Spiritual Giant Part lll
“Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.” -Psalm 25:12-13
Legacy
Today is the third day of blog posts I want to share in celebration of my dad’s life and faith. In part one, I talked about how coming face to face with death gives a man a lot to think about. I found my dad’s journals while helping my grandma move four years after my dad passed away (two years ago). It was a pivotal time in my life; I was entering my senior year of college and starting to think about graduation. Needless to say, God’s timing is quite impeccable.
At the time, I was also in the midst of struggling to make a big decision, and God knew I needed my dad. I know that God is always the perfect Father, and he has brought tremendous healing to the places I had felt orphaned in the past ( reach out to me if you want to know more about an orphan-spirit and what it means to receive the spirit of adoption).
Anyway, it was the most overwhelmingly beautiful thing having the privilege of reading through these journals – four years later – right when I needed my dad the most. The best way I can explain it is that I simply felt fathered (You don’t realize how much you need to feel that when you don’t have it).
My dad had to make big decisions too. That is mostly what his journals were about. Decisions of faith. Decisions to submit to the will of God. Decisions to keep fighting cancer or to give up. It was like God allowed me to see my dad’s process through making big decisions in order to help me my make big decisions.
After all, a child learns best through her father’s example.
So, in final celebration of my courageous hero of a dad, I want to share some of what he wrote. My prayer is that you, too, would find courage to trust God and to submit fully to his will. Don’t wait until you come face to face with death. Life is futile and you never know how much time you have left (if you haven’t received Jesus into your heart and want to know more, also reach out to me, please!!).
Here we go:
2-15-13
“I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER JOURNALED. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO ME HUNDREDS OF TIMES SO HERE WE GO – “
ASKING GOD FOR WISDOM:
PROVERBS 8:11
WISDOM IS A GIFT FROM GOD
WALK IN THE SUPERNATURAL: THE SPIRIT + THE WORD – BRINGS THE POWER TO CHANGE
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALREADY MOVING – BE READY FOR MIRACLE
IN THE GLORY ANYTHING YOU PROCLAIM HAPPENS
FIRE = PURPOSE
1. TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
2. TO BE TRANSFORMED + CHANGED
WEARY
BATTLE GOES ON
ON THE WAY TO VICTORY
TEST COMES WHEN TIRED –
GALATIANS 6:9 – DON’T GROW WEARY
DON’T GIVE UP – THIS TOO SHALL PASS
WILDERNESS – TIRED – MOSES – COMPLAINED – DISCOURAGEMENT
WHEN WEARY, YOU LOSE PASSION + ENTHUSIASM
PHILIPPIANS 4:6I CAN DO ALL THINGS IN CHRIST CHRIST THAT STRENGTHENS ME.
NORMAL TO FEEL FAILURE – ISAIAH 40:31
2ND WIND – HOPE IN THE LORD – WAIT ON THE LORD
THANK GOD – GIVE GOD PRAISE
YOU WILL RUN + NOT GROW WEARY
YOU WILL COME OUT ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES
ONE A.M. AT A TIME
THERE IS AN END – GOD HAS PROMOTION, INCREASE, FREEDOM, VICTORY
VICTOR – NOT VICTIM
STRENGTH – WEAPON
CANCER – YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME – THE END IS SET – MATTER OF TIME BEFORE GOD PUTS AN END – OTHER SIDE IS REWARD
GOD IS REWARDER. GREATEST PRESSURE – CLOSER TO VICTORY (JUST LIKE THE GREATEST PAIN BEFORE BIRTH) CLOSER TO MIRACLE IS WHEN THINGS GET THE ROUGHEST – BIRTH EXAMPLE
THANK GOD HE IS FIGHTING MY BATTLE.
GOD PROMISES HE WILL RENEW MY STRENGTH.
2-17-13
“9 AM: RACHELLE + I ARE WATCHING CHARLES STANLEY AT MOM’S.
BEAUTIFUL OPENING SONG.
HOW DO I FACE DIFFICULT DECISIONS? DO I PROCRASTINATE? HECK YEAH. YOU BET I DO. WHY?? WELL NOW IS THE TIME IN MY LIFE I HAVE TO MAKE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS EVER IN MY LIFE.
I AM DYING OF CANCER.
THE DECISIONS I MAKE OVER THE NEXT DAYS + WEEKS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS I EVER MAKE IN MY LIFE!
WILLINGNESS – PSALM 25:12
GOD WANTS ME TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
“WHO, THEN IS THE MAN THAT FEARS THE LORD? HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM IN THE WAY CHOSEN FOR HIM.”
IF I FOLLOW THIS PATTERN, GOD WILL GIVE ME CLEAR DIRECTION!
CLEAR THE PATHWAY: CLEAR MY HEART OF ANY KNOWN SIN – MUST DO THIS FIRST! CAN’T ASK FOR DIRECTION WITH SIN IN MY LIFE: CLEAN HEART = CLEAR MIND
SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WILL. THAT IS DEFINITELY WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.
PSALM 25:13 “HE WILL SPEND HIS DAYS IN PROSPERITY + HIS DESCENDANTS WILL INHERIT THE LAND.”
BE CAREFUL TO DISCERN THE WILL OF GOD OR PRESSURE FROM MAN.
WATCH FOR FEAR –
WATCH FOR PRESSURE FROM MAN.
IF I LIVE A GODLY LIFE I WILL BE PERSECUTED – STAY STRONG IN MY DECISIONS BASED ON GOD’S WILL. GOD WILL HONOR + BLESS ME.
DECISIONS?
SEEK + YOU WILL FIND
ASK + YOU WILL BE ANSWERED
GOD WILL SHOW YOU IN EVERY SINGLE DECISION WHAT TO DO
COLOSSIANS 3:15- “LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS SINCE AS MEMBERS OF ONE BODY YOU WERE CALLED TO PEACE. AND BE THANKFUL -”
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION – I WILL HAVE PEACE IN MY HEART!
SIN: CONFUSION, FRUSTRATION, UNCERTAINTY
IN GOD’S WILL – PEACE – JUST KNOW IT’S THERE.
I KNOW I HAVE THAT PEACE!!
ONE LAST WARNING!
WATCH FOR PRIDE!
IT WILL DESTROY YOU!
This is just a small glimpse of the journey my dad walked before he met Jesus face to face. Like I said, he truly was becoming a giant in the faith, even as he withered away to skin and bones. This is the legacy my dad left me (and I didn’t even know it for so long). He was a man who feared the Lord – his descendants will inherit the land.
Thank you, sweet Jesus, that you invite us into victory.
By your blood, we find life, even in the face of death.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your power, your comfort, and your peace.
Thank you, Papa God, that you never leave us as orphans.
Thank you, Dad, for paving the way for me.
It is a blessing to be your daughter.