The Transforming Power of Love
2 Chronicles 8 and 10
September 24-25, 2022
I want to begin with a quote from a really famous pastor and author. Many of you I think, have read perhaps a lot of his devotionals and books. AW Tozer really a wonderful, insightful writer. I want to quote this because it has everything to do with the less life lessons out of Solomon's life. Let me just read you this quote. "We are all in the process of becoming," Tozer wrote. "We have moved from what we once were to what we now are and are moving toward what we shall be."
Not only are we in the process of becoming, we are becoming what we love. We are to a large degree, the sum of our loves, and we will of moral necessity grow into the image of what we love most. Our loves change, mold, transform us. What we love, therefore is of no small matter. Rather, it is of critical, present everlasting importance. It is prophetic. This is a very important word. It is prophetic of our future. It tells us what we shall become and it therefore accurately predicts our eternal destiny.
Think of the power that turned a pink-cheeked little boy into a Nero or a Himmler. Was Jezebel always that a cursive woman of evil? No. When she was little, she dreamed of girlish delights but at some point, she became interested in evil and worldly things. Then she admired evil and worldly things and then she went on to love them. Thus Jezebel, like clay in the potter's hand was slowly turned into what she became. What a great quote is that. I love that phrase right there. She was slowly turned into what she became.
That really presents an interesting question. What is it that you want to become? What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to live? I don't mean the work or the money or the business. I don't mean those things. I mean, the soul, what kind of character within you? What is it that you want your soul to become because it has everything to do with what you love? Now Solomon was quite young, when he became king as we've been reading he started out well.
We read that Solomon loved the Lord, but not as much as David his father did. We also read that God appeared to Solomon, and allows Solomon to ask for whatever he wished. "What is it that you would have me do for you," God said to Solomon, which is a great question. Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart. He asked for wisdom to be able to judge the people of Israel. To be able to discern right from wrong, good from evil, because he knew that he was insufficient, that he was inadequate to do what he was called to do.
He asked for wisdom and understanding. God was so pleased that Solomon asked for that rather than riches or wealth or honor along life or anything like this. God was so pleased that he said, "I will give you that for which you have asked, wisdom and understanding will be given to you and I will give you what you did not ask for." "I will give you riches in honor, greater than the kings who came before you, and any who come after." Now the riches and honor that God gave Solomon, and the greatness of His kingdom was famous throughout the known world at the time.
People came from nations and nations to hear and to see of what had happened in Solomon. They were amazed at what he had built. Even the Queen of Sheba, which is in chapter 9, which of course Jesus mentioned as well. She came and was amazed at what you saw. Solomon had so much gold it says that silver was considered commonplace. He had a throne made of ivory overlaid with gold with two great golden lions on either side, great lions on either side of his throne.
If that was not enough, there were six Ivory` steps leading up to his throne with two lions on every step. Can you imagine coming into the throne room which he called the Hall of judgment? There was 500 shields made of solid gold hanging in that great throne room. Now, one thing that God did not promise to give Solomon, however, was many wives. That Solomon did all on his own. He collected foreign women like people collect foreign cars today. That right there was the compromise that led to the great tragedy that became Solomon's life.
It's a tragic story. There are many lessons from his life but the story and the lesson that we want to recognize is that of love. What you love, for when you understand the power of love, the transforming power, it will determine what kind of person you become. You get to decide what is that which you wish your soul to be. Let's read it. We're going to read chapter 8 a little later we'll look at chapter 10 also but I want to begin as it starts out the chapter talking about the power and the greatness but notice to where it flows next.
It came about at the end of 20 years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord in his own house. Took 20 years to build the temple and he built a glorious house for himself. Then that he built the cities which Huram had given to him and settled the sons of Israel there, then Solomon went through Hamath Zobah, capture that. He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he built in Hamath. Great storage facilities, cities to hold all of the opulence and wealth of his grandeur.
