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More Month Than Money

31 Jan

Following is my latest writing challenge entry for the FaithWriters group I belong to at http://www.FaithWriters.com.

I was really scared. So many thoughts were racing through my mind, “How in the world am I going to make it? I don’t have gas for my car. I can’t buy groceries. My lights are about to be turned off. I haven’t been able to pay my rent. What if I am evicted?”

Without fail there are daily concerns that we cannot ignore. We can turn away from some things, making them go away for the moment, but not financial necessities.

“Oh Ye of little faith” – I was tormenting myself with these words. I never paid much attention to them before. Anyway, it was just a lighthearted remark used when someone was worried about something and didn’t want to make an issue of it.

I spent so much time looking back at my failures or looking forward to problems that “might” occur that I wasn’t even living in the present. Then, I remembered reading the Bible in Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV), “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and these things will be given to you as well. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Money is a very sensitive subject. Most of us have more month than we do money. We can pray, of course. (Usually we get pretty serious with God when we can’t make ends meet.) But before we start whining and telling God how awful things are, we need to take a good look at how we got there.

We may be facing circumstances too serious to ignore. That’s when we begin to question our behavior and our actions. We look deep inside and, if we are honest with ourselves, it becomes clear – somewhere along the way we made some unwise decisions, resulting in our current circumstances.

Money issues never go away. Our faith is tested over and over because decisions must be made concerning how we manage every dollar we spend. We can’t ignore the consequences when our electricity is about to be cut off and freezing rain is in the forecast. Or, we may be too embarrassed to admit to our friends we can’t attend their wedding because we don’t have gas money.

God knew, long ago, the challenges we would face today and inspired His chosen men to record, in the Bible, the answers we need. But we treat God’s Word like we do the instructions that are included when we purchase something needing assembly. We don’t take time to read the instructions and when we run into trouble, we blame it on the “piece of junk” we purchased instead of our avoidance of reading the directions.

We can’t get angry or blame God when we choose to ignore His written instructions. When we get to the end of our money before we get to the end of the month, it isn’t God’s fault.

The answer is easy – the solution is another choice. God leaves the decision with us. We get to use the free will He has given us.

* Malachi 3:8-10 New Living Translation (NLT) “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“It is finished” (John 19:30 NIV) Jesus took care of it all when He bowed His head and freely gave up His Spirit on the Old Rugged Cross – “It” being everything – past, present and future.

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God Supplies Our Need Before We Know We Have One!

16 Dec

God just amazes me more every day. Lately I have become aware of just how much more God knows about me than I do. I know I shouldn’t be surprised. His Word does tell us in Psalms 139 that He knew us while we were still in our Mother’s womb. He knew every step we would take, each time we would stand up and sit down and every word that would come out of our mouths, before we speak! So, why in the world should I be surprised at His knowing what I need before I do?

A couple of weeks ago my refrigerator starting going out. I pampered it as much as I could but it finally died! I called a repair man and made the dreaded appointment. After all, it’s Christmas. What timing! Anyway, I braced myself for the worst (sad that we do that) and began to wonder how I would manage the repairs or worse, a new refrigerator.

I was talking to my son a couple of days later, before the repair man came. I was kind of whining to my son about my dilemma. He said, “Mom, not to worry. I have a side by side in my store-room, plugged in and ready to go. You can have it if you need it.” Right then I knew my refrigerator was dead and God had already provided what I needed. So, I could face the repairman without so much anxiety.

Sure enough, my refrigerator was dead and the repair was going to cost way more than I could afford. I loved that refrigerator. I was kind of worried about loosing my really nice Amana, stainless, side by side refrigerator to an unknown sitting in a storage unit. Well, beggars can’t be choosers, as they say.

That next Sunday my son came with the refrigerator in tow. I could see it from the front door. It was white. I was a little hesitant to check it out. But, I walked out to the trailer and took a look at it. Hummmm, not too bad.

