I believe that you can find an answer in God's word for any problem you have. I'd already experienced it when dealing with alcoholism in the family and infertility. Now I was going to learn that God also cared about meeting physical needs.
When our first child was about 10 months old, my husband became unemployed. At the time we were living in Indiana, about 4 hours away from our family. Since we still owned a house back in our hometown, we decided to move back.
The fact my husband was unemployed, and I wanted to continue to be a stay at home mom, meant we had a real genuine need. We needed the Lord to provide a job for my husband - a good job with benefits.
Previously, I had heard a testimony by Dodie Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Dodie had cancer. She stood on several healing scriptures that she read continually and claimed them as hers. It was said that she "took those scriptures like medicine." She went over them several times a day, just like she would have taken prescription medications several times a day. (You can download a list of those scriptures by clicking here.) Her diagnosis was in 1981, yet she is alive and well today!
I could not get her story out of my mind. I remembered that the Bible tells me that God is no respecter of persons. He loves me and my husband just as much as He loves Dodie. I felt that He not only cared about our physical needs, He cared about spiritual and material needs as well.
So, feeling inspired, I got out a clipboard and copied down every scripture I could find regarding God meeting our material needs. The major verse I stood on was:
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19
Always read scripture in context. If you read the whole book of Philippians, you'll find the Philippians were givers and had helped the Jewish Christians that were in need. They gave, and then received a promise that all their needs would be met. I felt I could also stand on this scripture because my husband and I were learning to be givers, also.
As soon as we moved back home, we left our baby with grandma and headed to town so that my husband could put in applications. After talking it over, he decided to apply at a business that sold diesel parts since he had prior experience selling parts. The business had a good reputation, reportedly paying good wages and benefits. We figured we might as well start first with putting in an application where Jim really wanted to work.
Keep in mind, there was no ad for help wanted at this establishment. Jim just walked in asking for an application. Meanwhile I sat in the car praying and reading over and over my scriptures.
The longer I prayed, the more encouraged I became. What was taking him so long? There must be a job opening because it doesn't take that long to say no. When he finally came out to the car, he was grinning. "I start Monday!"
"Fantastic," I cried, "so they were looking for someone?"
"Nope, but when they heard I had International (truck parts) experience, the boss sat down and talked to me. It's not every day a guy walks in knowing about International. The boss just decided to make a job for me!"
Our God is so awesome! He WILL meet your needs, even if He has to make someone create a job just for you!
God is Good! All the Time!
ReplyDeleteAn exciting testimony and a good, solid scripture to stand on.
I'm glad you included the context of this scripture, BTW
Amen! Great encouragement...God will never fail us and we can stand on scripture promises ....
ReplyDeleteWonderful testimony! Keep 'em coming! :)
ReplyDeleteJane
AWESOME!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great testimony! God is good!
ReplyDeleteIt's so good to hear about real things and not the slapstick stuff.
ReplyDeleteMore people need to read your posts.