"I've got great news for you," Varner's agent said, "A major publisher wants to buy your manuscript!" That was good news. Varner had already exhausted his savings during the two years it took him to write the book. He was ready to cash a pay check. "There's only one catch," the agent continued, "they want you to take out all the Christian stuff from the book."

Sam Varner, a member of the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Seaside, CA left his successful practice as a personal trainer to write his book, "Slimmer, Younger, Stronger" to bring his message of health to the world. Top Olympic athletes like Picabo Street and Tommy Moe had already benefited from his help, but Sam had a passion to improve the lives of everyone, not just elite athletes.

Varner had a choice to make. "An easy path would have been to make the rewrites, get my book published and be in the money. But deep down, I knew this wasn't the right thing to do." Varner said. Varner believes that good health is a combination of proper breathing, drinking the right amount of water, getting enough exercise, making good choices in the kinds of food we eat and being spiritually fit. Taking Christ out of the program would compromise what he believes.

When the long awaited call came from the editor assigned to his project, Varner said "No thank you" to the publisher and turned down the money they were ready to send him. He may of lost the book deal, but he kept his integrity and knew that the God that gave him the passion to preach his message of good health would provide a publisher for him.

"After 25 publisher rejections and what seemed like an eternity, I was beginning to wonder if I had made the right decision." Varner commented, "But I continued to pray and entrust my book with God."

In May, 1999, Varner's agent called him again. This time with better news. Element Books would accept "Slimmer, Younger, Stronger" with the "Christian overtones" and wanted to make it their lead book for the year. On January 1, 2000, Element released the book in hardback in the United States, Great Britain, Australia and Canada. During the first six weeks of 2000, it has already sold 10,000 copies and Sam is currently negotiating a second book deal with the publisher.

"Looking back now," Varner said, "I know that God had better plans for my book. I just simply needed to trust him and have faith."

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33 KJV)

(For more information on Sam's book, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1862047715/fm082-20

During the third game of the 1997 NFL season, the Eagle’s Chris Boniol had a twenty-yard chip shot with one second left on the clock in a game against his former teammates, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a cinch, the Eagles had out-played the Cowboys all night and now, with this field goal, they would win.

The snap was good, but the ball slipped through the holder’s hands, he fumbled it, picked it up, tried to run for the goal line, but was tackled. The buzzer sounded and Dallas won 21-20.

Luke 19:17 "And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities.'

John Stephen Akhwari ran in the 1968 Olympics representing Tanzania. Akhwari injured himself in the competition, as a result he finished the race an hour after the gold medal winner. After he crossed the finish line, a reporter asked him, “Why didn’t you retire from the race, since you had no chance of winning.” Akhwari looked confused at the reporter’s question. After a pause, he said, “My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race, they sent me here to finish the race.”

—http://www.rotary.org/meetings/convent/2000conv/huntley.htm Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Hebrews 11:40 NLT For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.

It was a defining moment. On January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and killed all seven astronauts aboard. It was a major setback in NASA's manned space flight program.

What was the monumental cause of the shuttle disaster? With the millions of dollars that we've put into the shuttle program, it would have to be something big, right? Not exactly. Seventy-three seconds into the flight, a flame shot out of the side of one of the two solid rocket boosters. The point of failure was an O-ring. Some say it was made out of the wrong material, that it was vulnerable to frost. Others say it was too small. Regardless, it failed. Our astronauts died.

—http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Physics/Shuttle/p00866c.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

Today, everybody believes in Curt Warner, the Super Bowl XXIV's and the 1999 NFL's most valuable player. But it wasn't always that way. He warmed the bench for four long years for the Panthers of the University of Northern Iowa. Finally in his fifth year, he got the nod and led his team to their division's semifinals.

The National Football League and the Canadian Football League showed no interest in him so he accepted an offer to play for an Arena football team. (Arena football is an indoor game played on a smaller field by fewer players for a part-time salary.)

After playing for three years in the Arena, the Rams gave him a job in 1998 playing for the Amsterdam Admirals. With a stellar European year under his belt, the Rams put him on their active roster as a bench player-he saw action in only one game his first season in the NFL.

This season, he was supposed to back up Trent Green, a multi-million dollar player, but when Green got hurt, Warner who is playing for scale salary, got his big chance.

