Well I’ve been a tither for many years, and I’ve always believed in the principles and blessings that tithing brings (Mal 3:10), and I’ve always believed that God is our provider and that we don’t need to ever worry (Matt 6:25). But I’d never tested it. I’d never really needed to because I’d always had a good job, and that end of month pay cheque was always a guarantee. But then this thing called a recession hit, and suddenly my line of work which had once been so “safe” was suddenly becoming more “rare”. And so I’d found myself in a position where I was out of a job and although I’d had some temporary work, as the months went on and the effects of the recession started to show, the work became less and less. And now I’ve found myself in the fortunate position (yes fortunate in my case), of not having had a permanent job for 9 months. It’s a fortunate position for me to be in because it means my dependence has totally gone from my own strength to totally relying on my Father’s (the way it should be!). And he has never let me down. I am privileged to be in a place where I see his miraculous provision all of the time. Your normal might be getting your weekly or monthly pay cheque, my normal has become unexpected blessings. I know God as provider now more in the last 9 months than I had in the 7 years that I’ve walked with God. I have lost count of the number of envelopes that have been passed to me, accompanied by the words “I just had it on my heart to give you this”, with amounts ranging from £50 to £500. And I can promise you one thing, he is into the details of your life, and he takes delight in providing for us. I also can’t tell you the amount of times when I’ve had no money in my wallet, but have been walking along chatting to God saying things like, “gosh I really feel like a good steak right now” etc (I am after all, rather partial to good food) ;) Aren’t we all! Then I’ll get a text from a friend asking me out for dinner etc. What matters to you, matters to God. Recently in my chatters with God (You know nothing you say is boring to God? He listens to every word, every thought, it’s fine to chatter. Prayer is relational, and in relationships let’s face it – there’s a lot of chatter! You don’t need to begin prayer “Oh Father in Heaven who sits in the highest place, who is God of the Universe, Holy and Mighty …” etc etc (he does actually know who he is) ;) He won’t be offended if you approach him as “Sup Dad”! Just approach him, don’t worry about formula! Anyway so I was chattering away, and one thing I’d said was, that the only thing I really miss most about having a job, is being able to go to the movies more. Movies are one of my most f-a-v-o-u-r-i-t-e things! I can never get enough of the cinema. So anyway the next day I get a call from a friend saying she’d really had it on her heart that she wanted to bless me, and that as times were tough for me not having an income, she wanted to pop a bit into my account every month so I’d at least be able to go to the movies etc if I wanted. I can tell you that touched me more than the gifts of hundreds of pounds, because that showed me how our delight is his delight, and he is very much into the little details of our lives, and he is ALWAYS listening. I find it hilarious these religious stingy types that preach on false humility, and see poverty as a virtue. Yes literally to survive all we need is bread and water, but God doesn’t see us as animals that just need to be fed. He loves us, we’re his children, he has a relationship with us, and when we believe for things, not just things we need, but also things we want, he gives them to us. I didn’t NEED movie tickets, and I didn’t even ask for them, but he provided anyway. Here’s one for the ladies … take my birthday for example, I remember saying “God I don’t really need a new dress, I mean I have loads, and I’m already so grateful for what I do have but I’d still like one”. Then a friend “happened” to give me some money as a late Christmas present and said, “I thought I’d give you money instead of a present and then you could buy yourself a dress or something”. Well I did get a dress, with a crazy reduction, and got the matching jewellery, makeup, the works – all for, you guessed it, crazy reductions! When I say crazy I mean CRAZY, like 95% off! I’m telling you with God, you don’t just get the dress, you get the shoes and the lippy thrown in too! Those are just a few examples, I can’t even remember all the stories, now you might think it a “coincidence”, but I don’t believe in coincidences at all. Yes I’m rambling on a bit, but I hope you get my point. I’m not painting God as a gene in a bottle, not at all, but I am trying to show you how intimately he listens to your needs and wants, and that he is “Father” and we can approach him with a “Daddy I want a new dress!” mentality! You are the “apple of his eye” (Ps 17:8) and can come “boldly to his throne” (Heb 4:16) SO WHY DON’T WE! Be open to receive from your Father in heaven, not limiting your mindset about what we can and can’t ask for, remember he sees your heart anyway so just talk to him like a child talking to their Daddy, because that’s what we are. Now some of you might say, yes but God could have also given you a job? Well yes indeed he could have, now I don’t know why I haven’t had the work, but I do know that the work he has done in me in this time has been invaluable. And in whatever you may face he really does cause good to come out of bad situations. For example it took me a long time to start to ask God for things that weren’t a necessity (for me to get out of a “don’t ask” mindset, and because I had always had work, I never really did. But he wants us to! How often though do we not even think to ask? When God says he wants to pour out his blessings, he does actually mean it! Nothing is too big for God and nothing is too small for God either, and don’t forget He’s our Jehovah-Jireh (the lord who provides). So next time you find yourself in a mentality of “oh I wont trouble God with that” … go on … trouble him ;) then you’ll find it’s really no trouble to him at all.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
With God you don’t just get the new dress, you get the heels and lippy too!
