With gratitude I send you this message as I read the story of Jacob after his night wrestling with the angel of the LORD.
Jacob’s Dream - Genesis 28:10-22 (AMP)
10 Now Jacob left Beersheba [never to see his mother again] and traveled toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed overnight there because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down there [to sleep]. 12 He dreamed that there was a ladder (stairway) placed on the earth, and the top of it reached [out of sight] toward heaven; and [he saw] the angels of God ascending and descending on it [going to and from heaven]. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above and around him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your [father’s] father and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land [of promise] on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants shall be as [countless as] the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed through you and your [c]descendants.15 Behold, I am with you and will keep [careful watch over you and guard] you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this [promised] land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, “Without any doubt the Lord is in this place, and I did not realize it.” 17 So he was afraid and said, “How fearful and awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven.”
18 So Jacob got up early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head and he set it up as a pillar [that is, a monument to the vision in his dream], and he poured [olive] oil on the top of it [to [d]consecrate it]. 19 He named that place Bethel (the house of God); the previous name of that city was Luz (Almond Tree). 20 Then Jacob made a vow (promise), saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if [He grants that] I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument, memorial) will be God’s house [a sacred place to me], and of everything that You give me I will give the tenth to You [as an offering to signify my gratitude and dependence on You].”
I LOVE THE HEBREW WORD FOR GRATITUDE, hakarat ha’tov, which literally translates to: “recognizing the good.” As we “recognize the good” even in small ways, it will help us to notice the good in other areas of our lives. Gratitude means “to affirm.” It has a way of multiplying. As we express our gratitude, we will discover more reasons to be thankful.
We can all be thankful for a friend of Heritage. We had the privilege of participating in his Celebration of Life Memorial Services in Owensboro, Kentucky this past Thursday. David Mudd was a Friend of Heritage and even though he lived in Western Kentucky, I was his pastor and brother in the Lord. David made us all look better. He was an extension of our ministry across America. Those who have worked alongside of David know how unselfish he was.
I ask you to join me in praying for his wife Deborah and son David Lawrence as they step into his big shoes. “He, like another David the Bible spoke of, will be greatly missed because his seat will be empty.” He and Deborah had four children: one boy and three girls, plus 9 grandchildren.
We love you and our hearts are filled with gratitude for every one of you for all you do for us.
In His Service,
Pastor Cleddie Keith.