The scripture for today, December 23, is 1st Samuel 12:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:          “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

Jehovah God of the universe with its two trillion galaxies, you have all things ultimately under your control, even tiny specks in the universe ~ humans.  You gave us free will, but you have the master Plan that nothing and no one can stop from being carried out. You delegate and we try to understand. Sometimes we refuse to carry out our assignments, preferring to wallow in our problems and blame you. Sometimes you step in and adjust things.  Always you are working to carry out your glorious Plan to the finish ~ of saving us from Satan and chaining him forever. You work whether or not we do. You love whether or not we do. You stay on course, no matter how much we get sidetracked and follow Satan’s offers of pleasures. Onward you go, despite politics and disasters and selfishness and Satan’s diversions. You are the brightness of the stars, the depths of the oceans, the height of mountain tops. You are the glory of the universe and I adore you.

Forgive my hypocrisy, Father. I sing on Sunday “I Love to Tell the Story,” then don’t do it. I sing on Sunday, “Bring them in,” then I don’t.

You, Lord, are the light that leads me through the gloom of night as I walk the path you have given me in this world. One step at a time until I am home. Sometimes you lead me through torrents of storms and other times through sunny meadows. Thank you. May I never be too proud to take your will as my own and keep following. Lead on, my Lord. One step at a time lead on.  Then, some day we will be home.