Warner believed in himself even when others didn't, and continued his journey along the back roads to success. By following his dream and being faithful to use the talents he had out of the spotlight, he was ready for prime time when the time came.

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." (Luke 16:10 NASB)

Walt Durant's wife, Alberta, had cancer and was in a terminal state. I had gone by to see her during her last few days just before her death. She was so weak that everyone had to wear "scrubs" just to go in and see her. I went by on a Friday afternoon and Walt came out weeping and hugged me and basically said that it was just a matter of time before his wife would be gone. She was in a coma. I prayed with him and wept with him and then left. When Saturday came, she awakened from her coma and asked Walt, who was sitting by her bedside, "Walt, what day is it?" He replied, "It is Saturday morning." She said to him, "Oh, no Walt, what are you doing here—it's your soul-winning day." She made him promise her that he would go on out and visit for the Lord!

Walt came back later that night and she opened her eyes and asked him how he had done that day. He said, "Alberta, God blessed me today. I won 4 people to the Lord." She looked at him, smiled and said, "Praise God, isn't God good?" And then she lapsed back into the coma and died a short time later. Those were her last earthly words to Walt.

—Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Larry Wood, pastor the First Baptist Church of Tehachapi, California. Former Associate Pastor of Evangelism and Outreach at Immanuel Baptist Church, Rogers, AR where Bro. Walt attends.

(For another illustration about Walt Durant faithfulness in evangelism, go to http://www.freshministry.org/illustrations/062700.html )

Arthur Winston was a model of faithfulness to his fellow employees at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Southern California. Winston was known for his energy, punctuality, and longevity. His co-workers described Winston as a legend they lovingly referred to as "Mr. Reliable."

Winston worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its predecessor agencies for 76 years, missing only one day of work in that time to attend his wife's funeral in 1988. Recently, less than a month after retiring on his 100th birthday, Winston died in his sleep at home. Family members said Winston left behind a great legacy. Deputy Chief executive officer of the MTA, John Catoe praised Winston's record of service saying, "Arthur Winston's life of service will stand as an unparalleled example of dedication to principles, commitment to excellence, and pride in the American work ethic."

—http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/14/100yrold.obit.ap/. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

The example of Arthur Winston and that of the Apostle Paul challenge us about true faithfulness.

2 Timothy 4:6-7 (ESV) "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

NASA researchers say the first spacecraft to travel beyond our solar system has fallen silent after traveling billions of miles from Earth on a mission that lasted 31 years.

Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Deep Space Network say the last signal from the Pioneer 10 spacecraft was received January 22, 2003. At that time, the spacecraft was 7.6 billion miles from Earth. Traveling at the speed of light, the signal took over eleven hours to reach Earth. The last two signals from the vehicle had been very faint. Though scientists attempted to contact Pioneer 10 again on February 7th, there was no response. They say they do not plan to try contacting the craft again.

Pioneer 10 was launched March 2, 1972. The spacecraft was the first to pass safely through the asteroid belt, and then obtain close-up images of Jupiter. Pioneer 10 functioned so well that it continued its journey, becoming the first manmade object to leave our solar system in 1983.

Pioneer 10’s official mission ended in 1997, but scientists continued to track the spacecraft as part of a study of communication technology for NASA’s upcoming Interstellar Probe mission. Larry Lasher, project manager for Pioneer 10, says, “It was a workhorse that far exceeded its warranty, and I guess you could say we got our money’s worth.”

—Associated Press, February 25, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Things that meet and exceed our expectations are rare. So are people who do the same.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NASB “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

In his book, "The Radical Reformission" Mark Driscoll writes, "When our goal becomes innovation rather than faithfulness, we inevitably become simply a new kind of heretic who has accommodated God and his gospel to the degree that, as Paul told the Corinthians, we have a different Jesus and a different gospel."

Deut. 11:22 (NASB) "For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you, to do it, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him;"

Staying faithful to your convictions is not easy. In the animated motion picture, Horton Hears A Who, Horton the Elephant’s life is changed when he hears a faint cry for help coming from a speck. Consequently, Horton discovers the speck is home to an entire city of people known as Whos. The lives of these tiny people hang in the balance unless Horton can move them to a safe place.