He built upper Beth Horon and lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates bars, Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots. Cities for his horseman. Entire cities for horsemen. In all it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all the land under his rule but then would you go down to verse 11. I want us to focus on verse 11. Solomon then brought Pharaoh's daughter, remember that he had made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter.
I. What You Love is Prophetic
But notice verse 11, Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David, to the house which he had built for her. For he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David King of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the Lord has entered." In other words, he knew that this was an unholy alliance. He knew quite well that this was an unholy alliance and would not have his wife dwell in the city of David, for where the Ark of the Covenant was, was holy, and she is not.
It's a great lesson. We'll start with these verses, starting with this understanding what you love is prophetic. It has a determination of your eternal, but also what your soul becomes now. My wife will not dwell in the house of the City of David, because the places are holy where the ark of the Lord was. He knew very well, this was an unholy alliance. In other words, he did not marry her out of his faith. He didn't marry her out of his relationship to God. He married her out of a politically expedient decision. In other words, he was looking for love for all the wrong reasons.
Now, of course, we know that this was only the beginning because what you love is prophetic. It started here, but it grew, and it grew and it increased and it got worse so much so that 1Kings 11:1-2, now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh. Moabite, Ammonite, Edomites, Sydonian, Hittite, and on and on. Women from the nations concerning which the Lord has said to the sons of Israel, "You will not associate with them." They will surely turn your heart away after their gods, then it adds, but Solomon held fast to these in love.
Love is a determining and prophetic power, despite all the wisdom that Solomon had. Now, as I mentioned before, having wisdom and living by wisdom are not the same things, but this is not wise what Solomon did. Because what he did not see, and I've said before that wisdom is the ability to see. It's the ability to see the outcome of the thing that you are doing. It's the ability to see the outcome of the thing of which you are doing. He did not see. He did not understand that what you love is prophetic. It will change who you are.
A. Beware of that which can master you
Solomon held fast to these in love and it mastered him. It got to a point where that was the master. See, in other words, great lesson. Oh great lesson. Be aware of that which can master you. This old thing began with a seemingly small compromise. Oh sure. God's word said not to associate, not to intermarry with these people from these nations, but it was politically savvy. Surely, one compromise wouldn't matter, he must have thought. One compromise. How much can come from one compromise? Well, side note, by the way, not all compromise is wrong. Compromises can be good. That is as long as you don't sacrifice Godly principles or Godly character.
See, in other words, good can always compromise with good, but anytime good compromises with evil, evil only wins. Anybody agree with me? When good compromises with evil, only evil wins. God even gave the reason for this ordinance, not to marry from these nations because they will turn your heart away from your God. That is the danger of the thing. If you turn your heart away, it's going to end poorly. See, this is about the transforming power of love.
What do you love? Solomon held fast to these in love, it says. Now, there is a New Testament verse that says similar things to us today. From notice, what John wrote, this is 1st John 2:15-17. Do not love the world. Well, why? Because love is a transforming power. If you love the world, you will become world-like, you will become worldly. It will impact the heart and your soul. Do not love the things of the world because you will become material of the world things. Because all that's in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life, this is not from your Father. This is from the world and
the world is passing away and also is lusts, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Oh, what a great word. Solomon, by the time he got to the end of all of this, he had 700 wives, 300 concubines. Surely, as God's word has said, they turned his heart away. Now, this happened as he got older, didn't happen at the beginning. It happened slowly, bit by bit he compromised because these wives started to pressure him. "I want an altar for my God. Look, you got a great temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel. What about my God? You love me. Don't you? If you loved me--"
Oh, here's that. "If you loved me, you would build an altar for my God too." She would pressure him and pressure him and so then Solomon, "Okay, fine." He built an altar for her God. Wouldn't this be one of the problems with having so many wives? "You built an altar for her God, why can't I have an altar for my God? You don't love me. You don't love me as much as her. I want an altar for my God and I want it now." He did. On the Mount of Olives, oh my goodness, what was on the Mount of Olives? In the city of Jerusalem, all about. This thing got out of control. This thing became a problem.
