Day 107 Higher Ground

 

4/17/2026

"You cannot lift your children

to a higher plane than the one on which

you live yourself."

Daily Walk

 

My alarm faithfully rang at 7 am, but I remained peacefully in bed, waking up intermittently until I drifted back to sleep. I hadn't slept well, as I didn't fall asleep until after 3:30 am. For some reason, try as hard as I might, I could not rest. So when the alarm went off, naturally I wasn't able to drag myself up, and so it went, drifting in and out of sleep, until almost 9 am! When I glanced at the clock and saw the time that got me moving! My prayer call was in about 30 minutes, and I hadn't prepared my heart. Whereas I know that God was not disappointed in or upset with me, I was very irate at myself for giving into the flesh and craving "just a little more time" to wake up. I am my own worst enemy!

Checking Israel's alerts I was happy to see that there had not been any rockets fired in Israel, and I was  relieved that the ceasefire in Lebanon did happen, while Iran continued to honor their ceasefire. I was able to get it all together, join the call and afterwards enjoy my quiet time, before I headed outside to finish cutting the grass. Seeing a freshly mowed lawn, in spite of more weeds than grass, warmed my heart. I didn't see my cat, Alex, until much later in the evening, however, because the in-house drama between my cat and my son's cat, Mia, who is a house cat, continues. The drama has become a daily encounter, as Mia is trying to keep the interloper out of her territory. I have to laugh, because she will vacate any room or flat service if we rattle the treat bag. In fact that's her plan, but it seldom works these days. Cats have a mind of their own, but I will not be moved!

As I continued my reading in 1 Chronicles I revisited King David's rise to the throne of Israel and his desire to build a temple for the Lord. Because David was a man of war, God denied his request, but He promised David that his son, Solomon, would be the next king, and he would build the temple for Him. David humbled himself before the Lord, and he praised God for his kindness to him in making him king and establishing a covenant with him and his family. God's plans will always be fulfilled, and it brings Him great joy when we obey His commands, walking in His plan. God entrusted David and Solomon with a greater, higher plan, and His plans would not be thwarted then or now.

In considering the rulers of Israel and Judah once Israel became a divided kingdom, it is difficult for me to understand how a godly king can have an ungodly successor, especially given David's leadership and Solomon's, yet in Judah the pattern was followed as it was in Israel. But for the most part Judah was ruled by men who loved God and whose rule was pleasing to God. I know that they were not perfect, but King David and Solomon loved God and obeyed His precepts. In the end Solomon's wives and concubines pulled him away from God, and he worshiped their false God's which led to a divided kingdom when his son ruled after him. He did not follow in God's ways as did his father.

Something happened in the afternoon that upset me, and although the matter is not completely resolved, I feel more peaceful about it, and I know that in spite of how things initially may have appeared on the surface, some decisions are made against another's express desires in order to have peace in the home. In speaking about children who do not always follows in God's ways, and who may not always make wise making choices, some seem to think only of themselves, but, I must say that my sons have not disappointed me, because when put to the maximum test, they chose honorably. Although people may judge what they do not know, when it comes down to making decisions that put others first, they do. Perhaps at a later time I will have the opportunity to share more personally, but it encourages me to know that my children know what Jesus would do, even if one of them is rebelling against Him. He will return, I have no doubt. Even when our children may not agree with us, they do watch us to see if we are consistent in word and deed. This is the higher plane, and I set my standards high for myself, because I serve a holy God, and I want to bring Him glory. I pray my children see His character in me and pursue the same. 

After a somewhat different day, I learned that the crew of Artemis II were sharing their experiences with the public, and in their description of God's creation and the awesome power of the universe, all His marvelous wonders, they shared the same feeling that given all that space we should learn to get along and seek peace, or something along those lines. It's wise counsel!