My sons and I got the old frig out and the new one in. We plugged it in and said our goodbyes. I proceeded to clean the refrigerator and put all the shelves in. Goodness, it cleaned up very well. Wow! I liked it even better than the beautiful Amana stainless. It looked much better in my kitchen than the sparkling stainless.

Once again I had to apologize to my Lord. He never, never lets me down. Who new He’s a decorator? He knew I would like how this white refrigerator looked in my white kitchen much  better than the stainless.  So, why was I so worried about it?

This may seem a little silly as you read about it. But, it really isn’t. The point is God always knows what we need before we do. And, He cares right down to the color. He provided the new refrigerator before I really knew if I needed it or not. And, better yet, my son had bought it because the price was so good and kept it plugged in all this time, not knowing what he would use it for. But God knew all along. He knew way back when my son bought it that I had a need coming up and I would need that refrigerator.

Now, how can we doubt our God’s provision? This wasn’t a silly thing to Him. He loves me (and you) and knows what our needs are. He loves us so much that He gives, and gives and gives. After all, He gave His Son that we might have life – what’s a ‘lil ‘ole refrigerator?

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How God Provides For Us Through Our Faith

29 Nov

I was facing foreclosure on my home through a series of improper choices. I had done everything I could to prevent it but here I was facing the possibility of losing everything in my golden years. How did this happen to me?

Trusting God had never been a problem for me. I knew He was with me and could rescue me at any time. He had never failed me. I also I knew how to find inspirational Bible verses that would encourage me.

I loved my home and didn’t want to move. To make matters more difficult, I had a small business at home which was my only source of income other than my Social Security. I now faced one of the biggest challenges of my life. I had no idea where I would go or how I would make a living.

I was really scared. I did all I knew to do.  The first foreclosure date was miraculously delayed for 30 days. During that time the fire got hotter. I thought maybe I should pack and begin to look for a job. But each time I made an attempt to do those things I felt uneasy. So, instead, I concentrated on seeking God. I wanted to make sure I was hearing Him. I spent much of my time looking up  inspirational words from the Bible. Those meaningful quotes from the Word of God were literally words of life for me to live by. I held on to them as one would hold on to a life raft.

During this major life event, the most frightening I had ever faced, my prayer life began to change.  I spoke with God all the time. I acknowledged Him in everything. I did know He had never failed me.

Our church had just started a new series on The Circle Maker. The Pastor read some good Bible verses in Matthew 20: 29, 30-32. There were two blind men sitting by the edge of the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by they called out to Him, “Lord, Son of David have mercy on us”! Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you”?  He asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight”.  NIV

That’s when my miracle really began. God spoke clearly to my heart that He wanted me to tell Him what I wanted Him to do for me. I thought I had done that. As I sought Him further on the matter, He began to show me how I had limited Him by asking only for the things I could visualize Him doing for me. I was limiting Him to those things I could see. Oh my! He challenged me to ask Him for what I truly wanted from Him.  Like the blind men, I thought it was obvious what I wanted from Him. But, He wanted me trust Him – to step out and ask for something that might not happen. Oh, that’s what faith is!

I had been telling God what I wanted but I was giving Him a way out. I ended my prayer something like this, “Father, I’m willing to give up my home, if that is your will”.  God stopped me there. He revealed to me at that point that in saying that to Him I was, in fact, opening the door for the enemy to steal my home from me.  He pointed out to me that this was where I was giving Him a way out instead of believing Him for what I wanted Him to do for me.  God wanted me to ask Him to allow me to keep my home!

My mind began to race. I began to reason and to jump ahead and work out all the details. He stopped me there and instructed me to take one step at a time as He directed my path. (Psalms 199:105) It was a struggle to form the words and get them out of my mouth. I was afraid I was asking too much of Him.

I did succeed in forming those words. I asked Him with great humility to please allow me to keep my home. God did not fail me. How God provides is the exciting part. The quotes to live by that God led me to were my hope and my salvation.

I saw miracle after miracle for another 30 days. That’s another story!

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