I can't tell you how many people would say, "I can control this thing. I got this thing. I got it. I can control this thing." No, you won't. This thing is going to master you. Here's an illustration. Sin is like having a kitten for a pet, only it's a tiger kitten as a pet. Oh, the thing is so cute at the beginning, so cuddly, so wonderful, so playful. You have so much fun playing with it, but bit by bit, day by day, this thing starts to grow. After a while, fear arises. This thing is turning into a monster. This thing, I can't control it anymore. This thing has mastered the house. This thing has mastered me.
God did not intend-- by the way, God did not intend for men to be swimming in sexuality. That was not the intent, but that's what happened to Solomon. He had 1,000 wives and then when he built these altars, do you know what these altars were about? These altars to these others' gods were about sexuality. God's of fertility. Oftentimes, their idols were graphic. This thing got out of control because you can be assured that God is offended at such things in the holy city in which he had placed his name. This was never God's intent. God designed marriage. Anybody agree with me? That was God's design.
B. Loving God guards your heart
God is the one who created the whole idea. Genesis 2:24. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. The two shall become one. That's God's glorious creation. God knew what He was doing, but He also knew what he was doing when he said, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, because He knew that love guards the heart. Loving God will guard the heart and keep you from those things which will, in fact, destroy.
When Solomon dedicated the temple, we were looking at that last week. On that glorious day that he dedicated the temple, he reminded the people of all the great things that God has done and then he called them to be wholly devoted to the Lord. This is the high point of Israel. If they would've just been wholly devoted to the Lord, if they would have loved the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, it would keep them from troubles. It would guard their hearts. You see an interesting transition in Solomon's life. It began by saying Solomon loved God, but not as much as his father David did.
Then it moves into something greater. Solomon did not follow the Lord fully. Then finally, it became a great offense. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, a life lesson. He loved the Lord, but not as much as David, then he wasn't holy devoted, and finally doing that which was evil. It is a progression of things made worse because of the condition of his heart. God wants the opposite to be true. God wants to see an increase in our lives that the day that you receive the Lord, Jesus Christ is the day that you begin a glorious journey of increasing.
Because the day that a person receives Jesus Christ is the day that God has welcomed a sinner to Himself, but God will not leave a sinner in the condition in which He found him or her, but God will do a work of transforming. How does He do that? By his power, by his presence, by the love which fills your heart because love is a transforming power. When you increase in your capacity of loving God, your soul will be transformed by it. The glory of God's presence will transform your life. Oh, may you ever increase.
May you ever increase, so that when you get to the end, you love more at the end that you did in the beginning and then when you breathe your last, you just walk right into the presence of the Lord that you spent your life loving. That's what I want to do with my life. Anybody want to join me? Yes, let's give the Lord praise. It's a glorious understanding. Proverbs 4:23, above all else, guard your heart. With all diligence, guard your heart. Notice, for everything you do flows from it.
Jesus said a very similar word, which we'll see. "Above all else, above all else, guard your heart with all diligence, for everything you do flows from it." Be careful because otherwise, step-by-step, degree-by-degree, it will become such that it will increase and increase and increase until it gets worse and worse and worse. What is the old illustration? I've no doubt used it. How to boil a frog? One little degree at a time. No animal wants to jump in the boiling water. I tried with a crab one time, they don't like it.
What happened was this. We went crabbing, and I used to always have them cook it on the dock, and I thought, "Oh, I'm going to do it myself." I had never done anything like that before. I didn't know what I was doing. I brought these things home, and I made a big pot, and the boiling water, put the salt in there. I thought, "Well, what do you do?" I took the biggest one we had, and I started to put it in the pot, but he grabbed the edges of the pot. I'm like, "No, you get in there." I was like, "No. No, you get in there." We were having this little wrestling match.
