Dad’s request
for his funeral message was that it would focus on the Bible. So that’s what I
did. From the first words of Genesis to the final words of Revelation, we took
a trip through the pages of Scripture and looked at a sampling of the truths
found within.
One of the verses I read came from
Psalm 1 – “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates
day and night.” I thought maybe I might share from the words of my message
here:
You heard part of Dad’s story earlier when Ryan read sections
of it. Dad devoted his time to many things throughout his 94 years, but one
consistent use of his time was reading the Word of God.
The very first Psalm says of the blessed man, But his
delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and
night. And Dad did. He knew his Scripture. It was never a chore for him. It
genuinely was a delight.
I’ve often said that one of the greatest gifts Dad gave me
was a love for the Word of God. When I was a little girl, Dad would come to
tell me goodnight and he’d sit on the edge of the bed and tell me Bible stories
from memory. And he didn’t just tell the “big” ones – you know what I mean? He
told the obscure ones that always get skipped over in the children’s Bible. He
knew them by heart, and he told them in great detail. And he could do that
because his delight had been in the Word of God. After all, there’s a lot of
good stuff in there.
Part of the legacy he left to me is a love for the Word of
God. And while I do not have children of my own, it is my great joy to pass
along that love to those I have the privilege to serve. I know many of you in
this room sat under Dad’s preaching or teaching along the way, and you know how
much he would want you to know and love the Word of God. One way you can honor
his life is to carry on his legacy of loving Scripture.
My beloved Bible has been with
me since the WillowBridge days, and I’ve lived in it, carried it with me everywhere,
and documented my journey on its pages. I’ve copied the words from the Gospels,
learned things I never saw before, and found my appetite for learning more only
growing.
I hope it will be the same for
you.
1 comment:
Love!!!
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