Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
Yesterday I shared about the supernatural aspect of God that we either take for granted or ignore or both. We who love and trust God usually talk to God but don't take time to listen. Those who do listen are the ones with the stories; the unexplainable stories, the stories you just label "awesome" or "wow!". The preacher I was listening to was on tv. God has blessed his ministry and he was reminding the congregation of the first building phase of their church. Concrete prices doubled overnight during their construction and their contractor wanted $3.1 million in two weeks or he would walk off the job. The preacher freaked out and told God that he had already asked for what he thought was the maximum amount of this congregation not known for having wealthy people. God told him to go to the people and tell them where they stood. He resisted and he called his mentors. They said the same thing, "Go to the people and be honest with them." While preparing to do this God told him to give his car away during a Saturday night service. What? He thought and prayed about that and made a mental list of those who might be in need of a vehicle on his staff. But God told him the one who would receive the car would come forward during the worship service. The pastor said, "God, no one comes forward during our worship service; it's not built in to our worship style!" God said the man would come forward. During the offering time a man came forward and handed the pastor a $100 bill. The pastor laid it on a table near where he was standing and called the young man back. He reached in his pocket and said, "God told me to give you a car." The guy said, "I don't need a car." Yes, God said you do and this is yours and insisted on him taking it. The pastor said no one could hear this exchange except maybe two or three people seated near him. After the service ended the young man met the pastor off to the side where the young man said he had come to church only because his wife made him. He had argued with her about always going to church and only hearing about the need for money and even said, "God's never given me anything!" But tonight, he said, I felt I needed to give you my last hundred dollars. The pastor said, "Well, you just bought a '96 4 Runner for $100." (The car was practically brand new). The young man was besides himself with what God had done and the pastor was now without a ride home. He got a ride home and spent some time on the phone trying to get a ride to Sunday worship. The staff he thought could get him to church on time could not. The only one was the drummer of the praise band and he said, "But I have to be there early, like 7:30." The preacher admitted he's not an early riser but how else would he get to church. The drummer arrives at 7:15 and is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and excited about church and the pastor is annoyed at the early hour that he has to arrive at the church. Upon arrival someone said, "Pastor, there's a couple who's been waiting for you." It turned out to be a couple from McAllen, TX, who had arrived late to the Saturday service and they arrived in time to see what they thought was the pastor trying to give some car keys to a young man. On their way up to an investors' conference, the wife had said that God had told her to give their brand new van to this pastor they had known some years ago and had heard he was doing quite well. The husband huffed about if I see that he has need for a new car I'll give him the van. Well, he saw that the pastor had given away his car and so he gave him this brand new van. It had things on it the pastor said he did not know existed in vehicles. He used that story in his sermon that morning in worship and one couple came forward and said, "We know you need $3.1 million, but we only have two million we can give right now." That morning they exceeded the need of $3.1 by an additional $2.9 million.
You can't out-give God. But you have to trust Him.
PRAYER: During this time of fear and worry about our economy, dear God, many have given in to a spirit of fear; and that's not what Your Word says is our gift. Our gift is one of love and trust. May it be so. May we be lifted beyond naysaying to yaysaying and praising You for the ways You care for us. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