Finally, I put it in there, put the lid on, and then I can hear him. I can hear him. I felt so bad. Then, when I took him out of the pot, that's not the way crabs are supposed to look. It came out like this. No, it's not right. I said to a friend, I said, "What did I do wrong?" He said, "No, that's not the way you do it. That's cruel. Crabs don't like it. You turn him upside down, and then you put him in upside down, they die right away. Then when they come out, they look like this." "Oh, I see now."
Back to the regularly scheduled message. Paul wrote this. Would you notice what Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:19? This is a prayer of tremendous importance. "I pray," Paul's prayer, "I pray that you would know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." See, Paul understood this. Paul understands a great truth. If you could only know, if you could only know how much you are loved in Christ Jesus, if you could only know, it would change who you are. It would change your life. It would change what you want. It would change your future. It would change you because then, you would be filled up. May you be filled up with the fullness of God.
II. Your Heart Directs Your Steps
Love God with all your heart, and it will keep you in the place of greatest blessing because if you love God with all your heart, it will keep you from loving those things which will destroy you. God loves you. He wants your soul to be blessed. Now let's turn to 2 Chronicles 10, where we're going to receive some lessons from Solomon's son Rehoboam that speak right out of this. Actually, we're going to begin in 9:31.
Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam reigned in his place. Chapter 10. Then Rehoboam went to Shechen, for all Israel came to Shechen to make him king, and it came about when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat heard of this, for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt, so they went and summoned him.
When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they said this to Rehoboam. "Your father made our yoke hard, now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and this heavy yoke, which he put on us, and then we will serve you." He said to them, "Return to me again in three days," so the people departed. Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders, those elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He said, "How do you account to me to answer these people?"
They, these elders, who had served with Solomon, they said to him, "If you would be kind to these people, if you would please them, if you would speak a good word to them, then they will be your servants forever," but Rehoboam forsook this counsel of the elders which they had given, and he consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. He said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer these people who have said thusly, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'"?
The young men who grew up with him spoke thusly saying, "Thus you shall say to the people who said, to you these things. 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter,' you say thus. You say, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. Whereas my father loaded you with the heavy yoke, I'm going to add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips? I'm going to discipline you with scorpions.' You say that to them.
Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, and the king answered them harshly. He had forsook the counsel of the elders. He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, I'm going to add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, I'm going to discipline you with scorpions." The king did not listen to the people nor to the elders, notice, for it was a turn of events from God, that the Lord might establish His word, that which He spoke to Jeroboam and to Solomon, for what Solomon did was evil, "The king then will be torn from you, from your son. Although for the sake of your father David, the two tribes will remain with you, Benjamin and Judah." This thing came from the Lord because what Solomon did was a disaster.
Now what Rehoboam is doing is to further the disaster. It comes from this. Your heart directs your steps. What is in the heart? For the heart directs the steps. The counsel of the elders was wise. There's a great lesson. Follow godly wisdom when you hear it, for it will change your heart. Follow godly wisdom when you hear it. If your heart directs your steps, then what you receive into the heart is of greatest importance to the condition of your heart.
A. Follow Godly wisdom when you hear it
He consulted with the elders, they gave him good and godly counsel. "If you would listen to these people, if you would be kind to them, speak good words to them, if you would serve them." Then he consulted with the young men, and they said, "Make it even harsher." He would not listen to godly counsel because he heard what he wanted to hear. Oh, that's a problem for so, so many people. When people hear only what they want to hear, they will miss out on the wisdom that God would speak into their lives.
Rehoboam sought the power, the prestige, the fame, the honor of Solomon his father, and he wanted it. He even compared himself to Solomon. "My little finger is thicker than my father's loins." Now, you know the loins means the leg, the great thigh. It's the strongest and greatest muscles on the human body. "My little finger is greater than my father's loins." He's comparing himself to Solomon. You can just imagine the elders listening to this, "You're comparing yourself to Solomon? I knew Solomon. I worked with Solomon. Solomon was a friend of mine. Rehoboam, you are no Solomon."
