Praise God - He provides

It has taken me quite a while to hold onto this promise - really grasp this great promise that God provides for us...all the time, in all ways. I have had head knowledge for a long, long time. Then I sort of started to figure it out. This year, it finally stuck - my faith grew.

God provides for us on so many different levels. Evan and I have never been rich by way of money, in fact - there have been many times we wondered where the money would come from to pay our bills. When the time came that the bill needed to be paid, the money was there. But I worried the whole entire time, right up until the bill was paid. I also learned that God's time is different than my time. A lesson that was hard to learn. I wanted to be able to mail the payment and have it be exactly on time - sometimes I had to pay it in the grace period. It was not considered late by anyone but me...and that is when I figured out God was teaching me and I had better listen. (I think it is a little ironic that bills got paid in the "grace" period)

I remember one time a friend called and said the Holy Spirit had put it on her heart to help us and she asked how much we needed. I told her I had to talk to Evan and so I called him and we talked about if we were going to take the money or not and how much. When I called her back, I told her we would very much appreciate the help - but I could not give her an amount. I told her that if the Holy Spirit led her to give, then He would give her an amount too and whatever she felt the Holy Spirit led her to give, we would be grateful and content with. I had an amount in mind. The next night, she gave me an envelope and at the end of the evening when I had a moment to count it, there was the EXACT amount we needed...the exact figure I had in my mind but did not tell her before she gave me that money.

I have a few more stories of ways that we had been provided for when it seemed as though money would have to rain for the sky because Evan and I had no idea where provisions would come from, but I think you get where I am coming from.

(Yes, I have family that is very willing to help - and has helped us on numerous occasions, so do not think we have bums for family members...the Lord needed to take Evan and I on our own journey throughout the years. In that time we could not always ask our family because we needed to trust God; to be taught...and to grow as husband and wife through the situation)

Over the past few months, I have found myself at peace when it looks like things might be tight - or tighter than tight. I finally was able to look back at our past and see that each and every time, God was faithful. God provided. He knows our needs. These past few months I have been able to just live life and hand it over to God and wait on Him. After I did the bills after that last payday - I asked Evan if he thought he would get a commission check at the end of the month. He laughed at me and said no. At that point I knew I had to take it to the Lord in prayer.

Yesterday was payday and on Wednesday, as I was taking a shower, I was praying - as I often do in the shower. I asked God for an exact amount and I just gave it over to Him. When Evan texted me the amount of his paycheck, I praised God and remembered all over His faithfulness...the check was $700 more than I had prayed for...yes, $700 more.

(Which is also proving that God knows what the future holds because my car is giving us problems...again...)

I did a little research today about God providing for us and found some cool stuff:

- We can choose to trust Him for our future based on what He has already revealed about Himself and His character.
- Unwavering faith will always prove the faithfulness of God. (I hope I can one day be an example of this coming true, but a witness to God!)
- God has revealed enough of His nature for us to be able to trust Him. He has declared and shown through the events of history, in the workings of nature, and through the life of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, all-holy, unchanging, and eternal. And in that revelation, He has shown that He is worthy to be trusted. But as with the Israelites in the wilderness, the choice is ours as to whether or not we will trust Him. Often, one is inclined to make this choice based on what he/she thinks he knows about God rather than what He has revealed about Himself and can be understood about Him through a careful study of His inerrant word, the Bible.

Malachi 3:10 - God says test me and see...His Word should just be enough for us, yet He tells us to test Him.

He also promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him - how awesome.
Deuteronomy 4:29/Proverbs 2:1-6/Matthew 7:7-11

And He promises to take care of us.
Matthew 6:31-32/Matthew 6:8/1 John 5:14-15/Philippians 4:19/James 4:2

But my greatest and best example of the Lord's provision, being provided in His time and not my own- is the gift, miracle, and blessing that is Liliana Bonnie.