El Jireh

First Deadline for Apprenticeship was September 11. 

10:00pm September 10 – final amount is donated. 

God always provides in His timing. 

If I was in charge of the timetable for providing my funding, I would have met my deadline somewhere around the first of the month and then I wouldn’t worry about it at all.  But as it is, I am not in control of such things.  And truthfully it is better that way.  

Here’s why…

If I had been in charge of the timetable, I would have been relying on my own strength and my own power (which is not much).  I would have been stressing extra to make sure it was all in on time.  I would have not been dependent on God and His provision.  I would have in essence been saying, “I don’t need you God. I got this taken care of.” 

Thankfully this is not what happened!  

Instead, God taught me deeper trust.  He allowed my faith to grow.  He provided when the world said it was impossible. He did it all.  I did my part in asking, and He did His part in providing.  

See what most people don’t realize is that my Papa is very rich.  His driveway is made of solid gold.  He owns cattle on an thousand hills.  He sits on a beautiful and exquisite throne and has the means to meet every single one of my needs according to His riches.  Not mine.  And on top of that, He loves me and seeks to lavish His love and grace upon me and provide me with exceedingly more than I could ever ask or think.  So why should I ever worry or think twice about Him providing for something He has called me to do? 

This is not just something He has done for me.  He has done it to millions of people throughout history.  People who step out in faith, answer His calling, and trust that He will provide for their needs, even when the odds are not in their favor.  The example that continually comes to mind and is a great lesson in trust and belief is the Israelites. 

Multiple times throughout the Israelites history, we see them faced with the impossible.  They see a major obstacle in their way and they get scared.  They begin complaining and wishing for a different life. They would rather live their lives in bondage and hardship than trust God and His timing and receive the freedom and joy that comes from that.  The first of these major events is right after the children of Israel have left Egypt.  Pharaoh’s Army has begun to chase after them and then all of a sudden they come up to the Red Sea and there is no way to cross.  They freak out and get mad and wish they had stayed in Egypt. They are whining and saying it would have been better to be slaves in Egypt than to be killed by the Army.  These people had just witnessed God do amazing things in the land of Egypt in order to secure their freedom.  Yet they very quickly forgot!  

But Moses didn’t.  He listened for God’s voice and direction.  And when God told Moses to do something as menial as raise your hand and spread your staff over the sea, it was a little crazy.  If I were Moses, I would have been like, “Um, God, it’s the sea… What is raising my staff going to do?”  But Moses didn’t question.  He obeyed.  And God provided a way. 

The people praised God for a little while.  And then they became hungry.  They complained.  God provided food.  

The Children of Israel got into a pattern of not trusting God for the little things.  They continually forgot about the previous provisions God had given them and were just wanting to be satisfied in the moment and wanted everything to happen in their time and in the way they wanted.  But this is not how God works.  He works in His way and His timing!  

When I knew I was going to be going to CGA in Georgia and that fundraising was going to be a part of my life again, I was not looking forward to the process.  I know what it takes to raise support, I just didn’t want to do it.  I was wanting God to make the money appear instantaneously and without me doing anything.  I was acting like the Israelites.  I’m pretty sure I complained to Papa some too.  And He listened.  Then He reminded me of all the times He had provided for me financially for the Race and even before that.  Then He told me that He was going to once again provide for what He had called me to.  If He calls me to something and I obey, He will provide the means for it to happen.  But I have to do my part and remember that it is NOT in my timing.  It may seem like the last minute to me, but it has all been exactly according to His timing.

He may test our patience, our trust, and our faith. He doesn’t do it to make us fall and fail; He does it to grow us and take us deeper in our relationship with Him  and to prove once again that He is…

El Jireh – THE PROVIDER!