This is a deeply important and theologically rich question. Let’s look at it in two parts:

🛐 1. The Promise Was Unconditional

God’s promise in Genesis 15:18 was unequivocal:

“To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.”

This is stated as a grant, not a conditional offer. God even passed alone between the sacrificed animals (Genesis 15:17), showing that this covenant depended solely on Him, not on Abraham’s performance. This makes it unconditional in its giving—God bound Himself to the fulfillment.

🧭 2. Possession Was Conditional

Though the gift of the land was unconditional, actual possession and enjoyment of it was conditional on Israel’s faithfulness and obedience.

This is seen later in Scripture:

• Deuteronomy 28–30 clearly outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including exile from the land.
• Joshua 23:16 – “If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God… then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land He has given you.”

So while the land belongs to them by divine grant, their ability to dwell in it securely was tied to covenantal faithfulness.

🏛️ Historical Fulfillment and Delay

• Under Solomon (1 Kings 4:21), Israel’s territory came closest to the full promise.
• But their rebellion, idolatry, and injustice led to exile and fragmentation.

So we see a tension: the land is theirs by right, but not always in experience.

✝️ Theological Layer: Fulfillment in Christ

Some theologians argue the ultimate fulfillment of this promise is:

• Typological: The land foreshadows the kingdom of God, fulfilled in Christ.
• Universalized: Romans 4:13 calls Abraham heir of the world, not just Canaan.
• Eschatological: Full possession awaits the new heavens and new earth, when the promise is fully realized in Christ and through His people.

🧩 Conclusion

Aspect	Nature	Condition
The gift of the land	Unconditional	God’s covenant alone
Possession/enjoyment	Conditional	Israel’s obedience

God’s promise stands forever, but the timing and experience of that promise unfolds through faith, discipline, and divine timing—ultimately pointing to Messiah and the eternal inheritance.

That is a piercing and profound question—and it touches the very heart of God’s dealings with humanity, covenant, and grace. Let’s unfold it carefully:

🧭 1. Why give the land if they could never fully possess it?

You’re right: God knew Israel would fail. He is omniscient—nothing surprises Him. So why give a gift that He knew they couldn’t fully enjoy under their own strength?

Because the gift of the land was never just about land—it was about God’s relationship with His people, about promise, purpose, and preparation for something greater.

🌿 2. The land was a stage, not the end goal

God’s promise of land served multiple purposes:

• A physical inheritance: To show God’s faithfulness in the visible world.
• A spiritual training ground: To teach obedience, dependence, justice, and worship.
• A signpost to something greater: The land was never the ultimate reward—it pointed to rest in God (see Hebrews 4:8–11).

Even when they failed, the promise didn’t fail—it became a mirror showing their need for something beyond themselves: a Redeemer, a better covenant, and a better country (Hebrews 11:16).

⚖️ 3. Unconditional promise vs. human inadequacy

Yes, the gift was unconditional. But that doesn’t mean man could enjoy it apart from God’s way. The land was theirs by divine decree—but to dwell in it, they had to walk in fellowship with the Giver. This tension reveals something vital:

Possession without communion leads to ruin.

That’s why God let the land stand as a testimony to their failure—and a stage for His grace. He would one day bring about a true and faithful Israelite, Jesus, who would possess every promise on behalf of His people.

🔥 4. God’s long plan: to expose the need for a better covenant

“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood… why was there still need for another priest to come?” (Hebrews 7:11)

God gave what man could not fully possess to show what only God could fulfill.

In short:

• The promise is true.
• Man is unworthy.
• God will fulfill it Himself—in Christ.

🧡 5. Final thought: The gift reveals the Giver

God gave a promise that could not be possessed apart from Him, because the ultimate goal was not land, but the Lord.

He wasn’t just giving them a place—He was giving them Himself. The land was a shadow; He is the substance.

You’re raising a theologically weighty and important point—one that touches the heart of how we interpret Old Testament promises, God’s covenant with Abraham, and their ultimate fulfillment in redemptive history.

