Although Scott fought a long standing battle against the slow progression of Lou Gehrig’s disease, he passed away unexpectedly returning home from a haircut. He was revived and given 6 more precious days with us before he went on to Paradise. I am confident that each of these days fulfilled both earthly and heavenly purposes, completing the number of days God had allotted to him.

Despite being diagnosed with this terminal illness in 1997, with which the medical field has no cure, Scott always held on to hope. Rather, it was his invitation to go deeper and farther in his relationship with God. Scott looked to his Savior, Jesus the man of sorrows, who was acquainted with grief sent to redeem the world. Scott always had his eye on the purposes and call of God to allow him to walk his own path of bodily humiliation. The Holy Spirit quickened him with strength and determination in his inner man. Scott held to the belief that all things were for his sake although his understanding could not comprehend why. He held to and applied the promises in the Word of God as his ongoing prescription and The Great Physician gave him medicine for his soul.  As the apostle Paul wrote “he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be a partaker of his hope.” Those that knew Scott knew that he was a partaker of hope in Christ’s salvation for his circumstance and was a sharer of the Good News of eternal life.

Scott was not beyond discouragement from the limitations and dependence imposed upon him through illness. He clung to God’s Word to deliver him from the projections that constantly tried to assail his mind day & night. He sought examples in the Word of God that exhibited total dependence upon the mercy of God. He often identified with the heart of the Psalmists, especially those of King David who encouraged himself in the Lord and said in Ps 56:3-4.

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word),

In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Two weeks before he died, Scott had been having low energy and suffered a fall. Although he wasn’t injured, his mind warred against him. He considered the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Elijah had run from Jezebel in fear into the wilderness and sat under a juniper tree. He asked God that he might die, saying “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers”. At this time after Scott’s fall, in anguish of heart, Scott asked the Lord “Isn’t it enough?” It would have to be the Lord that took Scott’s life because again and again he determined that he would not resign to death, it would be to him as if quitting his race. Scott wanted to go the distance and finish well by allowing God’s to fulfill His purposes for his life.

The scriptures tell us that Elijah was fed by an angel and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Mt. Horeb.  He stayed in a cave; then the word of the Lord came to him, and asked “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Scott identified with this cave of despair; he allowed the voice of the Lord to ask him what was he doing there. Why was he tempted in hopelessness? Scott knew this was not the place for his soul to receive abundant life from the Spirit. He applied this word to himself and his circumstance, allowing the Lord to challenge him and impart strength to his heart.

Scott had shared his recent fall with his friends on Facebook, who had been alerted to pray for him. He posted in the following days:

“When you commit yourself to the promises of God he will never put you to shame!” Oct 19^th

One of the last posts he made just days before he died was….

“I desire to have uninterrupted intimacy with Jesus Christ that will carry me to the end of this life and take me all the way through eternity!” Oct 26^th

Little did we know his desire was to be fulfilled shortly after this posting.

Scott’s greatest anchor throughout his illness was his encounter with the Lord months after diagnosis. In the communion he had with Jesus, he believed he would serve God in Arizona and that he was commissioned to give thousands and thousands of people hope. Scott’s vision was an anchor for him and it fueled him to go farther, to keep apprehending Christ. Scott had sensed something supernatural that was a mainstay for him; he went to Arizona a thousand times in his spirit not yet comprehending what it all meant. It was as if he was given a time release capsule that supplied an ample dosage to bolster his faith and energize his ministry for years. Scott’s desert land became a wellspring of hope for others. He feasted from the table God prepared for him and his soul was satisfied.

I will miss Scott’s Godly leadership and companionship. We were bone of each others bone and flesh of each others flesh; two who had become One.

All my Love, Glennis

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 25th, 2012 at 6:41 pm and is filed under Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.