I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD your Maker. Isaiah 51:12-13.

“To those who are…called to be saints…” 1 Corinthians 1:2.

I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Psalm 3:6.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 162: Foreordained from everlasting. Proverbs 8:23: From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. And, Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20: All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. But with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

I realized something important this morning. Throughout all my life God has been there to guide me, as I made choices that were good and that were bad. Even in wrong choices, He was there to guide me back to Him. He never left. And that helps me as I pray for family because we each of us need to live this incredible life we have been given. And the comfort and strength we know to be true comes in Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. There is hope in that understanding because thankfully, it is not me directing anyone including myself, and I can live trusting Him for everything. And lately He is helping me see how important it is to let His Spirit guide my heart, and how important it is to let His love soften the hardness that this world of judging brings. This world is so much bigger than any of us. He knows. He is working and we can trust Him. And as you begin to trust Him, His Presence is your ever-present help. He will walk with you in this present life we live and right into our future with Him forever. How can we begin to give thanks for all He is doing for us? We can turn to Him now and let Him lead as we follow with Him.

***SET OUR HEART ON FIRE – The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. Silence is kept. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of Your Presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for You, now and forever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer (1552).