Horton is driven by the conviction that “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” He vows to help the Whos and be faithful to get them to a safe location. Other jungle residents who do not understand or believe him complicate Horton’s mission. His best friend Morton, a mouse, advises Horton not to talk openly about the speck or people will think he is crazy. Horton’s biggest challenge comes from a Kangaroo, a self proclaimed boss of the jungle, who views her responsibility as enforcing every rule. She refuses to believe Horton and tells him people that small do not exist. The Kangaroo refuses to believe anything that she cannot see, hear, or feel.

The test of Horton’s faithfulness comes when the Kangaroo hires Vlad, a vulture, to torment him and destroy the clover holding the speck. Horton’s convictions will be tested to the extreme. Will he remain faithful to his promise when facing personal danger?

OPTION 1 Show Clip from Horton Hear a Who , Chapter 21, Code of Honor 48:35 to 50:34, and Make Application.

OPTION 2 Describe scene and make application

Horton has begun to suspect trouble is coming when he is startled by the sound of someone approaching through the tall grass. He is relieved to see that it is his mouse friend Morton and exclaims, “Morton! Don’t do that!”

Morton has come with an important message and wastes no times telling Horton. He hops up on the elephant’s nose to look him in the eye. “We’ve got trouble! Kangaroo has gone nuts. Bananas! She’s telling everyone that you should be kicked out of Nool.” Shocked, Horton asks, “She said that? I thought we were friends.” Morton continues. “Word is she’s gone to Vlad.” Horton ponders the mouse’s words, “Vlad. I know two Vlads. Is it the bad Vlad or..” Hopefully he adds, “the bunny, Vlad who makes the cookies?”

Sarcastically, Morton replies, “Yeah, Horton. She’s sending you a bunny with cookies. I think we can assume it’s the bad Vlad.” Horton agrees, “Yeah, that’s a good call.” Morton brings them back to the subject bluntly. “Unless you’re cool with giant razor sharp claws ripping the flesh off your body, I’d get rid of the clover!” Horton looks shocked and steadfastly says, “ I can’t. I promised the mayor.” He pauses for a moment then adds resolutely, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, and an elephant’s faithful, one hundred per cent.”

Pleading Morton asks, “Please, for me, just this once, be faithful 99 percent of the time. I’ve never gone 99 percent on anything, and I think I’m awesome. So some on.” Horton puts Morton back on a rock and repeats, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant…” He pauses to allow Morton to finish the sentence. Instead, Morton turns his back on the elephant and says, “I’m not going to say it.” Horton tries to coax the mouse, but Morton still refuses. Horton finally presses a little harder, and Morton gives in. “An elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.” Horton smiles and adds, “That’s right. That’s my code. My motto.” Then he adds, “Thanks for the warning.”

Morton laughs nervously and says, “Motto, okay.” He scampers to the top of Horton’s head and warns, “But watch the skies. Keep watching the skies!” Then Morton scampers down and disappears in the tall grass. Horton cowers for a second then warns the mayor of Whoville. “Mayor, you need to get everyone underground. Now!”

--Horton hears a Who, Chapter 21, Code of Honor, 48:35 to 50:34, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2008. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Application: Faithfulness is all or nothing. There is no such thing as being 99 percent faithful. God is absolutely faithful to us, and expects us to remain completely faithful to His calling.

1Co 4:1-2 GNB “You should think of us as Christ's servants, who have been put in charge of God's secret truths. The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master.”

Thousands of people recently made a dangerous pilgrimage to honor a man known for his faithfulness. The crowds planned a midnight visit to the grave site of Joshua bin Nun, known as

Joshua, son of Nun. The visit to Joshua’s grave marks the anniversary of the leader’s death, over 3250 years ago.

The trip to Joshua’s grave must be conducted under the close supervision of the Israel Defense Forces because the site is located near an Arab village in an area under the control of the Palestinian Authority. During designated hours, the Aleinu prayer composed by Joshua is recited aloud. While in the area, the worshippers also visit the tombs of Joshua’s father, and Caleb ben Yefuneh. Caleb and Joshua, along with ten other men served as scouts sent by Moses to investigate the Promised Land. When the scouts gave their report to the people, only Joshua and Caleb remained faithful to the Lord and encouraged the people to follow through and claim the land God had promised to give their ancestors.

--Thousands expected at Joshua’s Gravesite; http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/136896; April 10, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Even after thousands of years, the faithfulness of these men continue to encourage us to stand up as lights in our generation.

Deuteronomy 31:23 (CEV) The Lord told Joshua, "Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them."

