On my post last week about giving, Robin asked if I would share a few stories. There are many little stories that my wife and I have about how the Lord has established us and kept us and helped us fall in love with Him through our finances. Here are a two of the juicy ones to help stir our faith to say yes to God when we feel an invitation to give, and keep us steady when we feel the pocketbook pinch.
A FREIND IN THE HOSPITAL
A friend of mine got very sick and had to go to the hospital. A few days in their uncomfortable bed and gross food cost him several thousand dollars in room & board. He was without insurance and in a tight spot to pay the bills once he was home.
Anna and I talked about it one Friday night and decided we wanted to give his family some money to help cover the bills. We decided on a figure that we felt was from the Lord. It was bigger than we felt comfortable giving, but decided that we would accommodate by not going out to eat or grocery shopping that month. We would finish out what was in the fridge and cupboard and then fast….
We called my friend on Saturday morning to say we wanted to come by later that day. About an hour before we were to leave, the mail came. And in the mail we received an unexpected check from someone who does not normally support us for the exact amount we had decided to give the night before.
SUPPORT RAISING
In 2006 when Anna and I went home for our support raising trip we had a conversation with someone who had been supporting us from day 1 of our ministry. (Not only were they extremely faithful, but also were supporting us the largest amount.) In the conversation they told us that they would not be able to support us anymore after the next months check.
We told them thanks for all the years of generosity and support and that the Lord would provide.
The next month we got that last check in the mail. We prayed and asked the Lord to fill the new hole in our budget. Within four days Anna and I received a handful new monthly supporters who’s combined support added up to exactly the amount we had just lost.
What are some of your own stories?
Coffee ChriS said:
Jehovah Jireh Recent Experiences From ChriS & Yvette:
A friend back home who could not afford to support us starting sending us $20 bucks a month. Two months later they sent $500 exactly what we needed with bills sitting due on the counter. She enclosed a prophetic word of encouragement and explained how the Lord blessed them. They really could not afford to do this.
Awhile bace we were very discouraged our attempts at increasing regular supporters were dismal. Our newsletter brought zero response that month and our regulars “forgot” or didn’t have it. I was really discouraged and prayed, “God I need to know if you want us to keep living this way? I need to see 500 bucks come in.” The very next day I sat down in class a fellow student handed me a check for that amount.” He said when he came into class God “Immediately told him write Chris Ferguson a check for $500 now.” He didn’t know my prayer or even that we are living entirely via faith.
We needed a second car…God provided free. I’d like to say it was my great faith. Actually I was complaining…”God, I hear so many stories of how you provide cars to others. What about me?” A few days later he gave us a car. I’ll stop for now.
He really is good and yet this really is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Living as a Missionary by faith versus the strength of my own hand is something I wrestle with daily.
Learning to trust and blessed because He really does take care of His own!
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 12:14 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ ChriS: Those are great. I’m glad you shared them. I love hearing what the Lord is doing in other’s lives as well.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Ronni said:
Well I have been given two cars (one by non-believers) in the past year. Every time a repair or something is needed, somehow, God makes it happen.
I was told to give my only acoustic guitar to a friend (which is hard because I was leading worship at the time)… well God shut the door for that one day, the next day this friend shows up (which doesn’t happen much) and I gave it to him. Three days later God calls him out of town for a few months of wilderness in which he needed that guitar. The timing amazed me (and I’ve been provided with a brand new guitar).
Wild stuff like “God we have no money and no groceries” and someone in church walking up and handing us a card with 60 bux in it for no reason but God told them to. Amazes me.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Jo said:
It’s so exciting and encouraging to hear and see stories of provision. I know my parents once had an annonymous cashier’s check sent to our house… to this day I don’t think we know who sent it.
In our upcomming marriage, I know Tyler and I are excited to devote our lives and money to the Lord and see Him provide faithfully.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Idhrendur said:
I love these kind of stories. I’ve got two of my own.
