Great is God's faithfulness. After seeing God provide for me to be able to make the trip to West Texas on Tuesday I awoke yesterday with $9 left in my pocket. I asked God to help me get home as He had helped me make the trip with I left the house with only $2.25 two days ago. I laid the matter before the Lord and trusted Him. After a season of prayer I climbed back in bed trusting God would come through helping me have gas to get back home. I had not told a soul of my need other than to write about what God did to get me out to West Texas. Nobody knew how much money I had in my pocket those days there. The answer; $9. I had $9 and not enough gas in my truck to make it back home. Yet I had peace as I drifted back to sleep that God would come through.
The whole trip God blessed. I had meals purchased for me. When I actually went to Kermit a dear brother in the Lord drove me there. I did not drive my truck until yesterday once I arrived in Seminole at my host home. We got in late from Kermit Wednesday night. I got up early to pray and then slept in a little.
I awakened to my phone alerting me to a text message. Another dear friend invited me to breakfast. I got ready and met my friend wondering and praying how God would provide for me to have enough gas to get home. We had a wonderful breakfast sharing our hearts and talking about ministries. God put some words in my heart to share with him, "God will never call you to do something He will not equip you to do. When you doubt if you can do what He is calling you to do you are putting all the emphasis on yourself and not God. He will do it through you" Once again my friend blessed me taking the check offering to pay and would not even allow me to take care of the tip at the table.
He needed to run by his house before he dropped me off. After that he drove me back to my truck and before I got out he grabbed my hand and put some money in it. This guy is not rich. He has a kid in college like me and recently had to pay for some major car repairs. He insisted I take the offering. When I got in my truck I saw a $100 bill. I rejoiced. I shouted out in my truck, "HALLELUJAH. Praise the Lord! God You are faithful.!"
Before leaving town I had a lunch appointment with a large family I have grown to love and respect their walks with the Lord and their knowledge and hunger for God's word. Our time together got cut short as I had to meet some men to load the piano God provided for Faith Community Church. Once again my meal was taken care of. Once again I thanked God for HIs provision but He was not through.
Before I left lunch I was given three checks. One man walked me to my truck before giving me two of those checks. He asked me if had what I needed to get home. I told him yes. He then pressed further and wanted to know if I had cash to be able to get home. I replied, "If you had asked me that question two hours ago I could not have been able to answer yes. God provided what I needed to get back home." We embraced in love and with his parting words of encouragement I eft to pick of the miracle piano Faith Community Church asked God for only four days earlier t. Silently I thanked God for His provision each time on that trip. I was gven a total of four checks but had never even looked at the first check given to me on Tuesday night. God had one more surprise before I left town.
I drove to get the piano surprised to see several friends there. Once they loaded and secured the piano in the back of my truck one man pulled me aside. With tears in his eyes he told me, "This is not much but I want you to have this. God told me to give this to you." He handed me a folded up bill. One more time God provided. I hugged the men in the small group and drove away thanking and praising God for rewarding obedience in complete faith. GOD IS MY PROVIDER.
I had enough money to buy gas to get home. When I filled my truck up with gas in Sweetwater, TX I had $57 left. If you recall the first part of this story, a friend in Weatherford, TX called me on Tuesday and asked to have lunch when I only had $2.25 in my pocket after I left home to make the trip.I saw that same friend on my return trip back home. He gave me $70 in answer to prayer On Tuesday after I left home trusting God to help me. I felt impressed to empty my pockets and give that remaining $57 to my friend. He initially resisted. I replied, "Bro, I don't need it anymore. God has provided for me on this trip. God used you to help me. If I needed the money I would keep it. I don't need it to get home." With that we parted ways and I drove the last thirty minutes to the church to unload the piano.
I left home on Tuweday with $2.25 in my pocket needing God to come through for me as I made the trip out West to Kermit in faith. On that trip God gave me $190 in cash through people I love and that love me. Very humbling. I had seven meals purchased for me on that trip. I thanked God and the people that bought those meals not taking God's provision for granted. When I left home I brought some bottles of water and nuts prepared to eat those or to fast if God required. Instead God chose to supply each meal. Four checks were given to me. I did not even look at the amounts on those checks until I stopped to refuel in Sweetwater on the way home. Those checks totaled $2,000. Again I rejoiced and worshiped my God who faithfully provides. I left home not knowing how I would make it to Kermit and back. I left home in obedience and by faith. Over and over again I watched my God meet my needs as He has done faithfully over and over again for the past 29 years since I met Christ and took my first faith step.
God uses people to minister to other needy and hurting people. Brenda and I have been on the receiving end of that ministry more times than I can count. Not by any choice of our own but out of sheer need and dependence on God over the years we have watched God use people to help us. That has meant tanks of gas, bags of groceries, house payments, money for Christmas gifts, money for school supplies and new school clothes for the boys, money to publish my books, money for ministry, down payment money on three houses, three different vehicles, and more. I wish, on one hand, we were so finically secure I did not need all those things. The path we have walked in ministry has been a faith path. God has used people every step of the way to partner with us. We have been humbled by their generosity, expressions of love, and sacrifice. We like it better when we get to be on the other end of giving. Brenda and I love when God allows us to bless others and meet their needs because we know how it feels to be in need. Yet, if we had not been forced to trust God like we have we would not have the testimony we have with hundreds of faith stories we love to tell and people seem fascinated to hear.
I often ponder the course of my life and ministry. I wonder why we have walked down paths that have required us to trust Him so much. We have followed our God down paths with twists and turns we never saw coming. We have lived by faith more out of necessity than by choice. We have needed God to come through for us over and over again. This road has not always been easy. Many times I have doubted more than I have trusted. Each time I doubted God, against the backdrop of impossible circumstances, God showed up again to save the day. I repented of my lack of faith.
I don't know if all our faith steps have made any real difference in the lives of others. I have sought to brag on God in preaching and writing. I've tried to encourage others to trust Him in their times of trial. I have often asked God for my life to serve as a legacy of faith to pass on to others. Much like George Mueller has been used to encourage my faith.
After nearly three decades of living by faith I sit here this mooring to declare from the depths of my soul, "Great is God's faithfulness. He can be trusted to provide. He will come through in the darkest night in the bleakest circumstances. He knows our names and addresses and can get any kind of provision to us when we need it. We do not have to beg others. We can take our needs to the Lord alone."
Some may look at all this recent story as some sort of manipulation on my part to pad my pockets. May God be the judge. I decided years ago I would not let our needs be made known to man but to God after reading George Mueller's biography.
Before I got home yesterday one of the men God used to provide for me on this trip called me. He told me to let him know if I ever needed anything. Over the years I have heard that same sentiment hundreds of times by well meaning people. I always respond the same way. "I will tell God and trust Him for what we need." I write these testimonies as a living witness of what God does in answer to prayer.
Not one time did I ever ask anyone for money on this trip, I never told my my friend in Weatherford I only had $2.25 in my pocket and could not afford a meal, or a tank of gas on this last trip. God knew the need. God prompted people to give. God heard my prayers and saw my faith. God met the needs time and time again through His people. In the end GOD GETS ALL THE GLORY! I tell these stories to bring glory to God and to encourage others to keep trusting Him because great is His faithfulness.
No comments:
Post a Comment