Heavenly Father I praise You for the design of how You made us and in Your image. I Thank You and praise You for intelligence, memories, sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. I praise You for walking with us from childhood to old age. Help me to take command of my morning and shake the evil from it.
Holy Spirit You inspired Solomon to write the book of wisdom that we know as Proverbs. In this book, he wrote: Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. [Proverbs 22:28] Knowing history as I do I understand this because all the time in Israel’s past God would have them leave 12 stones piled to be a reminder of what He did for them as they came and possessed the promised land. It was to demonstrate to all generations the faithfulness of God. Help me to recognize the landmarks in my life. I sometimes visit the church where my grandfather and father spent their lives investing in people’s lives. I see the rock piles on my father’s property that represent when my grandfather and his children cleared the rocks off the fields so they could farm. I have visited the grave site of my grandparents, uncles, aunts, my son Philip, and the babies we lost Charlene, Alexander, Abigail, and Joshua Jacob. All these remind me of how hard life is and yet I have cherished memories of many and even the pregnancies of hope that failed just short of completion. These markers or scars are the reminder that this world has death and sin in it but also that I have a hope that life continues beyond the grave. This hope is what helps me get up in the morning, treat people with respect, and take a breath to continue to walk. Otherwise, I would have been dead long ago. I personally have faced death multiple times and yet You have a plan and a purpose for my life. Help me to use those landmarks whether physical or in my memories to give me strength to truly live, love and serve with all that I am.
But, beloved, remember the words that were previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their ungodly desires.” These are the men who cause divisions, sensual, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal life. Some have compassion, using discernment. Others save with fear while pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 17-24 (MEV)