Let’s take this in thoughtful steps.

🧬 1. The Promise to Abraham Was to His Physical Descendants

You’re absolutely right:
In Genesis 15 and other passages, the land promise was specific, geographical, and national—“To your descendants I give this land…” (Genesis 15:18). That refers directly to Abraham’s physical seed through Isaac and Jacob, i.e., Israel.

God was not vague. He named borders. He tied it to genealogy. That can’t be spiritualized away without losing integrity to the text.

🕊️ 2. Yet the New Testament Reframes the Meaning of “Seed”

This is where tension and mystery arise—and where Paul steps in with a surprising theological move:

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your seed,’ who is Christ.”
— Galatians 3:16

And then Paul says:

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
— Galatians 3:29

So now, in Christ, Jew and Gentile become joint heirs of Abraham’s promise—not by blood, but by faith.

🌎 3. The Land Becomes a Shadow of a Greater Inheritance

The author of Hebrews builds on this by showing that even Abraham wasn’t ultimately looking for just physical land:

“He was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”
— Hebrews 11:10

“If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”
— Hebrews 11:15–16

This “better country” is the new creation—the new heavens and new earth. That’s what the earthly Canaan pointed toward all along.

🕍 4. The Bride of the Lamb Is Not National Israel

You’re correct again:
The New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 is not identified with ethnic Israel, but with the Bride, the Church—made up of all nations, tribes, and tongues.

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
— Revelation 21:2

This bride is not a geopolitical nation—it’s the redeemed people of God, brought together in Christ.

🤔 5. So What About National Israel? Do They Disappear?

Here’s the mystery many wrestle with—especially in Romans 9–11:

Paul speaks of a future inclusion of ethnic Israel:

“Has God rejected His people? By no means!” (Romans 11:1)
“A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:25–26)

Does this mean national Israel will have a role in the end times?

Some say yes, that there will be a national turning to Christ, fulfilling the land promise in a restored millennial kingdom (premillennial view).
Others say “all Israel” refers to the spiritual Israel—all believers in Christ (amillennial view).

You’re right to note: Revelation does not explicitly show a national Israel in the new creation. The emphasis shifts to the unified people of God.

📜 Final Thoughts

Old Covenant	New Covenant Fulfillment
Physical land	New heavens and new earth
National seed (Israel)	Universal seed (all in Christ)
Earthly Jerusalem	New Jerusalem (Bride of Christ)
Law written on stone	Law written on hearts
Promise to Abraham’s fleshly seed	Fulfilled in Christ, extended to all by faith

So you are right to observe:

• The bride is not Israel by nationality, but those redeemed in Christ from all nations.
• The promise to Abraham was to his physical seed, but fulfilled in the one Seed—Christ, and through Him, all nations are blessed.

Yes—exactly. What you’ve said beautifully captures the arc of redemptive history: the journey was never ultimately about land or lineage, but about the Lord—and His eternal purpose in Christ and His Bride.

Let’s affirm and build on your insight.

🕊️ 1. Israel Was Chosen—But for a Greater Purpose

Israel was set apart to be the womb of redemption, not the final destination:

“Theirs is the adoption to sonship… the covenants… the promises… and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah…”
— Romans 9:4–5

Israel was the bearer of the covenant, the keeper of the promise, and the channel through which the Messiah would come.

But the Messiah did not come to exalt Israel, but to redeem the nations—and from every tribe and tongue, form a Bride.

🏙️ 2. The Land, the Law, the Temple—All Shadows

• The land pointed to a greater country (Hebrews 11:16).
• The law pointed to the need for a better covenant (Hebrews 8:6).
• The temple pointed to God dwelling with man—fully realized in Christ and then in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3).

“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us…” (John 1:14)
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again…” (John 2:19)
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:22)

💍 3. The Bride Is the Goal—Not a Nation, but a People

The ultimate revelation is not of Israel exalted—but of a Bride prepared, pure and radiant, from every corner of the earth.

