As the east sun comes through our bedroom window I awake each morning to read a plaque written in fine calligraphy. I study the impact these imperatives should make upon my life.
‟Whence thou hast come”: I’m thankful for my godly heritage. My Christian parents taught me how to apply biblical knowledge. From them I learned what a family looks like, how respect should be sewn in the fabric of my life, the importance of an education, and the value of speech (what to say and not to say). But when I put a personal twist on ‟from where I have come,” I must give praise to God who saved me from being a good little girl to being redeemed and striving to be Christ-like. As the saying goes, I have come a long way.
‟Whither thou goest”: Eternal life is mine. I know I will spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. But until then, it’s also important to know where I’m going here on earth on a daily basis. Each morning I ask what I’ll be doing, what is my purpose, and how will I fulfill it that day. God has given each of us a purpose in life, a goal to accomplish not only at the end of life. At church our pastor reminds us each Sunday morning that we have only three things to do: ‟Love God, love others, and serve the world.” That’s a lot to do in a day, but it’s worth setting our minds to doing.
‟& before Whom thou shalt stand”: This is the most important of the three imperatives. One day each of us will stand before the One who made us, who sustains us, and who has given us His grace for daily living. But do we know Him? Do we know who God is, what He is like, what He has done for us? God the Father gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, as the sacrificial Lamb to pay for our sins, for my sins, your sins. Jesus is the One before whom we will stand. ‟This shouldst thou know.”
Ann Coker 