Once upon a time a 6 year old little girl, tucked in bed for the night, prayed a simple prayer of faith repenting of her sins and receiving God’s gift of love through Jesus’ death and resurrection. She understood her need for a Savior, as her exit out of hell and promised entrance into everlasting life.
A little girl who lived in a dark world and yet there was always light to keep her going. A little girl with significant trials, fears, tribulations, heartache, joys, victories. A 10 year old little girl who carried her bible with the words she had written inside “I Love God’s Word”.
When she was just 19, she sat by her father’s bed inside their tiny little home ministering to his needs as he lived out his last days on this earth. Her father’s physical body weakened and almost faded into nothing as the cancer spread. She clung to the only assurance she had. God’s Word. Opening her bible, not knowing a lot of what was in there (as she was still much a babe in Christ), she sought out desperately a Word from the Lord.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Ps. 73:26 These were the words she found, then wrote on a tiny piece of paper and taped to the cold metal pole that was holding the fluids flowing into the frail man she looked upon who used to appear so strong. These words encouraged her to keep going and believing no matter how grim things appeared on the outside, on the inside God was working and strengthening the inward man – not only for her dad, but also for her. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Cor. 4:16
She watched as days went on and his physical body become weaker and weaker, yet she also observed something beautiful and amazing. His body weakened, yet his spirt became alive and stronger than ever. This once very tough, rough, man-became what God calls us to – humility. And he took his trial like a man of God. No complaining, enduring so much, and at the last, simply stating “I am completely ready to go see my Savior”. Worship music played in his last hour of life, and the last words she heard her father speak were “prince of peace, prince of peace”.
Many years later this little girl, now grown woman, opened up her childhood bibles. “I LOVE GOD’s WORD”, she had forgotten she had written there. Reflecting on her life, the trials that she continued to walk through after her father’s entrance into glory, the persevering through the heartaches of life, the areas she had been in bondage and sin and fought hard to break free from. She had JOY! Unspeakable JOY!
She was more than a conqueror because of Christ and Christ alone. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Rom 8:31
The power of GOD’s WORD. The ways in which He had walked by her side, comforted her with His promises and gave strength as she clung to HIS PURE WRITTEN WORD AS TRUTH and her sustenance. Wonderful works of deliverance (too many to count), He had done in her life!
GOD’s MIGHTY, POWERFUL, FAITHFUL, TRANSFORMING, DELIVERING, HEALING, COMFORTING, WORD! It is just that! And even more than human words can explain.
She peered through the pages of her little white and tiny red bibles as tears ran down her cheeks. Joy and gratitude filled her heart for how awesome her Savior has truly been. She passed down these bibles to her sons. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 Jn 1:4. For she knows that nothing will sustain them and bless them in this life like a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The WORD of GOD to pass down to her children – in hopes they will cling to His truth for their entire lives.
She loves to see her youngest with his tucked in his bed. And she is blessed to put into her oldest son’s hands the white leather bound. As she looks upon her oldest, she reflects again on the POWER OF GOD. And the POWER OF HIS WORD that she has held tightly to as truth. Her oldest having extra challenges because of a stroke at birth, she has seen GOD’s WORD proven true through this life.
Her words of gratitude cannot be enough to the LORD. He kept her gaze from looking too long at the world and brought her gaze time and time again back to heaven. For the world pleaded for her son to be with “specialists” and everwhere else but in her loving embrace. Offerings to take her son away for therapies, and more…suggesting they had more to offer and she was not qualified. She looks at a world gone wrong with convincing souls of men to find their help in blogs, opinions, teachers, preachers (any great preacher will encourage to be in the WORD and don’t take his word for it, search the WORD for one’s self) books, therapists… – pulling souls away from the POWER available to them through the WORD of GOD that truly saves.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deut. 6:5-9.
God’s Word continued to diminish the doubts as parents stood in their position under Christ’s authority, for molding and shaping the lives given to them by God. He has shown her how clinging to His word is where to remain. His WORD is faithful.
A woman who is desperately thankful as she stands in the heart of her home today (because of God’s faithful Word), as she vacuums in gratitude singing… “Jesus I sing for…. all that You’ve done for me”.
A woman who desperately desires that others will embrace the GIFT of LOVE through abiding in GOD’s WORD!
Man’s word/World’s Word vs. God’s Word. Words to consider.
“cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength….. blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord” Jer. 17:5 & 7
“woe to rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel but not of ME, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, who walk to go down to Egypt (Egypt an analogy for mingling in the world and it’s ways), and have not asked My Advice” Isaiah 30:1 & 2
“happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help. Whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, and the sea and all that is in them. Who keeps TRUTH forever!” Ps 146:5
Isaiah 31: 1-3
I remember that girl, her doll and that Bible….as well as the last breaths her Dad took. So beautifully written from the heart. What an amazing woman of God you have become. I love you <3
Not sure I remember the actual doll in the picture, but I do remember the picture. Also I remember another special doll you had.
I love you too my BFF! You were there that night. You’ve been there since almost the beginning and been there to bless my life with so much love and encouragement – that night, the night our son was born… and everything inbetween. My forever friend.