When he won his first title as a professional golfer, Webb Simpson was quick to give God the glory. He finished three strokes ahead of his challenger, bringing his total winnings to $3.5 million. In an interview after winning the Wyndham Championship, Simpson told reporters he would be stupid not to thank Jesus. He said the winning the championship was difficult, and though he was nervous, he felt the Lord’s presence all day. Simpson has been outspoken about his Christian faith and studied religion at Wake Forest University.

While he credited Jesus for helping him win, Simpson also recognized the role his faith in Jesus had before the win. He said his faith helped him be patient while he pursued his first victory. Simpson had finished second twice in other tournaments this year. Reflecting on those finishes, Simpson said, ”I felt the Lord was telling me just to be patient all year. Whether it happened this year, next, or never, everything was going to be okay. You know, I took what I learned from those close calls and applied it today and I think it paid off.” Later in the day, the golfer thanked supporter through his Twitter account. In a follow up tweet, he added, “and I can’t be more thankful to the Lord for walking me through every step. God was and is faithful every time.”

--Webb Simpson Gives Jesus Credit in First PGA Tour Win,http://www.christianpost.com/news/webb-simpson-gives-jesus-christ-credit-in-first-pga-tour-win-54287 ; August 22, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 100:5 (CEV) The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever.

It took almost twenty years of faithful practice and perseverance, but the soccer team from American Samoa finally won their first game. The team from the US protectorate managed a 2-1 victory over Tonga over losing 30 straight games over the last two decades. The team has suffered some big defeats in the past. In 2001, they lost 31-0 to Australia, which was the worst defeat for any team in international history. Though this was one win, reports said the players and coach of the team celebrated as if they had a championship game.

American Samoa’s team is still at the bottom of the world governing body’s international rankings in soccer, but their coach feels they have made history. Coach Thomas Rongen said they would be “part of soccer history.” He added,” Maybe we have a chance to do something special here beyond this one game, but let’s enjoy this one right now.”

--American Samoa football team celebrates ever win, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15867180 ; November 24,2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Galatians 6:9 (HCSB) “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

A Florida’s woman’s eyesight gave out before his faithful car did. Rachel Vetch bought the 1964 Mercury Caliente brand new. At the time, gasoline was 34 cents a gallon, and Lyndon Johnson was president of the United States. After running a red light in March 2012, Vetch said she realized she could no longer safely drive the car that now has 576,000 miles on it. The vehicle will appear in an antique car show in Wisconsin, but after that, the car’s future remains uncertain. Vetch says no one in her family would take care of it as she does, so she will not give it to them. She says she would rather see it go to someone who would appreciate it, and she would consider selling it to talk show host Jay Leno if he was interested.

Every time, she bought gas, Vetch wrote down the date, the mileage, and calculated the miles per gallon. In the half century she has owned the Mercury, it has gone through 18 batteries, eight mufflers, three sets of shocks, and numerous oil changes. The car she named “Chariot” survived a rear end collision in 1980. In the meantime, Vetch has gone through three husbands, and has 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. She says she is taking the end of her time with the faithful vehicle in stride, adding, “A lot of people are worse off than I am. I don’t have cancer, I don’t have Lou Gehrig’s disease, I am lucky.”
--Florida woman, 93, reaches end of the road after 576,000 miles in her 1964 Mercury,
--http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/florida-woman-3-reaches-end-road-after-576000-miles-in-same-car ; April 2, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (GW) So, then, brothers and sisters, don't let anyone move you off the foundation {of your faith}. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.

In the French Alps, sits Le Chambon, a small village between the borders of Italy and Switzerland. Being Huguenots, the people of Le Chambon followed a long line of unswerving faithfulness to Christ, and with the spread of Nazi occupation they remained unmoved. The pastor in Le Chambon, André Trocmé, challenged the people to reject any German request they perceived as contrary to the Gospel. And so they did.

The school children refused to give the fascist salute when officials passed. The teachers refused to sign documents of loyalty to the occupation. Jewish refugees began to arrive as word spread about their resolve to stand against the enemy. In open defiance to Germany, the people of Le Chambon took them in, fed them, hid them, and eventually helped 3,500 Jews escape murder.

When the first refugee appeared at her door in 1941, Magda—the pastor’s wife—said it never occurred to her to say no. She said, “I did not know that it would be dangerous. Nobody thought of that.”