What’s your expectation when it comes to provision?
Well I’ve been a tither for many years, and I’ve always believed in the principles and blessings that tithing brings (Mal 3:10), and I’ve always believed that God is our provider and that we don’t need to ever worry (Matt 6:25). But I’d never tested it. I’d never really needed to because I’d always had a good job, and that end of month pay cheque was always a guarantee. But then this thing called a recession hit, and suddenly my line of work which had once been so “safe” was suddenly becoming more “rare”. And so I’d found myself in a position where I was out of a job and although I’d had some temporary work, as the months went on and the effects of the recession started to show, the work became less and less. And now I’ve found myself in the fortunate position (yes fortunate in my case), of not having had a permanent job for 9 months. It’s a fortunate position for me to be in because it means my dependence has totally gone from my own strength to totally relying on my Father’s (the way it should be!). And he has never let me down. I am privileged to be in a place where I see his miraculous provision all of the time. Your normal might be getting your weekly or monthly pay cheque, my normal has become unexpected blessings. I know God as provider now more in the last 9 months than I had in the 7 years that I’ve walked with God. I have lost count of the number of envelopes that have been passed to me, accompanied by the words “I just had it on my heart to give you this”, with amounts ranging from £50 to £500. And I can promise you one thing, he is into the details of your life, and he takes delight in providing for us. I also can’t tell you the amount of times when I’ve had no money in my wallet, but have been walking along chatting to God saying things like, “gosh I really feel like a good steak right now” etc (I am after all, rather partial to good food) ;) Aren’t we all! Then I’ll get a text from a friend asking me out for dinner etc. What matters to you, matters to God. Recently in my chatters with God (You know nothing you say is boring to God? He listens to every word, every thought, it’s fine to chatter. Prayer is relational, and in relationships let’s face it – there’s a lot of chatter! You don’t need to begin prayer “Oh Father in Heaven who sits in the highest place, who is God of the Universe, Holy and Mighty …” etc etc (he does actually know who he is) ;) He won’t be offended if you approach him as “Sup Dad”! Just approach him, don’t worry about formula! Anyway so I was chattering away, and one thing I’d said was, that the only thing I really miss most about having a job, is being able to go to the movies more. Movies are one of my most f-a-v-o-u-r-i-t-e things! I can never get enough of the cinema. So anyway the next day I get a call from a friend saying she’d really had it on her heart that she wanted to bless me, and that as times were tough for me not having an income, she wanted to pop a bit into my account every month so I’d at least be able to go to the movies etc if I wanted. I can tell you that touched me more than the gifts of hundreds of pounds, because that showed me how our delight is his delight, and he is very much into the little details of our lives, and he is ALWAYS listening. I find it hilarious these religious stingy types that preach on false humility, and see poverty as a virtue. Yes literally to survive all we need is bread and water, but God doesn’t see us as animals that just need to be fed. He loves us, we’re his children, he has a relationship with us, and when we believe for things, not just things we need, but also things we want, he gives them to us. I didn’t NEED movie tickets, and I didn’t even ask for them, but he provided anyway. Here’s one for the ladies … take my birthday for example, I remember saying “God I don’t really need a new dress, I mean I have loads, and I’m already so grateful for what I do have but I’d still like one”. Then a friend “happened” to give me some money as a late Christmas present and said, “I thought I’d give you money instead of a present and then you could buy yourself a dress or something”. Well I did get a dress, with a crazy reduction, and got the matching jewellery, makeup, the works – all for, you guessed it, crazy reductions! When I say crazy I mean CRAZY, like 95% off! I’m telling you with God, you don’t just get the dress, you get the shoes and the lippy thrown in too! Those are just a few examples, I can’t even remember all the stories, now you might think it a “coincidence”, but I don’t believe in coincidences at