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AriseandShine.org

January 2023

Mounting Up

1/1/2023

 
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with 
wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Last night I went to sleep around 10:30…

Prisons and cemeteries are just about the only places that are quiet on New Year's Eve. In here, it's just another day. There's no celebratory merriment with shouts of "Happy new year!” By midnight, most of the prisoners are fast asleep. And by morning, the only thing that has changed is the calendar. 

The previous year has come to an end. A new year has begun. And for me, it is time to mount up. I'm a man on a mission. I have a Goliath to chase after, who also goes by the name of Satan. I don't take this lightly. I'm dead serious.

I want to continue to live my life with purpose, and courage, and hope. As a redeemed child of God, I want to continue to serve my Savior as faithfully as I can. I also wish to leave my mark in the world as a man who has deep remorse for his crimes, and to make amends to society as much as is humanly possible.

Last year brought many trials and challenges my way. Yet the Lord, I believe, used these to strengthen me from within. So, what at first seemed to be bad, ended up working out for my benefit. That's the way God often does things. Christianity is not a cakewalk. It is not meant to be easy. It's a lifelong journey that requires the relinquishment of one's own will and desires to that of doing the will of my heavenly Father.

Today my life is one of joy and peace even as the storms of life swirl around me, and as troubles abound. Yet in spite of this, whatever hardships may come, I believe God's word for me in 2023 is to "mount up" and get prepared as He moves me closer to my destiny.

D. B.


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    David Berkowitz
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