Too many people, they insist on hearing what they want to hear, but wise is the one who hears the truth, who hears wisdom and takes that into your heart, for that will direct your steps. The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him. Colossians 2:2-3, "In Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Jesus said this, Luke 6:45, I love quoting this because it's so important to understand, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart will bring forth what's good." Everything flows, everything in your life flows from the condition of your heart.
Then he adds, "The evil man out of the evil treasure will bring forth what's evil, for the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. The life is lived from that which fills the heart." What is it you receive into the heart, it will determine the steps you take. This was Solomon's error. He had the word of God, but he didn't receive it. He knew the truth, but he wouldn't listen.
He stopped listening to God's wisdom. Why? Because he thought more of his own wisdom than he did of God's wisdom. At some point, see early on in his life, he's asking for God to give him wisdom. Now he thinks he's all that he's all wise. He's got it all figured out. Was he beginning to believe his own press. Everybody was saying how wise he was, how wonderful he was. Even the queen of Sheba that we read about in 2 Chronicles 9:5-7.
Then the queen of Sheba said to Solomon, it was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless, I did not believe these reports until I came and my eyes have seen it behold that half of a greatness of your kingdom is not told. You surpassed the report that I heard. How blessed are your men. Notice this,how blessed are your men or how blessed are these servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. Everybody was saying "Oh how wise you are oh great Solomon."
"Your wisdom is amazing." Therefore, nobody was saying anything to him that he would listen to. He would listen to no one, no checks, no balances, no input nothing. He was the great master of wisdom. He's the one who spoke and everyone else listened. There's a lot of people like this. By the way side note, I submit that what's happening in Russia right now with Vladimir Putin is exactly the same problem. There is nobody speaking a word of wisdom into that person. The end result is going to be tragedy for the world. This thing is far from over and there are great tragedies awaiting the world.
Those who are wise in their own eyes have fallen into a deep trap. Those who are wise in their own eyes have become dangerous to themselves. Carefully guard your heart to stay in that place where God's word is the wisdom that you need to build your life. Let me give you a tremendous word. Proverbs 3:5-7 trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Consider the depth of these words. Trust in the Lord with all your heart do not lean on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil question. Who wrote that? Answer, Solomon wrote that. At the end of his life, he turned this thing around.
You read Ecclesiastes you read Songs of Solomon et-cetera, the other-- you see at the end, he saw it. The emptiness of it all, it's all vanity. He called it for what it is. It's all emptiness. It's all vanity. At the end, he turned it around and wrote this. I love that part of the story. His life was a tragedy, but how wonderful to see that he turned it around because it's a good word even for us today. It's not too late to turn this thing around. Please hear this. It's not too late to turn this thing around. If you've been walking on a road and you come to see it now it's been a wrong direction.
You're heading in the wrong way. It's not too late. You can turn this thing around. Many you know father's story, alcohol angry, cantankerous difficult but at 75 years old, he came to faith in Jesus Christ. In this very church he had baptized with my own hands at 75. It's not too late to turn this thing around. God can heal brokenness. God can heal hurt. God can transform a life. Your soul can yet be filled with the glory of God. It's not too late. Be on your guard. 2 Peter 3:17, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness.
B. Out of a good heart – serve and love
It's not too late. God can do this thing. God can fill your heart and your soul. What a soul do you want to have? It's not too late. God can build that which is good and glorious. Then I'll tell you out of that good heart, serve, love, bless the people out of the overflow of that good heart, that which God is doing. Bless the people around you. Consider the wisdom of the council that Rehoboam received from these elders who had served with his father. If you would serve these people, if you would speak kindly to them, if you would speak good words to them, it's far greater. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a blessing to those who are in your life? To pour out upon them out the overflow of your own soul.
