2 Kings 20:2-3 (ESV)
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,
“Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and

with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”

A Tribute & A Call to Join Me in Prayer For My Cousin, Herb Smith:

Herb Smith is my oldest of 26 cousins. He is my dad’s oldest sister’s son, but also related from my mother’s side of the family. What makes Herb unique is the way he symbolizes the great Godly inheritance our family has of both men and women who have passed the baton of faith from generation to generation. He was born into a Godly lineage and is living it out by building a legacy of grace as well. He is a man’s man and a Godly man who has exemplified what pleases God when men follow Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King in their heart, home, church, and community.

When we were kids, my dad would lead us to pray for Herb in the Vietnam War, Uncle Rich in the Air Force, and Aunt Albertha on the mission field. This gave my brothers and a Godly perspective of what was respected by the man who led us and the people he expected us to become.

One of my earliest memories of a family trip was visiting Herb in the US Army barracks. I am sure MacArthur and Patton had visitors too, but I felt like Herb was the most important man in the military, and to us he was. He was defending our county and our national freedom was owed to men who rose to the call of duty unlike those who mocked it and avoided it. Herb went on to be just as heroic at home after the military.

When Herb returned to Minnesota, he first wisely and admirably married, Joyce, a Proverbs 31 woman who fit wonderfully into the Kuiper family’s culture. They raised Godly, talented, and really fun daughters whom I was able to hang out with at various times when my family lived in the Primghar, IA and Kansas City, MO.

Although I am his somewhat younger cousin, Herb, like an elder statesman, has always taken an active interest in my ministry adventures and in me. He even came to Grace Legacy Builders in the midst of our rebuilding.

He has been a Godly leader in his home and church and his community impact reflects his Christ- centered heart. I like to brag how he was awarded for all of his years of outstanding service at UPS. We are a part of one of the families that came to this country from the homeland and we are able to boast of hard work. Our relatives have practiced their callings with prudence, diligence, and grace!

Herb Smith is a truly a Biblical man of valor. More than anything, Herb is the kind of man we need today and tomorrow to continue passing the baton of faith to the next generation and as well to next generation after that in his home, church, and community (see Joshua 24:15). So, please pray with me, like Isaiah in this scripture, for an additional 15 years of Herb’s life through his battle against cancer.

2 Kings 20:5-6 (ESV)
“Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father:

I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you…and I will add fifteen years to your life.”

In the Name of Resurrected, Reigning, Healing and Returning Savior – Jesus Christ.

Rev. Bruce R. Kuiper, President