“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb… the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”
— Revelation 21:9–10

That New Jerusalem is not a piece of land, but a people, prepared and perfected for eternal union with Christ.

This was God’s eternal plan all along—hidden in types, revealed in Christ.

✨ 4. Israel’s Role Is Honored—But Christ Is Central

Israel is never discarded. Their role is precious. They are the root (Romans 11). We are grafted in. But the tree grows toward a heavenly fulfillment:

“In Him, the promises of God are Yes and Amen.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:20

Jesus is not the means to return to Israel. Israel was the means to bring forth Jesus, and in Him, God forms a new humanity, a new temple, a new Jerusalem.

🔚 5. The End Is God Dwelling with His People

“Now the dwelling of God is with man… They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”
— Revelation 21:3

That is the climax—not borders, genealogies, or systems—but presence.
Not just a kingdom with God, but a people for God, and a God among them—forever.

You said it perfectly:

“The end was never meant to be the land itself nor the people of Israel for that matter—but God, Jesus, and His Bride, and with them, the New Jerusalem.”

Amen. That is the gospel-shaped fulfillment of the entire biblical story.

That’s a deep and insightful question—and one that touches the heart of worship, presence, and fulfillment in the biblical story.

Let’s break it down carefully:

🏛️ 1. What Is a Temple in Scripture?

A temple is never merely a building. It is:

• The place where God’s presence dwells among His people
• The meeting point between heaven and earth
• The center of worship, sacrifice, and revelation

In Eden, in a sense, the first “temple” was the garden, where God walked with Adam. Later, God gave Israel the tabernacle and then the temple, where His glory rested, and people came to worship, offer sacrifice, and meet with Him.

✝️ 2. Jesus Replaces the Temple

Jesus made a shocking statement:

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
— John 2:19

John explains: “He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

In Christ, the temple is no longer a place—it is a person. He is the embodiment of God’s presence, the final sacrifice, the true meeting point between God and man.

🕊️ 3. Revelation 21:22 — No Temple, Because God and the Lamb Are the Temple

“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

This doesn’t mean there is no worship—it means:

• There is no longer a need for a building to mediate access to God.
• God’s presence is fully available, face to face, everywhere.
• Christ is the center, the substance of what the temple represented.

In other words:

The temple pointed forward to the day when direct communion with God would no longer need mediation by walls, priests, or altars—because the Lamb has made a way, and God is now fully with His people.

🪔 4. Worship Continues—But in Fullness

There is still worship in the New Jerusalem—but it is:

• No longer mediated by ritual
• No longer limited by location
• No longer hindered by sin or distance

It is life lived in God’s unveiled presence, where everything is holy, and every moment is worship.

🔥 Summary

Old Covenant	New Heavens & New Earth
Temple made with hands	God and the Lamb are the temple
Sacrifices offered continually	Christ is the once-for-all sacrifice
Priests as mediators	Christ is our eternal High Priest, and we reign with Him
Limited access	Full, direct access to God—face to face

The temple was never the point. God was.
And in the end, the veil is not just torn—it’s gone.

Yes… and what you just said captures the aching beauty and divine irony of the entire biblical narrative:

So much work after the fall—
But not because God needed it.
Because we did.

🌍 1. After the Fall: A Long Road Home

You’re right—after the fall, there’s a long, winding journey:

• A man is chosen (Abraham)
• He becomes a nation (Israel)
• That nation receives a law, a priesthood, a temple, and sacrifices
• They walk in shadows, symbols, types, rehearsals…
• And they fail—again and again

Not because God’s plan failed, but because man cannot save himself. The law, the temple, and the whole system exposed that truth.

“The law was our guardian until Christ came…” — Galatians 3:24
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…” — Hebrews 10:4

🕊️ 2. The Toil Was Never the Goal

The temple, the sacrifices, the ceremonies—they weren’t ends in themselves.
They were shadows of a greater reality, like signposts in the night.

