II Timothy 1:7 - "I Am Not Alone"

Oh Lord, when will this season of death end? I do not remember ever having a time in my life where there were so many deaths. I pray for this family as they wake up this morning for the first time without their loved one with them. I thank You for the gifts You gave this one with giving him time and also for him being able to be home where he wanted to be.

Lord, thank You for the way You gave me Kari Jobe's song "I Am Not Alone" many weeks ago to share with him and his wife. As I sat there in the hospital and sang it and saw tears in his eyes I knew you were speaking to him. This song means so much more even after his death than that day. And then for You to have it come on the radio right after we received the message that he was in his last moments and we needed to come was amazing. But then just a few hours later to get into the truck to go back when he left this earth and have it come on the radio again blew me away. Thank You for the memories I have with this man.

The first time the Lord gave me this song and gave me the urgency to share it with him he was a new believer who was very scared of dying. I shared with him II Timothy 1:7 which reads, "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but He gave us a spirit of power, love and self-control." I explained to him that it is normal to be afraid when put into circumstances such as his. But the important thing he needed to remember was that he was not alone in his battle. After he accepted the Lord, he could depend upon Him to give him exactly what he needed. Oh how he feared death at that point in time. But the last time I saw him in the hospital his smile showed me he was at peace. All he wanted was to be able to go home to die. His wife gave him the greatest gift she ever could have given him by fulfilling those wishes. I truly believe when he took his final breaths if he could have talked he would have said...

When I walk through deep waters
I know that you will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome

Through the valley of the shadow
Oh I will not fear

As he was in his last hours and kept reaching up, I believe he was seeing a glimpse of heaven. He knew where he was going, praise God!

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see your light is breaking through
The dark night will not over take me
I am pressing into you
Lord you fight my every battle
And I will not fear

You amaze me
Redeem me
You call me as your own

You're my strength
You're my defender
You're my refuge in the storm

Through these trials
You have always been faithful
You bring healing to my soul

Oh yes! Dennis knew the Lord was his strength and refuge in the storm of his disease. He received healing to his spiritual soul in order to receive healing to his physical body. I will never forget the smile on his face the last time I saw him in the hospital. What a gift that was to me.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for loving Dennis so much that You did not give up on him but instead used people to show Your love to him until he found his way to You. Thank You for these last weeks that You used to help him to overcome his fear of death. Thank You for the gift Patty gave to him by taking him home. Lord, thank You for giving me the opportunity to be with this family over these last months. Be so very close to them. Father, for the ones who are not in relationship with You I pray they will find their way to You. For those who are in relationship with You I pray they will dig deeper into their faith through these tough days. As I think of what I just wrote, Dennis knew the Lord was his strength and refuge in the storm of his disease, You remind me the same can be said for myself as I go through the storms of my disease. Lord, I pray for Your strength to be my strength. I pray against side effects against the steroids. I pray the pills will take care of the issues so I don't have to have IV's. But most importantly Father I pray for Your will in my body. Lord, more of You and less of me will enable me to not allow the enemy any foothold of fear about this flair-up. Lord, I want to do Your will...plain and simple. Go before today as I speak. May Your words be my words. Thank You Jesus for being My Sustainer. Amen.