all. Yes I’m rambling on a bit, but I hope you get my point. I’m not painting God as a gene in a bottle, not at all, but I am trying to show you how intimately he listens to your needs and wants, and that he is “Father” and we can approach him with a “Daddy I want a new dress!” mentality! You are the “apple of his eye” (Ps 17:8) and can come “boldly to his throne” (Heb 4:16) SO WHY DON’T WE! Be open to receive from your Father in heaven, not limiting your mindset about what we can and can’t ask for, remember he sees your heart anyway so just talk to him like a child talking to their Daddy, because that’s what we are. Now some of you might say, yes but God could have also given you a job? Well yes indeed he could have, now I don’t know why I haven’t had the work, but I do know that the work he has done in me in this time has been invaluable. And in whatever you may face he really does cause good to come out of bad situations. For example it took me a long time to start to ask God for things that weren’t a necessity (for me to get out of a “don’t ask” mindset, and because I had always had work, I never really did. But he wants us to! How often though do we not even think to ask? When God says he wants to pour out his blessings, he does actually mean it! Nothing is too big for God and nothing is too small for God either, and don’t forget He’s our Jehovah-Jireh (the lord who provides). So next time you find yourself in a mentality of “oh I wont trouble God with that” … go on … trouble him ;) then you’ll find it’s really no trouble to him at all.
Well I’ve been a tither for many years, and I’ve always believed in the principles and blessings that tithing brings (Mal 3:10), and I’ve always believed that God is our provider and that we don’t need to ever worry (Matt 6:25). But I’d never tested it. I’d never really needed to because I’d always had a good job, and that end of month pay cheque was always a guarantee. But then this thing called a recession hit, and suddenly my line of work which had once been so “safe” was suddenly becoming more “rare”. And so I’d found myself in a position where I was out of a job and although I’d had some temporary work, as the months went on and the effects of the recession started to show, the work became less and less. And now I’ve found myself in the fortunate position (yes fortunate in my case), of not having had a permanent job for 9 months. It’s a fortunate position for me to be in because it means my dependence has totally gone from my own strength to totally relying on my Father’s (the way it should be!). And he has never let me down. I am privileged to be in a place where I see his miraculous provision all of the time. Your normal might be getting your weekly or monthly pay cheque, my normal has become unexpected blessings. I know God as provider now more in the last 9 months than I had in the 7 years that I’ve walked with God. I have lost count of the number of envelopes that have been passed to me, accompanied by the words “I just had it on my heart to give you this”, with amounts ranging from £50 to £500. And I can promise you one thing, he is into the details of your life, and he takes delight in providing for us. I also can’t tell you the amount of times when I’ve had no money in my wallet, but have been walking along chatting to God saying things like, “gosh I really feel like a good steak right now” etc (I am after all, rather partial to good food) ;) Aren’t we all! Then I’ll get a text from a friend asking me out for dinner etc. What matters to you, matters to God. Recently in my chatters with God (You know nothing you say is boring to God? He listens to every word, every thought, it’s fine to chatter. Prayer is relational, and in relationships let’s face it – there’s a lot of chatter! You don’t need to begin prayer “Oh Father in Heaven who sits in the highest place, who is God of the Universe, Holy and Mighty …” etc etc (he does actually know who he is) ;) He won’t be offended if you approach him as “Sup Dad”! Just approach him, don’t worry about formula! Anyway so I was chattering away, and one thing I’d said was, that the only thing I really miss most about having a job, is being able to go to the movies more. Movies are one of my most f-a-v-o-u-r-i-t-e things! I can never get enough of the cinema. So anyway the next day I get a call from a friend saying she’d really had it on her heart that she wanted to bless me, and that as times were tough for me not having an income, she wanted to pop a bit into my account every month so I’d at least be able to go to the movies etc if I wanted. I can tell you that