• The blood of lambs pointed to the Lamb of God
• The temple veil pointed to the separation sin caused
• The ark pointed to God’s presence among us
• The high priest pointed to Christ, our Intercessor

All this toil was not meaningless, but merciful—a temporary language for blind eyes and deaf ears.

“The former regulations were only a shadow of the good things to come…” — Hebrews 10:1

🔥 3. Then Came the Flame: God With Us

When Jesus came, the shadows met the substance:

• He is the temple.
• He is the sacrifice.
• He is the veil torn.
• He is the priest and the offering.

He brought grace, not grind. Face, not fog.
And in Him, we are freed from religion without presence.

🏙️ 4. The End Is the Beginning: God Face to Face

And then—at last—after all the centuries of rehearsing and failing and longing…

“They will see His face…” — Revelation 22:4

No more altar. No more curtain. No more bloodshed. No more toil.
Just God, and His people, and love without separation.

✨ Summary Reflection

Yes:

• So much was done not to build walls, but to tear them down.
• So much was required not to glorify effort, but to expose the futility of it.
• So much was permitted not because it would succeed, but because He would.

And in the end, God is the temple, and worship is joy, not burden.
Presence, not procedure.
Union, not effort.
Face to face, not shadow to shadow.

Ah, thank you for the clarification—and that distinction is so important and deeply revealing.

You’re not calling God’s design meaningless—far from it. You’re pointing out the emptiness that enters when man corrupts sacred things with self-centered motivations.

“I do all this… now God owes me.”
That, right there, is the core of false religion—turning grace into transaction, and worship into leverage.

🔥 1. The Sacred Turned into Currency

The temple rituals, the sacrifices, the ceremonies—God ordained them with meaning, beauty, and mercy.

But what did Israel often do?

• Trusted in the ritual while neglecting the relationship
• Thought they could manipulate God by form, not faith
• Replaced awe with entitlement: “We have the temple of the Lord!” (Jeremiah 7:4)

“These people honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from Me.”
— Isaiah 29:13; quoted by Jesus in Matthew 15:8

It wasn’t the design that failed—it was the heart that approached it.

💔 2. Man’s Hands Trying to Grasp God

Yes, we want to put God in our hands:

• Like a formula: “I sacrificed, now You bless me.”
• Like a trophy: “I obeyed, now I control You.”
• Like an idol: “I followed the steps, so You must do what I want.”

But God is not manageable, and true worship is not a contract.
It’s surrender. Delight. Adoration with no bargaining chip.

🕊️ 3. The True Worshipper Knows: We Bring Nothing

This is why the New Covenant is so radically different.

“The hour is coming, and now is here,
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…”
— John 4:23

No more external ritual to manipulate God.
No more offerings with a secret invoice attached.

Just broken hearts, open hands, and eyes fixed on the Lamb.

🌟 4. In the New Jerusalem, That Striving Dies

You said it perfectly:

“God is the temple and worship is free of all meaningless toils and efforts of man.”

In that place:

• No one will say, “Look what I’ve done.”
• Only: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”
• No one will perform to earn.
• Only behold, and worship, and rejoice.

✅ In Summary

You exposed something deeply real:

• God’s design is holy.
• Our selfish use of that design is what turns it hollow.
• The New Jerusalem ends all performance-based worship, because the Lamb has done it all.

Not “I did this, so God owes me,”
But “He did this, so I owe Him everything—and yet He calls me beloved.”

Excellent. Let’s trace this heart condition—man using religion to control God—as it appears through Scripture. You’ll see a sobering pattern that stretches from Genesis to the Gospels, and is ultimately confronted by Jesus Himself.

⚖️ 1. Cain – The First Religious Transaction

Genesis 4:3–5

Cain brought an offering. It wasn’t rejected because God preferred meat over plants—it was Cain’s heart that was the problem:

• Abel gave “the firstborn of his flock.”
• Cain gave some of his produce—no indication of first or best.
• More importantly, Cain’s motivation was off. He came to get approval—not to give honor.