While many look at the actions of Le Chambon as heroic, they were not trying to be heroic. They did not weigh the cost of rejecting German’s occupation, for Christ and the Gospel occupied their hearts. The eyes of the people of Le Chambon were on Christ, not the cost; they were distracted from the fear of following by the joy of obedience. --Jim L. Wilson and Jason D. Helmbacher

-- http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/how-i-rediscovered-faith;
-- http://www.swarthmore.edu/library/peace/DG100-150/dg107Trocme.htm

Luke 14:25-33 (NASB77) “Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, (26) " If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (27) "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (28) "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? (29) "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, (30) saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' (31) "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? (32) "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. (33) "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

Perhaps you have seen in the news that some outside groups are critical of the Boy Scout’s devotion to their Code of Conduct and their membership admission standards.

It is no different with Church membership. When we decide to follow Christ, we are taking on a new way of living, a new set of values and conduct that reflect the kingdom of heaven, not this world. --Jim L. Wilson & Steve Irvin

--http://therightscoop.com/boy-scouts-under-attack-again-over-policy-of-not-granting-membership-to-openly-gay-individuals/

Ephesians 4:1 (NASB77) therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

In Shattered Dreams, Patrick Mead writes, “Being faithful is not a passive thing, it requires work. It is active. Instead of working to control the outcomes of your life, are you ready to take the next step of faithfulness, even if life doesn’t turn out as you’ve planned? What do you want more of, your dreams or God? While I can’t promise you that your dreams will be restored, I can promise you that you will never regret a decision to be faithful to your covenant-keeping God.”—Jim L. Wilson

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (NKJV) ‘Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (33) You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.’

For more information on Shattered Dreams, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1505351596/fm082-20

When President Jimmy Carter announced on Meet the Press, January 20, 1980 that he intended to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games, it altered the lives of many American athletes, like Bob Bugg. He had qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials already, unlike many others, and could have earned a place on the Olympic Team. It wasn’t to be.

Bugg began swimming at age 14 for the Griffin Country Club in Griffin Georgia. From there he walked on the University of Alabama swim team. At Alabama he would become an NCAA All American and SEC record holder under the coaching of International Swimming Hall of Fame coach, Don Gambril. He humbly explains, “it was a gift—I was just barely smart enough not to mess it up.”

After college, he coached high school kids, helping them to reach elite levels of swimming through his coaching and encouraging them to “think, believe, dream and dare.” His swimmers tried out for the US Olympic team in 1988, 1992 and 1996. After deciding to stop coaching for a while, Bugg returned to swimming after seven years, competing in the US Masters Swimming where he would set world records. Bugg took on a new role when he agreed to begin coaching injured service men and women competing in the Wounded Warrior Games trials. Each year, forty top swimmers from each branch of the military compete to win and take home the Warrior Games Cup. This year he’ll coach his fourth Department of Defense Warrior Games in Virginia. He becomes a little emotional reflecting on what he’s seen in the Warrior Games Cup, “Watch a quadriplegic swim 50 meters out of sheer determination to accomplish the swim and experience the cheers from the stands—you can’t help but have tears in your eyes.”

Even though Bob Bugg has spent most of his life around aquatics he says, “My identity is found in walking imperfectly with the Lord each day and totally dependent on sharing my life and love with Roi, my wife of thirty years.” --Jim L. Wilson and Daniel Hall

-Kitchen Drawer Illustrated, (Community magazine), Volume 7 Issue 4, Biography Bob Bugg by Ashley Callahan, p.9-10

2 Kings 23:3 (NIV) (3) The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD--to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

Matt Cobrink is 53-years-old and lives with his 88-year-old father Malcolm in Los Angeles. Matt recently flew to New York to meet Aaron Judge, his favorite baseball player Because of the trip, however, Cobrink had to be away from his father for almost week, something which had not happened for over 25 years. The two had been inseparable in that time. Cobrink has Down ’s syndrome and relies on his father to take care of him. A video was recorded upon Cobrink’s return showing his reaction to seeing his father when he arrived at the airport. He swiftly ran down the escalator, almost tripping before embracing his dad. Overcome by the joy of seeing his father, Cobrink covered him with kisses. —Jim L. Wilson and Alex Morrison

Isaiah 46:3–4 (CSB) “Listen to me, house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. ⁴ I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you.”