Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Aloha and good morning, Craig and Erin! I pray you both had a good night’s rest!

Today I have another story for you. This story is about your daddy and his dependence on Jesus Christ in his life. You see, my children, we do live in a secular society that excludes the practices of our Christian life in the name of tolerance. My precious ones, that is how things are when you leave the front door of our home. Inside our home, everything is different than the outside. Outside, the world does not want us to speak in the name of our God, our Lord Jesus Christ, because it offends them. But inside our home; Jesus Christ is our head; or rather, our one true God who rules and directs our lives. He and only Him do we serve, because he purchased me, your daddy, with His own precious blood when he died on the cross for my sins. Not only mine but for your sins also when you come to Him in repentance, seeking to follow Him wholeheartedly with all of your heart, soul, and life, just like your daddy is doing. For you see, my children, I am His and He is mine. In our home, we are secure in our love for God and we, especially your daddy, live for the glory of God only in everything that he does. That’s why God is so important to your daddy’s life. That is why he spends so much time reading the Word of God, instead of watching television or playing video games. To your daddy, God is the most important part of his life.

My children, last month, my church had a Missions Conference with visiting missionaries who came to speak to our church. Your daddy is on the Missions Team and we have been working on this project since October of last year. My assignment was to contact one of our missionaries who lives and works in his ministry on the island nation of Fiji. I was asked by our team’s director that I need to make living arrangements for this missionary and that I should be the one to host the family in my home. This would be a huge milestone in my life since the recent passing away of my wife and her going home to be with Jesus Christ her Lord. I am now a widower, as you know, but I would never think to volunteer for such a commitment as this. Well, after much prayer, I was open up to this only if this was God’s will for my life. So, I contacted our missionary and gave him two options for his living arrangements here in Hawaii. He could live in a modern, suburban home just minutes from church that is totally equipped with all the conveniences, including air conditioning. Or, he can come to stay at my house which is 30 minutes from church, way out in the country on 2.5 acres of land, recently remodeled home, but no air conditioning. The choice was up to him. Well, my kids, the missionary and his wife wanted to come and stay with me at my home in the country. God be praised!

I was willing, but God ordered and directed my path. Additionally, Craig and Erin, I want you to know, I still and I will always continue to pray and to test the doors of opportunity that only God can open and shut. I have my desires, but we of faith depend on the Word of God. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” This is our church’s Reformed tradition that teaches us the Bible, which explicitly tells us to depend on the authority of Scripture in our lives. It also gives us confidence that we are secure in our path as we cast all our concerns upon our Lord and allow Him and only Him to direct us. Another way to say this that is practical, there was no manipulation on my part to control or change the sovereign plans of my God. He and only He is in control.

In everything your daddy does for God he always prays, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I love you, Craig and Erin,

Daddy!