Heart condition:

“I did my part, now where’s my blessing?”
When God didn’t respond the way he expected, Cain grew angry, even murderous.

👑 2. Saul – Obedience Replaced with Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:13–23

God told Saul to destroy everything in battle. Saul disobeyed but kept the best animals—then tried to cover it with sacrifice.

Samuel’s rebuke is cutting:

“To obey is better than sacrifice… rebellion is like the sin of divination.”

Saul thought: “If I offer the right rituals, God will still back me.”
But God says: “I want your heart, not your rituals.”

Heart condition:

“God must accept what I offer, even if I bend His instructions.”

🐍 3. Israel – Ritual Without Relationship

This is a repeated refrain throughout the prophets:

“Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to Me…
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.”
— Isaiah 1:13

“With their mouths they show much love,
but their hearts pursue their own gain.”
— Ezekiel 33:31

They brought sacrifices. Kept feasts. Sang psalms.
But their hearts were far from God.

Heart condition:

“As long as I perform the right external religion, I can live how I want.”

👓 4. The Pharisees – Legalism and Control

By the time of Jesus, the heart of worship had hardened into a system of control:

• They tithed mint and cumin—but neglected justice and mercy (Matt. 23:23)
• They loved the best seats and being seen praying (Luke 20:46–47)
• They twisted the law to burden others but not themselves

Jesus’ verdict?

“You honor Me with your lips, but your hearts are far from Me.”
“You shut the door of the kingdom in people’s faces.”
“You are whitewashed tombs… full of dead men’s bones.”

They thought: “We do it all right—so God is with us.”

But God was standing before them—and they rejected Him.

🕊️ 5. Jesus – The End of Transactional Religion

Jesus doesn’t just criticize the system—He replaces it:

“Tear down this temple, and I will raise it in three days…”
— John 2:19

He becomes the true temple, the true sacrifice, and the true priest.
He exposes the futility of trying to earn God and calls us to rest in grace.

In Him, worship becomes Spirit and truth—not obligation and ritual.
Not “I do, then God blesses,” but:

“He gave all, and I respond in love and awe.”

✨ In the New Jerusalem…

There is no temple—because there is no transaction left to make.

• No sacrifices—the Lamb is slain once for all
• No veil—the presence is open
• No effort to earn—just joy, love, and nearness
• No more saying, “I did it!”—only “Worthy is the Lamb.”

Yes… you’re naming something so human, so painfully common—and so spiritually dangerous. Let’s explore this deeply.

🕯️ Cain’s Heart: Seeking Approval, Not Offering Honor

Genesis doesn’t spell out every detail of Cain’s offering, but the narrative, when compared with Abel’s, reveals a key difference:

• Abel brought the firstborn and fat portions—a costly, reverent act.
• Cain brought “some of the fruits”—no mention of cost, devotion, or priority.

But even deeper than the gift is the posture.

Cain brought a gift to get something.
Abel brought a gift to give something.

Cain’s motivation seems to be:
“If I perform, I’ll be accepted. If not, I’m nothing.”

So when God doesn’t approve of his heart, Cain crumbles in envy, anger, and violence. That’s what happens when we worship from insecurity and entitlement instead of trust and love.

🤲 The Insecure Heart Before God

You’re exactly right: when we don’t know we are already loved, we approach God like a performance stage, not a throne of grace.

This is what it sounds like:

• “If I read my Bible today, God will be pleased with me.”
• “If I tithe, He’ll bless my business.”
• “If I pray hard enough, I’ll prove my worth.”
• “If I suffer, I deserve something in return.”

We turn worship into negotiation, devotion into demand, and love into leverage.

But God doesn’t want to be bargained with—He wants to be trusted.
He doesn’t want your deal—He wants your heart.

💡 Why This Grieves God

Because this kind of worship misses His heart entirely.

• God already cares for us.
• He already knows us.
• He already loves us.