Let God do that which is beautiful and glorious in your soul so that out of the overflow of that it blesses the people in your life. Wouldn't it be glorious to bless the people in your life. It's such a right way to live. It's a beautiful way to live. In contrast, Jesus said this Matthew 20:25-28 he said now you know how it is out there. You know how they are out there. You know that the rulers of the Gentiles, they Lord it over them. They're great men exercise authority over them meaning what? They're bossy. That's what, they're bossy, heavy handed, mean spirited. Those who have authority, those who have a voice, they say hard words. Jesus says, "this is not the way among you". Whoever wishes to become great, you wish to become great. Let him be the servant.
Whoever wishes to be first among you let him be the slave, just as a son man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life for a ransom for many. I love where David wrote my cup overflows. That's a beautiful picture. My cup overflows. Out of the fullness of your heart, let it overflow as a blessing to the people that are around you. It's a beautiful way to live. It's a very much more effective way to live. If there's brokenness, you cannot bless the people around you.
If you're hurt and wounded, you cannot bless the people around you. What is that old saying? Hurt people, hurt people. Angry people, beget anger. I want to bless the people in your life, out of the overflow of what God is doing in your life. Isn't that the way God feeds us? Romans 2:4, do you think lightly of the richest of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that it is the kindness of God, that leads you to repentance?
When someone comes to faith in Christ Jesus isn't not because they have discovered how much God loves them? That God would invite a sinner to come and pour out his love. Even by paying the penalty for that sin, and then restoring and rebuilding. Love changes people, God's love, transforms us most of all, Jesus was asked, what is the greatest of all the words that God has ever said? What's the highest? What's the foremost? Jesus answered and said the highest, the greatest, the foremost of all that God has ever said is love. God is love. Love is the greatest thing that God has ever said. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart. That's the greatest word that God has ever spoken.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Then he added this. The second greatest is similar. It's like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Great truth. If you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength out of the overflow of that, out of his soul that's filled with God's glory, you can love your neighbor generously. Someone said, "Well, who is my neighbor?" Jesus gave a parable. A man was on a journey on the road to Jericho and Robbers attacked him, beat him severely, left him for dead on the side of the road.
The priest came by that way, saw the man there, lying in his blood, beaten, left for dead and he crossed to the other side. Short time later, a Levi came, saw him also there beaten and bloodied, and bludgeoned. He also went to the other side of the road, would've nothing to do with the man and then came with Samaritan who was on a journey. Samaritans. If you remember were looked down upon by the Jews despised, they had married the Gentiles looked down upon them. A Samaritan came by that way and saw the man there, attended to him, helped him bandaged his wounds, put him on his beast, brought him to the place where he could receive care, paid for it all. If there's any still left owing, I will pay when I return. Jesus said, "Which of these proved to be the neighbor?"
They answered, the one who cared. Then doing, go and do likewise. Out of your heart that is filled, oh, it's a beautiful soul that God wants to give you that you would bless. What kind of soul do you want to have? What kind of soul? What a kind of life do you want to live? I don't mean the stuff with things. What kind of soul? God wants you to have a beautiful soul filled with him. His love, his glory, and it will overflow and it will be not only a tremendous blessing to you, but to everyone around you.
Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for revealing the greatness of who you are and the love that you would pour out upon us and then you say to us, then we can decide and choose what kind of a soul we're going to have. Then you give us, how beautiful it would be if you would have a soul made beautiful by the presence of God, by his love if you would just love the Lord with all your heart, then let the overflow bless those that are in your life around you. Your company would say, "Well, that's what I want." Now. I want a soul like that. I want you in my life. I want to love you like that. I want your presence and your glory to transform me.
I loved you. I know that love is the power that transforms, then change me, transform me. I want to be like you Lord. I want to bless out of the overflow of that. I want the people in my life around me to be blessed. Lord do that in me.