Some memories grow in perspective. Like the end of 2014!

Rodney and I drove to Alabama (from North Carolina) to spend a few days with family who were driving from Louisiana to meet up with us. We were looking forward to a big Louisiana gathering for July 4th, 2015 like we had experienced in 2013. But in spite of that, my mom and brother decided to get a trip together so we could visit.

Since my dad was unexpectedly called to his eternal home, April 2, 2015, my 2014 end of the year visit with him was “my last goodbye!”

Death is so strange. Maybe because God is the Creator of life. When God created this world and human beings to enjoy it, it was for living not dying. However, sin brought man down from life to death. As a child, the thought of death horrified me, but after accepting the free gift the Lord Jesus offers to those who believe in Him for salvation from their sins, I felt like I had settled it. Yet, as I grew into a young adult, I began to have panic attacks. Death was something you couldn’t hide from or get a pass from. I realized I had a huge problem. It wasn’t going to go away. I needed TRUTH! The Bible calls Satan the father of lies (John 8:44). He loves to hold us captive to our fears. But Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection provided the power to break the chains of sin, Satan and death. Jesus proclaims Himself as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). TRUTH sets us free from fear. The Bible states that fear does not come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is Satan’s tool in his arsenal of deadly weapons to cripple us and sabotage us and keep us from living victorious lives.

Satan loves to push us to the point of not wanting to live. We can start to view life as too painful!

Thankfully, my God is stronger than Satan! The Lord redirected my thinking and helped me realize that a serious commitment to the truths of His Word, not a nonchalant approach, would be the only way to live in victory and not habitually be enslaved to Satan. It requires filling my mind with God’s truths instead of Satan’s lies. Passages like Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds me from where my real struggle comes and helps me as I equip myself to stand firm through the doubts and testing’s of this world. As Ephesians 6:14 begins listing out the essential pieces of armor at my disposal, what I absolutely love most is how the first necessary piece for me to “put on” is TRUTH.

God’s Word is TRUTH (John 8:32; 2 Timothy 2:15)!

We all need truth in our lives. And as I remember on this one year anniversary of my dad’s death, I celebrate the eternal life my dad is enjoying at this very moment and what I will in the future where there will never be another goodbye (Romans 5:17; 6:8-9; Revelation 21:4).

What struggle are you enduring from which truth could set you free?