When we come striving to earn what He already gives freely, we turn His grace into a transaction, and our worship into a performance.

And worst of all—we start believing it’s about us.

“Look what I did.”
“I’m worthy now.”
“God owes me.”
“They should see how devoted I am.”

That’s Cain’s spirit: a restless heart trying to secure identity through religious achievement, instead of surrendering to love.

✝️ The Cross Shatters That Mindset

The gospel answers our insecurities not with demands but with this truth:

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” — 1 John 4:10

If that’s true, then:

• We don’t worship to be approved—we worship because we are.
• We don’t give to impress—we give because He gave first.
• We don’t seek a stage—we seek His face.

🌿 The Invitation

God’s question to Cain echoes to all of us:

“Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:6–7)

The door is always open for a heart to return—not with a performance, but with presence. Not with a bargaining chip, but with a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

🙏 Would You Like a Reflective Piece?

If you’d like, I can write a devotional or a poetic meditation from the perspective of someone shifting from Cain’s insecurity to Abel’s surrender—from seeking approval to resting in grace. Would that help express this more deeply?

Ah… that is raw and honest—and yes, very human.

You’ve touched the exact tension at the center of real faith:

The heart is costly.
It’s messy. It’s unreliable. It’s breakable.
And it can be exhausting to bring it before God again and again.

Wouldn’t it be easier—safer—if God just wanted a checklist?
Read. Pray. Tithe. Fast. Be nice. Repeat.

Then we could manage Him like a vending machine:
Insert devotion, receive blessing.
No heartache. No mystery. No surrender.

But here’s the thing…

❤️ Why God Wants Your Heart (Even When It Hurts)

Because your heart is where you actually live.

God doesn’t just want your time, your habits, or your theology.
He wants you. And the only way to reach the real you—the you behind the duties and masks—is through the heart.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” (Isaiah 29:13)
“Son, give Me your heart…” (Proverbs 23:26)

Even when it’s weary.
Even when it’s broken.
Even when it’s numb.

🧊 Why an Impersonal Approach Fails

The “practical, impersonal” path feels easier, but it:

• Breeds distance from God
• Turns worship into obligation
• Hardens the soul into religion without wonder

It may protect you from the pain of vulnerability—but it also cuts you off from the joy of belonging, the awe of encounter, and the peace of being known and loved.

💔 God Knows It’s Hard to Bring the Heart

Yes, it’s disappointing. Yes, it can ache.

But He doesn’t ask you to fix your heart before bringing it. He just says:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Not, “Come to Me with a perfect heart,”
but, “Come to Me with your burdened heart—and I’ll carry you.”

🔥 A Quiet Invitation

What if God is not saying,
“Give Me more.”
But rather,
“Let Me have what you’re already carrying.”

Your fear. Your weariness. Your disappointment.
Yes, even your reluctance to open your heart again.

That’s what He wants—not the polished version, but the real you.

Because the impersonal path will never heal you.
But the wounded heart in the hands of Christ—that’s where life begins.

Tired of Bringing My Heart

—a prayer for the weary, honest soul

Lord,

I’m tired of bringing my heart.
It gets heavy.
It breaks too easily.
It hopes too much and hurts too often.

I’d rather give You something cleaner, more useful—
A task list.
A donation.
A sacrifice I can measure and control.

Something less personal.

Because when I bring my heart, I risk being seen.
And seen means vulnerable.
And vulnerable means disappointment.
Again.

But You keep asking—not for my performance,
Not for my perfection,
Not for my best version.

You ask for me.

Not because You need my heart to be strong—
But because You are gentle enough to hold it when it’s weak.

So I bring it.
Tired, bruised, hesitant—
But real.

And somehow…
You do not flinch.
You do not shame.
You just stay.

You remind me:
You don’t want a deal.
You want communion.
You don’t want control.
You want closeness.

So here it is, Lord—again:
Not because it’s whole,
But because it’s mine.
And You are worthy of even this.

Amen.