I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. It was the first week of November 2005, and Mark had called out to our girls, asking them to join us in the living room. He began to somberly share that if God did not provide a financial miracle, we would need to end our AIM term in Estonia at least nine months earlier than expected. Costs had proven to be a bit more than the expected budget, and we had run out of funds. Candace, eleven years old at the time, asked her dad, “How much money do we need to stay?” “Three thousand dollars,” he replied.
How often have we encountered a big problem and wondered, “How will we get through this one?” Whether it’s a financial situation, a surprise medical problem, or an unexpected family issue that seemingly comes out of nowhere, humans have an interesting way of forgetting important things in the heat of a moment. At times, our forgetfulness includes remembering that our God is always faithful.
Reading my Bible, I continually glean more information about His faithfulness. In every situation, God was not the one who became unfaithful; instead, it was the human or humans involved. Through flood, famine, sickness, poverty, or an overabundance of wealth, He was right there amid it all.
Ravens fed Elijah when he was hungry. Stop and think about that for just a minute. How cool is that? God provided water from a rock for Moses when the Israelites were thirsty. Sarah miraculously gave birth to a child in her old age! The Lord knew people’s hearts, read their frail humanity, and provided what they desired according to either physical or deep emotional needs. And He is still doing that today.
Second Timothy 2:13 says, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Numbers 23:19 emphasizes His faithfulness even more! “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Now, back to 2005. Our family began to pray for that budget need. None of us wanted to end our AIM term in Estonia early, for we all knew the training was needed for future ministry in Finland. God laid us on the heart of Jerry Dean, a former pastor of my husband, and God’s intervention continued from there. Beginning with the December 2005 rent and continuing through June 2006, three thousand dollars showed up in our bank account each month. The money covered our expenses plus one monthly inexpensive meal “out” for our family to enjoy, but it was enough.
Candace’s response to her father when he told us God had done a miracle that December: “Of course He did. It’s what I prayed for!”
His faithfulness hasn’t changed. And it won’t.
Devotion by Glenda Alphin.
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