touched me more than the gifts of hundreds of pounds, because that showed me how our delight is his delight, and he is very much into the little details of our lives, and he is ALWAYS listening. I find it hilarious these religious stingy types that preach on false humility, and see poverty as a virtue. Yes literally to survive all we need is bread and water, but God doesn’t see us as animals that just need to be fed. He loves us, we’re his children, he has a relationship with us, and when we believe for things, not just things we need, but also things we want, he gives them to us. I didn’t NEED movie tickets, and I didn’t even ask for them, but he provided anyway. Here’s one for the ladies … take my birthday for example, I remember saying “God I don’t really need a new dress, I mean I have loads, and I’m already so grateful for what I do have but I’d still like one”. Then a friend “happened” to give me some money as a late Christmas present and said, “I thought I’d give you money instead of a present and then you could buy yourself a dress or something”. Well I did get a dress, with a crazy reduction, and got the matching jewellery, makeup, the works – all for, you guessed it, crazy reductions! When I say crazy I mean CRAZY, like 95% off! I’m telling you with God, you don’t just get the dress, you get the shoes and the lippy thrown in too! Those are just a few examples, I can’t even remember all the stories, now you might think it a “coincidence”, but I don’t believe in coincidences at all. Yes I’m rambling on a bit, but I hope you get my point. I’m not painting God as a gene in a bottle, not at all, but I am trying to show you how intimately he listens to your needs and wants, and that he is “Father” and we can approach him with a “Daddy I want a new dress!” mentality! You are the “apple of his eye” (Ps 17:8) and can come “boldly to his throne” (Heb 4:16) SO WHY DON’T WE! Be open to receive from your Father in heaven, not limiting your mindset about what we can and can’t ask for, remember he sees your heart anyway so just talk to him like a child talking to their Daddy, because that’s what we are. Now some of you might say, yes but God could have also given you a job? Well yes indeed he could have, now I don’t know why I haven’t had the work, but I do know that the work he has done in me in this time has been invaluable. And in whatever you may face he really does cause good to come out of bad situations. For example it took me a long time to start to ask God for things that weren’t a necessity (for me to get out of a “don’t ask” mindset, and because I had always had work, I never really did. But he wants us to! How often though do we not even think to ask? When God says he wants to pour out his blessings, he does actually mean it! Nothing is too big for God and nothing is too small for God either, and don’t forget He’s our Jehovah-Jireh (the lord who provides). So next time you find yourself in a mentality of “oh I wont trouble God with that” … go on … trouble him ;) then you’ll find it’s really no trouble to him at all.
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Heya Veeb,
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant piece of work and a reminder to all who read it, (praying it isn't just me), of what an amazing Father we have.
I have not worked for almost three months now, 30th January my last day of employ, although I am home (as in with my parents) at mo and about to start work soon. God has blessed me with space to "be" and even to "recover", (England was slowly killing me towards the end of my time there), in the loving care of my mum and dad, and of the local church.
Whilst coming from a blokey perspective and little personal knowledge of dresses, shoes and lippy I know what you are talking about and know that I don't need to encourage you to keep trusting. I will however encourage you to keep writing: hooray for Victoria and the God to whom she belongs!!!
You also have some excellent insight into the whole "if God is Father then is He just like my dad" line of thinking: and of course as a bloke (a son) I can connect with this one. In fact being at home right now has allowed me to experience the love of both (mother and)father and Father; and I am also working on some writings about this. (To be blogged or preached? Uncertain at this point, but at least one of those outcomes.)
Thanks for sharing, please continue to do so: your writing is an encouragement to me as a writer and a Christian, if God is telling you the things He is telling me then it seems as though it is God and it is all good.
Slainte Mna naDei,
Damien.