A God that Can Be Trusted

      Sometimes God limits Himself to our level of trust. Other times He does exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. Years ago I planted a church. The church had been going about three months. I had a fulltime job working about 50 hours a week. The effort required to plant the church was being hindered by the number of hours at work. I began to pray about going full time with the church. One morning as I prayed I heard the Lord to say that He would pay as much of my salary as I was willing to trust Him for. My response was to go for it and the Lord provided the necessary income. He demonstrated His faithfulness over and over to me.

       A couple of years later we had a number of families leave and start another church. They were all tithers and the church took a hit financially. My salary was now more than was coming in on a given Sunday. I knew we could not continue to do that. I began pray and ask the Lord what I needed to do and He gave me a plan to take a percentage of the morning offering. Based on averages it was a nine hundred dollar a month pay cut which would put me in a deficit spending situation. I heard the Lord speak in my spirit again," You are looking at this as a pay cut, but I am taking the ceiling off so I can bless you." I made more money that year than I had before or since. It was an exciting time seeing the creative ways God provided for us.  The next year I went back on salary.

     It is important that we don't take a testimony like this and get into presumption. In each case the Lord spoke to me and I responded accordingly. Hearing and obeying the Lord is essential in the area of finances. Money is often a heart indicator. When the brook Cherith dried up, Elijah needed a new source of provision. The Lord told him to go to Zarephath where he had commanded a widow to provide for him. Obedience was required both on the part of Elijah and the widow. He had to make the hundred mile journey and the widow who was gathering wood to cook her last meal for her and her son had to give of her last little bit to Elijah. When Elijah asked her to cook him a little meal cake first, she told him her situation, but she did as she was asked. The cruse of oil and the bin of flour did not run out until the famine was over. God did not need her resources; He just wanted her obedience. God is a God who can be trusted. What he says He will do. He loves to demonstrate his faithfulness in ways which stretch us and build our faith. He is a good Father.