Face to Face With Faith

Tonight I was brought face to face with faith in a very real way.  It is easy for me to say that I put my faith in God, but there are some things about my very near future that are very uncertain at this point.  Without going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say that I am going into this next year knowing full well that I may very well be trusting God for some of the basics of life.  The job that I am taking is not lucrative.  I know that going into it, and I am fine with that.  I'm not looking for a job that makes me lots of money; I'm looking to do whatever work God has for me.  But part of me rose up tonight and said that I should lay certain conditions and senarios before my employers and say that if they aren't met, I'll have to do something else.  Obviously I have to have money for the very basic things of life, right?  I have to have housing, food, etc. 

But then suddenly I knew….  No.  I will make no such demands.  I serve Jehovah-Jireh—the Lord Will Provide!  It was Christ Himself Who said,

"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink?  What will we wear?'  These things dominate the thoughts of unblievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today's trouble is enough for today."  (Matthew 6:31-34)

I am not afraid.  I am resting in Him to provide everything that I need.  He knows best.  It is such a feeling of peace to be able to go into this next year knowing that I will be doing what He wants me to do and that He will be providing for me while I do it.

Trust....

Today is a busy day.  I just got back to my room from lunch.  Between now and 9:00 tonight, I have to set up the choir sound system, make sure we have everything for choir tour, tear it all back down, and make sure that it's packed for tour, do laundry, pack completely except for my carry-on, and I really need to do some homework.  It's hard to believe that choir tour is here already.  Tomorrow morning I have to take someone to the airport at 9:30 and the choir meets to leave at 12:30.  Like I said, it's busy, but I like it that way, and I'm excited for tour.

The reason for this post, though, is just to share an answer to prayer that happened this morning that was really special to me and encouraged me in trusting God.  There was a job I did awhile back for which I was supposed to get paid, but I had not gotten the money.  I was really wishing that I could have the money for choir tour, but I really didn't want to ask for it.  I believe it was just this morning that I was talking to God about it, an d telling Him that I needed the money.  I think it was last night I simply explained to Him that I had done this work but I didn't want to ask for the money.  I decided just to leave it up to Him.  I checked my mail this morning hoping that maybe the check would come, but it wasn't in my box.  After chapel I was walking with a couple of friends over to the ad building and met the guy who was supposed to pay me for the work I had done.  You probably have guessed it by now.  =)  He held out an envelope and said he was on the way to the post office, but since I was there he'd just give me it there.  When I opened the envelope a couple of minutes later, there was twice as much money as I expected, and it was in cash so I don't have to deal with cashing a check when I don't have time to go to the bank.

God is so good.  I have experienced His provision before, but this was especially special to me because I had pretty well resigned myself to not having the money before tour or maybe even at all and left it in God's hands.  It wasn't even a huge amount of money, but it was a boost to my faith and my confidence in God's ability and faithfulness to provide. 

I have been praying along with some friends about some specific things as well.  Answers to prayer like this give me even more confidence that God hears, cares, and will answer in His time.  We must simply trust these things to Him and wait on His timing.

"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear?'  these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."  (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT)

A Tale of Two Paths

This is what my life looks like right now from my perspective.  I can see enough to know that I have two paths.  I can see enough to know that both paths look interesting.  But I cannot see enough to know which path I should take or where each path will end.  I can only guess.  It's hard to make a decision when there is no clear path.  That's where trust in God's ever-present, unchanging faithfulness comes in.

This changes the perspective, and it is this to which I cling.  It is the same two paths, but now there is something clear in the picture—something upon which I can depend.  The Word of God and the leadership of the Spirit will show me the way.  I have no other hope.  Outside of this, the decision will be made in my own power influenced by my own emotions and desires.  This must not be.  I find my light and my strength in the Lord.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  (Psalms 27:1)