were flooded. And that was people that we know now and they know now were given bad advice, but yet they are now needy and people are helping them. And so there are situations that can cause you to be in need. But there's a difference between being in need and those who are needy because they will not labor.

Acts 20, 35, it says, I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. See, by providing, by laboring in good work, not only are those who had stole and are commanded to steal no more, Not only do they replace that temptation to steal by laboring and providing for themselves in such a way that they have enough to cover their needs and the needs of others, But we also see that you receive a blessing. It says, more blessed to give than to receive. And so by being that one who can provide for the needy, you are receiving a blessing. So don't rob yourself of a blessing.

Be a steward of your resources so that you have an abundance to be able to bless others with. We need to recognize though the real circumstances that lead to the needy. We're told to care for the orphans and widows indeed. And actually that's an interesting term because what it's saying there is not all widows are widows indeed. That it's those, in fact the younger widows are told to remarry.

But it's the older widows, those who no longer can work to support themselves and that the church and that God's people are to care for them. And these are those who spend time praying. These are godly women. We also see that the Christians are probably the greatest community that cares for the orphans. Whether they're giving money to provide for orphanages in other countries or in this country.

Oftentimes a lot of your orphanages in other countries are supported 100% by money given by Christians in this nation. And the largest group that adopts orphans is Christians. And so we see that one way we can provide for the needy is through adoption and through supporting orphanages and trying to find godly homes for these children. But we also see that there are needs, there are those that are in need because of circumstances. Sometimes circumstances, like a natural disaster that was unplanned, and we need to be prepared to help those.

And what we've seen is that the Christian community is so much more effective and efficient at using funds to help the needy and disaster than the government. There's so much waste with the government that if those funds were available to Christian organizations only, the needs would be met at a much greater level. And there'd be much less fraud, and there'd be much less theft of people stealing money from the government. Those who are claiming money from the government on houses they don't even own. Falsifying paperwork.

But sometimes it's a weaker brother who maybe he made a bad choice. He's made bad decisions that have put him in a position of need. But we help that brother also, because we recognize that there are those that are weak and you come alongside them and you encourage them and what you're looking for is one who's willing to receive help, one who's willing to receive instruction so that they can structure their life in such a way that they are no longer the needy, but they are also those who are able to help those in need. And in fact, the deacon is called to do mercy ministry. And a big aspect of his work is ministering to the needy.

And as churches, when God's people give the ways they should give, there is an abundance of resources to be able to help the needy through the ministry of the church. In fact, if all Christians, just at a minimum, gave what God's law requires, There would be such an abundance of money for the churches to provide for the needy that we wouldn't need the welfare system that we have now. Now that's for seeing that those churches are true churches that manage God's resources rightly. But we recognize that God's law is perfect and that we're commanded to stop stealing and to labor and work that is with our hands that is good so that we can provide for the needy and when we follow God's law we will see the fruitfulness in this nation that comes from letting Him govern the resources that He has given us. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we come before You and we recognize that your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, that it gives us wisdom in the decisions that need to be made. For you give us instruction in how we are to order our lives, how we are to live, and Father I pray that you would help us to put off the temptations of the flesh and to put on righteousness, that we would be those that clearly display the love of Christ by keeping His commandments. We pray in Your Son Christ Jesus' name, Amen.