An Inspiring Experience

An Inspiring Experience

(Faith & Victory : June 1964)


I wish to say in regard to David Madden and his sickness and death, that it was my privilege to be at his bedside during the last 36 hours of his life and it was an inspiring experience. David was a man who had the victory in the face of severe sickness and even death. He had the victory all the way and it seemed God just especially prepared him for the ordeal of death.

I, with Troy Meek, visited him first on Friday before his death the following Tuesday morning. I saw he was a very sick man and I said to him: "David, how is your faith?" He answered that he felt his faith was all right and he was not conscious of any defect in his faith. Then I said: "Well, how is your courage?" He answered that his courage was good and he was not the least bit discouraged. Then I said: "Then, how is your consecration?" He answered that it was good, real good. He said he had never been more consecrated to God in his life than he was right then. Then he added that he felt he understood more about God and man than he ever had before.

I was holding meeting in Enid, Okla. so returned there for service that night. On Sunday afternoon I was called to come again to his bedside as he had become very critical. Several other ministers were there that afternoon and I went in answer to the call and joined them in the battle. I found David with the same faith, courage and victory that he had expressed to us on Friday. I continued with him from then on until he went to live with Jesus early Tuesday morning.

On Monday morning he was feeling quite badly following a chill in the after part of the night and we had prayer with him. When we had finished praying he raised up in the bed and waved his arm and said: "It's a wonderful thing to be on victory's side. If my folks call or anyone else calls to ask about me this morning, just tell them I have the victory."

He affirmed his faith in God and said if he died he would die trusting God and that is just what he did. And I call that the greatest victory there is when one can graciously die in the triumphs of the living faith. I do not call this a lost battle at all. I just say with the poet, "Life's battles fought and the victory won; He shouts from time to eternity."

Let us all buckle on the armor a little tighter and press on a little more earnestly to gain the coveted prize.

-Ostis B. Wilson

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