Day 39 - 50 Day Journey To Christ

Daily Reading:

Jeremiah 11

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Reminder of the Covenant

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 3 You must tell them: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let a curse be on the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace.’ I declared: ‘Obey Me, and do everything that I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to establish the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is today.”

I answered, “Amen, Lord.”

6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Obey the words of this covenant and carry them out. 7 For I strongly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt until today, warning them time and time again, ‘Obey My voice.’ 8 Yet they would not obey or pay attention; each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, because they had not done what I commanded them to do.”

9 The Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been discovered among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors who refused to obey My words and have followed other gods to worship them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke My covenant I made with their ancestors.

11 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not hear them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods they have been burning incense to, but they certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. 13 Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, Judah, and the altars you have set up to Shame—altars to burn incense to Baal—as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem.

14 “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster.

15 What right does My beloved have

to be in My house,

having carried out so many evil schemes?

Can holy meat prevent your disaster

so you can rejoice?

16 The Lord named you

a flourishing olive tree,

beautiful with well-formed fruit.

He has set fire to it,

and its branches are consumed

with a great roaring sound.

17 “The Lord of Hosts who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the harm the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

18 The Lord informed me, so I knew.

Then You helped me to see their deeds,

19 for I was like a docile lamb led to slaughter.

I didn’t know that they had devised plots against me:

“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit;

let’s cut him off from the land of the living

so that his name will no longer be remembered.”

20 But, Lord of Hosts, who judges righteously,

who tests heart and mind,

let me see Your vengeance on them,

for I have presented my case to You.

21 Therefore, here is what the Lord says concerning the people of Anathoth who want to take your life. They warn, “You must not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, or you will certainly die at our hand.” 22 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: “I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23 They will have no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

(Note: Read Jeremiah 25)

Key:  Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection:  Jeremiah was the Lord's prophet, hand picked from an early age (like Samuel), the Lord placed His words into Jeremiah's mouth (Jer 1:10).  When YHWH spoke to the people of Jerusalem, He spoke through Jeremiah.  This did not make Jeremiah a very popular person, nor the book of Jeremiah a very popular book.  In today's selection the Word of the Lord is calling us to examine ourselves, reminding us that we are His, and we must return to Him.  We have put other things, priorities and altars before our God.  We have made it more about the program, and not the Programmer; the gifts and not the Gift; the lights and not the Light; the tree and not the Tree. We fill our lives with things to do, promising to say grace @ dinner, and go to church on Sunday.  We must repent.  We must turn back to God.  Examine your heart before its too late.  We too have been sealed by a covenant, we too are guilty of the sins of Israel. 

Discussion Topic:  What idols do you have in your own life that you are not aware of?   

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Prayer:  Father in Heaven, Your grace overwhelms my heart, Your judgment my soul.  I long to be made whole in You.  Thank You for Your Covenant, thank You for Your Law.  Holy Spirit, please search my heart and reveal to me the idols I have suppressed  or passed off as normal or tolerable.  Show me, Lord, the things I do that keep me from the fullness of Your grace.  Lord Jesus, thank You for Your obedience, that despite my disobedience, You gave up Heaven to come to earth for my salvation.  You were led to slaughter, docile. You were chopped down for our sins.  Teach me to always make it about You.  It is for Your name, in Your name, and because of Your name I pray.  Amen. 

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork - Stories Of

Day 32 - 50 Day Journey To Christ

Daily Reading:

Psalm 132

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

David and Zion Chosen

A song of ascents.

1 Lord, remember David

and all the hardships he endured,

2 and how he swore an oath to the Lord,

making a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “I will not enter my house

or get into my bed,

4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep

or my eyelids to slumber

5 until I find a place for the Lord,

a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 We heard of the ark in Ephrathah;

we found it in the fields of Jaar.

7 Let us go to His dwelling place;

let us worship at His footstool.

8 Rise up, Lord, come to Your resting place,

You and Your powerful ark.

9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and may Your godly people shout for joy.

10 Because of Your servant David,

do not reject Your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,

a promise He will not abandon:

“I will set one of your descendants

on your throne.

