All We Need God Has Provided and Much More

A month ago my wife Jenni and I were at our wits end about what to do with a fairly nice care I had purchased but turned out to be a lemon hardly worth any money at all. So we decided to pray about it. A few days later while we were driving to our son’s basketball tournament a young lady ran a red light and smashed into the driver’s side of our car.  Problem solved – it was totaled. 

In the past two years God has demonstrated his love and care to us over and over again and almost always in ways we never expected.  About two years ago we felt that God was asking us to leave the church I had been an associate and youth pastor at for eight years.  We felt like we were stepping out off of a cliff not sure where were going or what we were going to do.  We were leaving a church full of people we loved and we were leaving a steady decent paying job and we had no job waiting for either of us.

In each of the next two years we faced much uncertainty and our income turned out to be 40% less that what we had been making when I was the associate pastor.  It has been a scary two years for not only Jenni and I but also for our five kids.  I never would have picked this plan for myself or for my family but at the same time I wouldn't give it back if I could.

Streed Kids On Easter Sunday

This Easter season we appreciate God so much more than we did at any time in the past.  God is so much more obvious to us than before.  In his kindness he has made clear to us what we may have known in our heads but it wasn't in our hearts.  We have been reminded that the resurrected Jesus is alive and he is our life and our purpose.  The Holy Spirit is here with us comforting us, guiding us and giving us the power we need to live for Him and the Father knows our needs and he meets them… His way, of course.  He sometimes gives gifts we don’t even “need” as I'll share later.

God has used our pain and uncertainty to pry our little hands off of things we were trusting and hoping in instead of Him.  He is our provider not a steady job and steady pay check.  He is our identity and our hope can’t be in titles or positions.  He is the one who is in charge of our reputation not us.  All glory and honor are due to Him and we get to be with him and follow him.  He takes care of our true needs.

I've never known anyone who God has provided for in the way he has provided for us.  We've documented nearly one hundred instances of God’s unexpected financial blessings and provision for our family.  Jenni and I have both worked part time, low paying jobs as often as we could find them but God has blown our socks off with blessings.  I recently shared some of these blessings in the chapel service at the small Christian school our youngest children attend.  One of my son’s classmates said to him, “Man, you must be rich!”  I can assure you that for a suburban city we are not rich in a material and monetary sense, but we have always had enough.  Not too much and not too little.

One day soon after I had stepped down from my position at the church our thirteen year old daughter said she needed a belt and she was very discouraged and actually quite angry that we couldn't buy her one.  The next day Jenni was sitting in a coffee shop with a young lady she was mentoring at the time.  The gal said to Jenni, “I have $16 and I feel God told me I’m supposed to give it to one of your daughters but I don’t know why.”  Well, we knew, the belt was $17.  We found a dollar.  To our delight our daughter was able to verbalize, “God is awesome!”

Last summer as I was getting the mail I opened a manila envelope and a Home Depot gift card fell out.  It was for $1000. Inside the envelope was an anonymous typed note that said, “God has blessed us so we want to bless you.  This is for the flooring in your house.” Our carpets and linoleum were installed in 1986.  New flooring wasn't on my radar but it sure was on Jenni’s.  As I was reading the note another gift card fell out and this one was for another $2000.  God blessed us in a way I never would have thought about asking and it sure wasn't a "need" although Jenni might beg to differ with me on that one.

Our finances were tight this past Christmas Eve and things looked a little bleak.  When I got home from a part time job I was working at 8:00 pm Jenni informed me we had just received two checks totaling $1500.  One included an encouraging note that said, “Nate and Jenni, God has not forgotten you.”  It’s true and we needed to be reminded of that fact.

I don’t know why God chose us to bless us in this way.  We don’t believe in prosperity theology that says that if you have faith God will make you wealthy and if you aren't wealthy you don’t have enough faith.  God has blessed us despite a certain lack of faith.  We believe but have also struggled with fear and anxiety and at times have displayed everything but confident faith.  Still God has provided for our basic needs and beyond.

We will be forever grateful for what God has done for us.  He has shown himself to be faithful.  He has proved to be our provider and comfort in uncertain and unstable times.  One of the greatest things God has done for us is to explode our prayer life.  Jenni has always been a “prayer” but I've been slow to that party.  Not anymore.  We pray about just about everything these days because we know our God is alive.  Jesus is reigning and ruling, the Father is in control and not wringing his hands even when we are and the Holy Spirit is empowering us to live the life God has called us to.

We get to love and enjoy Jesus every day and we get to love those around us with the love of Jesus.  Easter is all about Jesus being raised from the dead and he is the true meaning of life.  We need to be reminded of this truth often and the people in our daily contexts need to know all about our Jesus.                                                                   

Jenni and I hope you are blessed and encouraged in the Lord Jesus this Easter.  To Him be the Glory!