Here’s a question for you.  Do we pray to God for the traffic light to turn green or do we pray to God to keep the traffic light red? Hmmm… I suppose it depends what you are praying for, and whether God wants you to move forward or not.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Last night I attended a bible study on God’s provision.  Very good bible study.  It made me go into complete reflective mode about the times when God provided for me, and whether I was disappointed with the outcome of some and whether it exceeded above my expectations.  I was part running, part walking this morning thinking about it all, and I was seeing in slow motion video clips of when God had provided for me.  In every single situation God provided for me, but I also know that in some situations I was disappointed with the outcome.

When I lived in unknown country and moved away to live in undisclosed location I had to be completely and fully reliant on God.  4 weeks pregnant (not really knowing, just kinda had that feeling at the back of my mind that I was pregnant with Sebastian). I moved away to leave an abusive, unhealthy relationship behind. And so my new life began.

I had a new lease on life.  I had courage to leave.  God provided for me a safe getaway and I stayed hidden amongst the locals in that community.  God really spoke to me during those times.  I heard within my spirit that I was to move back to undisclosed country regardless whether my parents wanted me or not.  I also knew that if my parents didn’t want me I would still move back to that location where I grew up.  Naturally, in the beginning my parents were not so eager to have me back!  But they gradually warmed up to having a grandchild running around the house.  God spoke to me through my dreams at night.  I had so many visions then, and each one seemed to come through!

I remember I was really struggling financially and yet God always provided me.  God always put me on people’s hearts – and people helped me to get through that season financially.  I was so truly blessed!  It was truly amazing to see God at work in my life.  To this day when I still think about it – it gives me goosebumps.  I remember having a very difficult frank conversation with my support worker and she said you are over 300 $$ in debt. Mind blowing really.  Wow.  Over 300 $$ in debt.  How will I ever pay that back?  With no real income, no real support from the state.  I was in tears.  I was 5 months pregnant.  I was in the middle of a divorce and I was in debt.  I remember retreating to the back of my mind, and walking absently all over the place.  Praying.  Praying. Praying.  All we can do is pray.  All we can do is learn how to pray, and be still in the presence of God.  I remember praying.  I remember it was raining.  I remember I was walking to the shop – because I needed to get baby milk for my friend’s baby at the shelter we lived in.  I prayed.  I prayed.  Lord, please help me, I don’t know what to do.  I am so afraid of the future. I don’t know what to do, how to support myself.  How to look after this baby inside of me.  I need to feed myself so that he can grow.  I need you Lord.  I need you Lord.  Thank you Lord for your grace in my life.  And so I prayed this over and over through my walk in the rain, proud of my growing baby bump but frightened for what the future may hold.  But in the torment of my mind I heard God’s still voice beckon to me and He reminded me of the following scriptures:

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 6:28-34

 So do not worry, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

After I heard God’s voice in the stillness of my mind, I knew that I need not worry and that God will provide in his perfect timing! And sure enough He did!  That very evening, I received a message from a friend saying that God put her on her mind while she was praying for me and she said she would like to offer me undisclosed $$ to help me with whatever troubles I was having currently.  Three more people contacted me after her, to say they would like to offer me money and that I don’t have to pay it back to them but to pay it forward. Wow, wow, wow, just wow! Amazing grace. Praise the Lord.  He provided for me when I needed the most, and I was not alone.  His presence within me was very real.  And it was truly an amazing experience.  One that I will never forget.

So, here’s food for thought.  You are in the middle of a desert place, struggling whether it is financially or emotionally or having a health crisis.  How do you react in such a situation?  Do you plant your faith in humans? Or do you plant your roots firmly into God? How can God help you?  Cry out to the Lord and he will hear your pleas, and he will come and carry you through the storm.  Remember God sees the bigger picture and knows what he is doing for the Glory of his kingdom.  God knows our needs.  His will be done.  Not our will.  God knows what we need, it is possible that it is not necessarily what we want.  It is a simple instruction: trust and obey.

Returning back to my first question, do we pray for the traffic light to turn green or red?  I think God has given us a brain so that we can use it.  He wants us to use it.  The Lord wouldn’t want us to sit around doing nothing.  Faith is about exercising it and taking action when needed!  It is also about sitting still in God’s presence, and resting.  But never retiring.  Never giving up.  I know, it is easier said than done.  Sometimes it is more difficult to trust and obey God when we are in INSECURE GROUNDS.  But God will provide if you are 100% certain that this is what God wants you to do with your life.  When you have peace about it that you cannot explain in simple terms. Please also remember that every situation is unique.  So we may encounter trying times throughout our lives and God acts accordingly.  God acts in the way that he thinks it is best for us.  So, say we have a trying time, and he reacts with A.  And the next time we have a trying time, we think oh, I know God and we believe that God will act with A.  But instead he acts with G.  Which throws us off balance.  But remember, God is mysterious and all loving and he knows what is best for us.

What has God provided for you?

What does it mean?

• God is love for me.
• Healing
• Salvation
• Redemption
• Restoration
• Forgiveness
• Hope
• Mercy

Finally – one last thought.  God has promised us this:

John 14:15-18

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Resources

• Genesis 3:21, 6:13-14, 15:4-6, 22:8
• Exodus 3:10-12
• Numbers 21:8-9
• Joshua 6:2-3
• Judges 3:8-9
• Job 1:9-11
• Isaiah 53:10
• Luke 22:42
• Philippians 4:6-9
• Psalm 33:17

May you have a wonderful day in the Lord, and be at peace in our wonderful Father.  His ways are the best ways!