Fallen Soldier

Next week will be the one year anniversary of my youngest son Noah's death. It is hard to believe that a year has already passed, where has all the time gone? I wanted to share a story that I wrote sometime last year about Noah, in the hope that you might learn from his story and that it never be repeated again. Suicide is a terrible thing, and something that I can honestly say that no one in my family ever expected.

My son Noah was a good boy. He was not perfect however, just as none of us are, and made a huge mistake that cost him his life. He did love God though with all his heart, was a true follower of Jesus Christ, and really did strive to live peaceably with his family, even though he pestered us all to no end.

Noah spent a lot of time at our church, he especially liked to show up on Fridays and pray with the church staff. He would spend two hours praying and it was during those times of prayer that the Lord called Noah to become a Children's Pastor. I remember the day he called me with the news, he was so excited, as was I. Finding what you are called to do in the Body of Christ should be the first priority in our Christian walk. It was just a few weeks later that he told our Children's Pastor that he had something for the kids in Children's Church. When Brother James asked him what it was, he replied, "A message the Lord has given me to teach the kids." Brother James told him to come prepared the next week with his message and he could preach to the kids, and he did. What an awesome thing that was.

Noah wen ton to help the Children's Pastor and Youth Pastor with whatever they needed. He served in every capacity of our church, and touched the lives of many of the people there. He was a soul winner and loved to minister to the kids in Children's Church and his fellow teenagers at his youth group The Depot. One time I was called upon to help counsel some of the teens that had come forward to make decisions for the Lord. Noah handed me a clip board and instructed me where to go. That made my heart proud, seeing him step up and do things that most adults are afraid to do.

Yet, this is where Noah's story takes a horrible turn for the worse. Scripture is very clear that we have an enemy, and in 1 Peter 5:8 - 9 it states, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

What you have to understand, is that in this life we are living, we have an enemy. He is called the devil, and according to John 10:10, Jesus said that he is out to kill, steal and destroy. If you do not realize that the devil is there, then when tragedy strikes, you will only have yourself or God to blame. And the devil would love nothing more than for you to start blaming God or yourself, all the while he stands in the background laughing at you as your world falls apart.

The devil found an opening in Noah's life and was able to get his focus off of God. It was subtle, and took quite a while, but because Noah didn't stay alert, in a moment where his emotions ran high, and he saw no other alternative, he took his own life.

The devil is a punk, and he has no authority over any of us, except what we give him. It was the devil who killed Noah, plain and simple. He did it through speaking thoughts to Noah's mind, and because his focus was off of God just a little, the lies of the devil made sense to him, and he followed through with the deed.

It is so important to me now to get the word out that we have an enemy, that he is trying to kill, steal and destroy from each and every one of us. And that we have got to resist him at every turn. Jesus has given us His blood, Word and Spirit. These weapons will destroy the works of the enemy, but if we don't realize he is even there, then how can we do that?

Our eyes need to stay fixed on God, we need to be about the Father's business each and every day. Look for opportunities to reach out tot he lost and hurting in this world, and tell them about Jesus. Please, please learn from Noah's mistake and don't become distracted by the enemy with other things. Keep your focus on God!

My family and I appreciate that you have signed up for The Noah Project, and we want you to please be bold for Jesus and tell everyone you meet about Jesus and the plan He has for their life. We need to take as much territory from the devil as possible. Lift up your eyes and see the harvest, the precious fruit of the Earth as God calls them. They need someone to tell them about Jesus...will it be you?

God bless each and every one of you. Fighting the fight until I see His face....Dave