He is ... Our Provider

Matthew 6: 25-34

In this passage Jesus tells us not to worry about our life, what we shall eat, drink, or wear. God is aware of our needs and He will provide them.

When the economy started to head south last year. I didn't give it much thought. I had a pretty secure job and my husband's 2 companies were doing okay. It wasn't until later in the year that my husband's truck needed a costly repair. We looked into replacing it versus getting it fixed. God provided the perfect vehicle at the same payments we were already paying.

About a month and half later I got a promotion at work. We were excited that we were going to be able to use some of the extra money to pay off some debt. God had other plans. My car died and we were in the market once again for a vehicle. Due to the economy vehicles were marked down and God provided that once again perfect vehicle for me. My raise was exactly what I needed to make the payments. It was October.

November rolled around and my husband's business decreased. Now I was starting to get worried. If he wasn't able to pay himself, how would we pay our bills? How would we buy food? Christmas was right around the corner and we have 3 boys, what would we do? Well, his pay did decrease to 1 paycheck a month instead of 4. It has been that way since November. We have always been frugal with our money, but now even the little things really add up. It has taught us discipline on spending and what it is like to trust God and just let Him take over. I have always said God was in control of my life, but was He or was I?

God has provided in so many different ways for us. I have seen miracles that I wouldn't have recognized if it hadn't been for out financial situation. It has also been a great lesson for our boys. Things are slowly turning around with my husband's businesses. God is still providing!

Two thoughts my pastor said a few weeks ago:
- Sometimes God will not intervene until things are totally humanly impossible.
-Our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory.

My favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

Are you wondering where your next meal is going to come from? How you are going to pay the next bill? God will make a way for you, trust in Him, HE WILL PROVIDE!


Amy lives in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband Jerry and her 3 sons Jerry, Nicholas and Zachery

ALL KNOWING

Wow, have you ever STOPPED to think what God being all knowing REALLY means. The biggest "aha" I have had as I meditate on this part of Him, is that because HE KNOWS I don't have to know. And because HE knows and knows completely and perfectly, and promises to work all things for His glory and My good, I am wasting my time trying to know because I can never know the way He knows and can never fully understand because His thoughts and ways are higher than my thoughts and ways.

Quote from Knowledge of the Holy: You now instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all laws and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil heaven and hell. Because you know all things perfectly, you know no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. You never discover anything. You are never surprised or amazed. You never wonder about anything nor do YOU seek information or ask questions.

Whew! When I read this I was like a limp rag. I am finite, He is infinite. I am weak, He is strong. I am imperfect, He is perfect. I am weary, He does not grow weary. I am fickle, He is faithful. I am limited in knowledge , He knows everything. I am limited by time and space, He is not. I think I know sometimes, He knows all the time.

I don't know where you are today, but my guess is there are some challenges whether it is in reference to the economy, relationships, children, marriage etc. And there are probably many things you would like to know NOW. As I continue to meditate on this and am faced with so many things "outside" my control I am beginning to "see" that my need to fix or know is an affront to WHO HE IS. I have asked HIM to forgive me for trying to be the answer when HE is the Answer. I have again realized that when I passionately pursue HIM for WHO He is, I will find HIM as He has promised and no matter what comes my way I will know that He KNOWS and hold all things together. Therefore I will pray and intercede according to His Word and His character which will never change. If I try to understand based on human reasoning, I will become confused, discouraged and defeated.

It is amazing to me that if I go back 12 years I can begin to see so many things that have happened and at the time of their happening I did not know anymore than just that: they happened. Now on this side I can see the wonderful handiwork of God in each of the circumstances or lives and realize HE REALLY KNEW what was happening, what needed to happen and what the result would be. He reminded me again that if we must be perfect he died needlessly. Therefore we must release one another to the ONLY WISE GOD who KNOWS EVERYTHING. This does not condone sin, but gives God his rightful place in our lives. Because He knows all things perfectly I can entrust every member of my family to a faithful Creator in doing what is good, acceptable and perfect in their lives. Not based on their goodness but His redemptive work on the cross. And I can stay at His feet, will full confidence that He Who began a good work in them will complete it based on fully KNOWING the person, their heart, circumstances and need.

I hope you will take time today to thank the Lord that HE KNOWS what is troubling you right now. And He knows it perfectly - He knows the beginning and the end of it. And He has the answer. Thank Him that you don't know. And that it is enough that HE KNOWS. And then rest in it. He will SHOW UP! He can't help it. It is His nature to be there.:)

Jill Milligan, Charlotte, N.C.

He is - Our Cover

Clothes. Because spring is in the air and I have two little girls who are outgrowing everything, clothes have been on my mind all week. Boy oh boy, do I love them.

I love fashion.

I love checking out what is new and trying to figure out each season which pieces I will purchase. To me, the adventure of finding those new pieces is fun. I like the challenge of finding just the right piece of clothing and finding it cheap. (I've got some incredible stories of how God shows me just the right deals, but that is for another day.)

Clothes cover. They cover a multitude of things. Since we're mostly girls here I can be honest. The right piece of clothing will hide all the lumps and bumps we aren't very proud of.

Would you agree with me that we girls take great effort to find the perfect fit so that we appear longer, leaner and look our best? Put on the right type of clothing and you can cover what you don't like about yourself.

But what happens when you take those clothes off? Reality hits again.

The back fat is still there. The stretch marks? They're still there too. And don't forget about the cellulite, it seems to reproduce overnight sometimes.

Oh the "uglies", the things we don't like about our bodies. Try as hard as you can to accessorize and cover them at the end of the day, they are still there.

Sin is our spiritual "ugly". When we try to cover it up ourself, we are doing nothing but throwing on a piece of clothing that is several sizes to small. It just doesn't work. We can never say enough, do enough or be enough to make right, or cover our sin. There is only One who can.

Jesus Christ. The perfect tailor. He has custom designed a piece of clothing for each of us that will more than cover any sin. The sins we have committed in the past,are currently involved in and better than that, the sin we will commit tomorrow and the next day....

The Hebrew word for cover is "kasah" and it means to cover, conceal, hide; to clothe; to forgive; to keep secret; to hide oneself, wrap oneself up."

Our Jesus has paid for our garment of salvation and our robe of righteousness with His Holy blood, sweat and tears. Sometimes I need to be reminded that I have been wrapped up, covered and clothed by Jesus Christ.

The Lord has had me soaking in Isaiah 61. Verse 10 says this...

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has CLOTHED me with GARMENTS OF SALVATION and arrayed me in a ROBE of RIGHTEOUSNESS."

So how about it? How about you take off those ill-fitting clothes and maybe even a few accessories you've been using to cover yourself with. How about letting Jesus cover you in a beautiful garment. He is waiting to wrap you in your royal robe, will you let Him?





Stephanie lives in Dacula, GA with her husband Chad and two daughters, Chloe and Emma.

Hi There!

We are about a week away from our first "official" post, but since we have the blog up and running I thought I would just pop over and give you a sneak peek!

Since we are focusing on the Names of God, I thought it would be fitting to start off with this song. We've been singing it at our church and boy...it does something to me every time.

Every need we have can be supplied in Him. Every hurt can be healed by Him. Every destroyed relationship can be restored by Him.

Our God is a strong tower.

He is a shelter like no other.

Nothing has the power to save...but His Name...





See you next week!!

Stephanie