In the first, my ex-girlfriend and I were helping a friend with a video project for school. We had just enoug money to buy hm a VHS tape to finish the project, no food, nothing in the bank. As we arrived at Wal-Mart, he told us he had prayed for God to put $20 in her wallet. She checked, there was nothing. He paused, then said “Check again.” She checked wvery compartment in her wallet. There was just a two-dollar bill (not for spending) and the 96 cents for the tape. Chris put his hand on the wallet, spoke of the scripitural promises of provision, then said, “Check again.” She looked, and right where she had looked the first time, there was a new $20 bill! The best part was, we were able to use that story to encourage an In-N-Out worker about God’s faithfulness to us.
The second story is more recent. I just graduated from college, and had just gotten a temp job at Albertsons to pay the bills while I work on getting a good programming job. My money was about cleaned out, and I was about to have to cash advance several hundred dollars on my credit card to pay rent. I was checking my bank account to see how much I needed when I found a $2000 deposit had just arrived. Turns out I got the second half of a federal grant that I get to keep (even though I just graduated), when I don’t remember getting the firs half, and with suspicious timing.
Yay God!
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Jon-Michael said:
Well I don’t have any “miracle” stories. I used to give a tithe and an offering when I was working a part time job not making much money. Now I no longer do either. It seemed that when I was giving money for the Lord’s work I never felt like I was hard up on cash. Now, though I am making much more money, I seem to be broke all the time. Perhaps my spending habits have changed, but perhaps since I have becoming less willing to give God has decided to do the same. In any case, that is some inspiring stuff Shawn.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 5:13 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Jon-Michael: I’m not sure what your view towards giving is. It sounds like you agree with it but aren’t practicing it right now. I hope this post does inspire you to start giving to the Kingdom again.
What you explained is a true reality: That 90% (or less) of our income will do more under the anointing of God than 100% of our income without.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Sharon said:
I quit my part-time job to go full-time in the House of Prayer where I live and I figured I needed about 300 dollars a month until the end of the next semester of school, about four months. I very soon got a check from my uncle for $1200 (just like to point out that that’s $300 divided by 4)that I thought he’d forgotten all about. The timing was very obviously God. And He’s made my bank account feel very much larger than it is.
Posted on April 30, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Ryan Couch said:
@ Shawn: Hope you are well bro!
I wanted to let you know, if you don’t already, that Rick Joyner has been doing a series on faithfulness in financial stewardship on his weekly “Word of the Week” editions.
He has some excellent financial advice, which I’m sure would augment yours.
http://www.morningstarministries.org/feature/wftw/2007/1807.htm
His goal is that every Christian is “financially independent” - which he defines as having the freedom to make every decision in life based upon the will of God and not based on lack of finances.
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 1:13 pm
{Shawn} said:
@ Ryan: Sweet. Thanks for the tip. Rick Joyner is an excellent teacher in regards to finances. He was out here in KC a few months ago and it was excellent to hear him teach.
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Robin said:
I went on a road trip one weekend last Fall with a family from my church to San Antonio to go to a Benny Hinn Crusade. I only had $40 that I took because it was all I could afford to spend. Well, when the offering was being taken up, I really wanted to give, and I really felt the Lord prompting me, but I told God I only had 2 $20s, and although I wanted to give, I simply could not go the weekend with only $20. I kept praying and the Lord kept prompting me. I told the Lord, “I am not saying No. I am only saying I don’t think I can afford it. But if you really want me to give it I will.” I really did want to give and I wasn’t closing my heart. Then Bro Benny made a comment along these lines: “How big is your need? Then give a big gift.” At that moment, I made up my mind and I gave it.
Let me say that I paid for nothing on that trip. The head of that family decided that He would pay for every meal, for the hotel rooms, and for the gas. Blown away. That’s what I was. If I had kept it, I am convinced I would have run short.
Isn’t God amazing!!??
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 10:53 pm