God’s Continually Providing Hands

 

    Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

(Malachi 3:10-12 ESV)

 

 

 

    I felt like this was so incredible that I had to write about it. In the past month God has shown our family that He will always provide for us. I previously mentioned how God had provided for us financially when we needed it which included a job that should allow us to meet our basic bills and gas expanses. I had also mentioned that we were asked to go with some friends to the beach and we were really hoping to go. Everything we were seeing told us that God was providing the opportunity. We unfortunately ran into a snag. Right after we made the decision to go to the beach we found out that Crystal's parents were going to her grandmother's 90^th birthday party and would be unable to watch our dog. He is getting older in years and we did not feel it would be right to ask anyone else to watch him so the only way we could go would be if we kenneled him. When I looked into the cost I found that it would be anywhere from $250-$350. When I added that to the gas it would cost us to go we were looking at as much as $700. I was nervous about spending that much because it was about all we had from the various gifts we had received and that would be assuming that Crystal's last check and my first partial check would be enough to cover our bills that would be due at the same time and the gas money we would need for our normal use. I knew how much the girls could use a vacation and our family could use the time together, but did not think it was prudent to use every dime to go. Crystal and I decided that we would wait and see what happened before we would make a decision one way or another.

    Saturday night after Hannah's birthday party we sat down to eat dinner together. When we prepared to say the blessing Alyssa claimed she wanted to which tends to be par for the course. I asked her to thank God for the gifts we had been receiving, for our friends who had invited us to go to the beach and to ask God to sort out the gas and kenneling costs. She did so and we proceeded with dinner. The next morning I subbed for Robert Courson in Sunday school so that he could attend his son's graduation service. After class a friend of ours told me someone had asked him to give us a card. I thanked him and hurried of to run the power point for the 11:00 service. During the service I opened the card and found a very encouraging greeting card. It told us that they were praying for us and had faith that we would continue in God's work. Inside the card there was another envelope. I opened the envelope to find $1000 in cash. I was blown away at the generosity of God's people and the speed at which He answers prayer especially since I have been reading a biography of George Mueller; the apostle of prayer. When we got to the car after church I asked Alyssa if she remembered what she prayed for yesterday. She said she did. I asked her if she wanted to see how great God was. Crystal still did not know how much we had been given. I handed the envelope to Hannah and asked her to count it. She announced that it had $1000 in it. Crystal could not believe it and asked me if I was serious, as if I had announced the amount. At first I felt a little strange about the idea of using this money for a vacation but the more I thought about it I realized that God mentions the need for rest several times in the Bible and requesting help for that purpose is not against His will and I also realized that this money had come as a direct response to prayer and that I should treat such a response in the same manner one would treat and offering towards a specific purpose.

    In the time I have been at school God has made sure that we have always had our bills paid, food on the table, a roof over our head, gas in our cars, and medical care for our children. He has gone beyond that to providing the means to pay off all our outstanding consumer debt and now has even provided the means to allow some rest and relaxation time for our family as well as an opportunity to grow closer with friends that He has placed in our paths. I don't know for sure if God has another purpose in store for this vacation but I plan to keep my eyes open and ask Him to show me anything He wants me to do while I am there.

 

 

Thank you, Lord, for all you bountiful blessings and for you abounding grace. In the great and powerful name of Jesus we thank you, Amen.

Got a new job

Well, it finally happened.  I got a job!  I started a new job at the school working in the maintainance department.  It will be difficult to keep up with my normal study habits but we could use the income and I think God will work it all out.  He has done so much for us in a short period of time and so much has happened so fast it can be mind boggling at times.  I am enjoying the roller coaster ride though.

Location : 1456 County Road 1577, Hendersonville, NC 28792,

Wow

We have just been blown away by God's blessings.  If last week wasn't enough, we recieved a large blessing on Saturday that took us completely by surprise.  I am continually amazed at the way God shows us that He is in controll and we should not worry but just have faith and be about His business.  Thank you Lord!!!

Location : 12289-12323 U.S. 74, Fletcher, NC 28732,

Great Week at Fruitland

    This week God has shown us how great he is. When I left to come out here this week I had $13 and some change in the bank and $22.45 in cash. I put $12.50 in my tank using the debit card which left me about $1.85 available in all 3 accounts combined. I drove out to school. When I got here, I knew I would need gas to get home so I went ahead and put $12.45 in gas back into my tank, and I prayed that it would be enough to get me home on Friday. Well, I still had $10.00 left that I had saved for a special purpose. Part of me was saying that IO should put $5.00 in my tank to be sure I would have enough to make it home. Well, I decided against it and continued on to school. Later that night Crystal called me and said that some friends of ours had given her parents $100.00 to give to us. I was floored. This just came out of the blue, and completely unlooked for.

    The next day when I was going into chapel I could not help thinking about the fact that God had given me tenfold what I had given for His children. While I was visiting with a friend that had come the school for Founders Day, Lisa Horton, the wife of the President of Fruitland came up to me and handed me a card. She said that it had come to her house in my name. Upon looking at the address I found it was from a couple I had met that belonged to David's last church whom I had met around Christmas time. When I opened the card I found a check for $100.00. Our God is an awesome God. To top it all off, I may have a job next week and our family was invited to join some friends of ours for a week at the Outer Banks, NC in a prepaid house. We need to talk about it, but I am floored at all the ways God has blessed us.

    Today our Literature class canceled class and we went down to the county courthouse for an hour of prayer and worship for the National Day of Prayer. It was wonderful to here all those voices in the open air singing praises and lifting up sweet smelling incense to Heaven. It was as if the Holy Spirit inside me was smiling back at God the father and Jesus Christ as they bathed us in their love. The event went completely unopposed. It was wonderful. I would love to see a day we can do that every day and everywhere. Thank you, Jesus!

 

 

Jesus loves me this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

 

Little ones to Him belong,

They are weak,

But He is strong.

 

Yes, Jesus loves me,

Yes, Jesus loves me.

 

Yes, Jesus loves me,

For the Bible tells me so.