12 If your sons keep My covenant

and My decrees that I will teach them,

their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;

He has desired it for His home:

14 “This is My resting place forever;

I will make My home here

because I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless its food;

I will satisfy its needy with bread.

16 I will clothe its priests with salvation,

and its godly people will shout for joy.

17 There I will make a horn grow for David;

I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,

but the crown he wears will be glorious.”

Key:  Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection:  Todays reading comes from the back of the Psalms, whats known as the Psalms of ascent.  These Psalms were sung as the Israelite made their way to Jerusalem for the yearly festivals.  The people of Israel are constantly reminded that they will have a Son, to sit on David's throne.  That Son came, clothed in humility, born of a virgin, born into poverty.  That Son is Jesus.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Discussion Topic:  How can we better tell the world that the King has come, and is sitting on the Throne, not only of Israel, but of the Universe.  

Jointhe Discussion on G+

Prayer:  Father in Heaven, thank you.  Thank you for giving us Your Son.  Christ the Messiah, to free us from our chains, to open our eyes, to heal our wounds.  You are the gift giver, and you gave us a Servant King.  We are forever grateful   Help us to keep our eyes on you and only you in this season of celebration.  In Jesus name, Amen! 

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork - David bringing Ark to Jerusalem: Bible Encyclopedia

50 day journey to Christ - Day 18

1 Samuel 1

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. ³ This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

⁴ Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. ⁵ But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. ⁶ Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving.⁷ Whenever she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way every year. Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸ “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?”

⁹ Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s tabernacle. ¹⁰ Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. ¹¹ Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Hosts, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her lips. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and scolded her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

¹⁵ “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord. ¹⁶ Don’t think of me as a wicked woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”

¹⁷ Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the petition you’ve requested from Him.”

¹⁸ “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

²¹ When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Lord, ²² Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence and to stay there permanently.”

²³ Her husband Elkanah replied, “Do what you think is best, and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your word.” So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him. ²⁴ When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a jar of wine. Though the boy was still young,she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. ²⁵ Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.  

²⁶ “Please, my lord,” she said, “as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked Him for, ²⁸ I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he bowed in worship to the Lord there.

Key: Bold text - Verse of the Day 

Daily Reflection:  Todays reading us brings us to a story of love and desire.  We read of a woman, who longed to have a child, and was willing to give anything to have that child and experience the joy of motherhood.  A woman who sought after God, with righteousness and long suffering.  Despite being rejected  and ridiculed by her peers, she continued to seek the Lord in humble holiness.   

Discussion Topic:  In the New Testement we learn that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, these things will be added to you.  Have you experienced this in your own walk?  If so share your story.  

Join the discussion on G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/112363964604122954663/posts/3eyciHRrt7v

Prayer:  Father in Heaven, we are so grateful for your Love and Mercy.  We thank you for common grace and all the other blessing you give us.  Your Gift to us is more than we can have ever wanted or deserved, and yet you gave it anyway.  For this, we pledge to give you our lives, in humility and service.  May we bless your name with our words and actions, may we worship you in Spirit and Truth.  In your lovely name, the name above all, Jesus Messiah.  Amen.  

Acknowledgment - Text: BibleGateway, Picture: Samuel Dedicated by Hannah at the Temple by Frank W.W. Topham.  website - http://genebrooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/1-samuel-11-211-mother-named-hannah.html

50 Day journey to Christ - Day 17

Daily Reading:

Ruth 4

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Ruth and Boaz Marry

4 Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, “Come^[a] over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. ² Then Boaz took 10 men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down.³ He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ I thought I should inform you:^[b] Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you do^[c] not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”

“I want to redeem it,” he answered.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire^[d] Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”

⁶ The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

⁷ At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

⁸ So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

⁹ Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

¹¹ The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem. ¹² May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

¹³ Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him. ¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed.^[e] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

David’s Genealogy from Judah’s Son

¹⁸ Now this is the genealogy of Perez:

Perez fathered Hezron.
¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram,^[f]
who fathered Amminadab.
²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
who fathered Salmon.
²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz,
who fathered Obed.
²² And Obed fathered Jesse,
who fathered David.

Daily Reflection:  As we pass into the next part of the story, we learn about more of a personal story.  A story about a woman, born of a foreign land with foreign traditions and customs.  A woman whose husband had died, and the family name would have died with the death of Ruth and her Mother in law Naiomi.  Without a husband neither one of them had much of a chance to work, earn income and provide for themselves and needed a reedemer.  As sinners, outside of the will of God, we are all in need of a reedemer.  

Discussion Question:  Think about your own life, what has Jesus redeemed you from?

Prayer:  Father in heaven, thank you for giving us your Son for our redemption.  Jesus thank you for taking on the ugliness of our sin and stepping up to be our Redeemer.  Your love for us is never ending.  We give thanks and praise for all You do, and all You are.  In your beautiful name.  Amen.  

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork from: involutedgenealogies.com)

50 day journey to Christ - Day 13

Daily Reading:

Exodus 20

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Ten Commandments

1 Then God spoke all these words:

² 

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

³ 

Do not have other gods besides Me.

⁴ 

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

⁷ 

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.

⁸ 

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: ⁹ You are to labor six days and do all your work,¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. ¹¹ For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

¹² 

Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ 

Do not murder.

¹⁴ 

Do not commit adultery.

¹⁵ 

Do not steal.

¹⁶ 

Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ 

Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The People’s Reaction

¹⁸ All the people witnessed^[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it^[b] they trembled and stood at a distance. ¹⁹ “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

²⁰ Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not^[c] sin.” ²¹ And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Moses Receives Additional Laws

²² Then the Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. ²³ You must not make gods of silver to rival Me; you must not make gods of gold for yourselves.^[d]

²⁴ “You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause My name to be remembered. ²⁵ If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it. ²⁶ You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.

God used the perfect medium to write his Ten Commandments by writing them on stone tablets.  This can be seen as being an outward example what God has done in our cold hard heart.  

Discussion Topic: As you can see, instead of falling on their face and submitting themselves completely to the Lord God Almighty, the people avoided that personal contact with their Creator by begging Moses to speak to God for them.  What do you think was going through their mind and how have things changed since then?  Why do we feel so free and open to seek the Lord instead of hiding from His voice? (Join the discussion on G+)

Prayer:  Oh Father, I am so thankful that you have made a way for me to speak directly to you.  Thank you for loving me so much that you would make a way for me to enter directly into Your throne room.  I cannot comprehend Your desire to have a relationship with me while I am in this sinful state.  I know that you see me clothed in the righteousness of Christ; not because of anything that I have done, but because of what Jesus did for me.  Thank you for revealing to me my sinful nature and for sacrificing Your only Son in order to offer me salvation through Him.  Your commandments have revealed my sin, and by your grace and through the blood of Christ, you have rescued me from the punishment I deserve.  All glory be to you Father!  In Jesus' name, Amen!

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Moses artwork from: http://kids.christiansunite.com/Bible_Stories/Bible_Story_027.shtml, Mt. Sinai artwork from: http://www.prayermountainco.com/glory-storm-worship/)

50 day journey to Christ - Day 11

Daily Reading 
Exodus 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

3 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. ³ So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

⁵ “Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then He continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. ⁸ I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁹ The Israelites’ cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰ Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹² He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

¹³ Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”

¹⁴ God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

¹⁶ “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. ¹⁷ And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁸ They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

¹⁹ “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he is forced by a strong hand. ²⁰ I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will perform in it. After that, he will let you go. ²¹ And I will give these people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. ²² Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Key - Purple = Words of God, Bold = Verse of the Day

Reflection:  We see again, when God calls a person, they answer, Here I am.  Today we learned the name of God is actually I AM.  Reflect on your own life and your own calling, when God calls us do we answer Here I Am?  Do we make ourselves available or do we pretend that we can't or don't here him?  

Discussion Topic:  Give an example in your own walk of a Here I AM moment, and how that faith helped guide you into the mission you were given.
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Prayer:  Dear I AM, you are, and always will be.  I am humbled by the simple complexity of your Name.  Teach me your ways oh Lord, so that my every response to you is Here I AM.  I know that you ARE always there for me.  Thank you Jesus.  In your Holy and Perfect name I pray.  -Amen.  

Acknowledgments: Biblical Text - Bible Gateway, Image - Fred G. Zaspel (http://www.credomag.com/2011/12/13/i-am-and-the-burning-bush/)