II Timothy 1:7 - "Yes I Will"

The last couple of days have given God a time to remind me He is in control and I need not fear. With the loss of income we have experienced over the last few months there have been many times when we wondered how bills would be paid but God always provides. When we came to South Carolina, we knew Doc would need to be bi-vocational. God provided those first ten months without him having a job so he could be with me through the breast cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments. After going through that time, He provided the job as a rural carrier for a few months with great pay and great insurance but then Doc stood up to them when they started requiring him to work Sundays. I believe that was a test God gave for two reasons. One to see if Doc would stand up for his call and the other being to see if we trusted Him. Of course, the answer was yes to both. A couple months later when a job was provided with Sherwin Williams it was only a little over half the pay but it was 'enough' for us to get by. After a year with them, Doc's body was beat down from the job. We prayed for God's guidance and once again He provided. We took a step of faith and followed His direction. All was going good until the cancer came into his life. Then life became complicated yet at no time have we felt like God has ever left us. We have stood upon II Timothy 1:7 throughout these 'tough' days. We have leaned more into God than ever before and continue to trust Him. He has blessed us in many ways through wonderful people who bless us. He has provided in ways we never thought possible. Our house payment being lowered by twenty dollars a month; the electric bill budget being lowered by seven dollars a month...these all seem small yet are big miracles in our life. Wednesday at chemo being told we owed $1200 and would need to pay it right away made my heart hurt. I told them we had not received any bills and Doc's insurance had been paying all his bills at 100% since May so I did not see how it was possible for us to owe. We had just had a conversation about money on the way to the appointment so this was not good timing to be told about a big bill. When we got home, I checked on-line with the insurance and it shows we do not owe anything. That made me not only feel better but also made me praise God! We've lost income this week due to circumstances out of our control but I know God already has things worked out. He woke me with these words to encourage me this morning...

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
All my days, oh, yes I will

I love His encouragement! I love how He knows what I need, before I even know. He is a great God! The words to this song begin...

I count on one thing
The same God that never fails
Will not fail me now
You won't fail me now
In the waiting
The same God who's never late
Is working all things out
You're working all things out

He never fails us! No matter what we go through, He is always there for us. The 'waiting' is not always easy but when we put our trust in Him and believe He is 'working all things out' it is doable. We are not only experiencing this through our personal lives but in the life our church. Due to circumstances out of our control we are faced with a deficit of approximately $40,000 to complete the building rehab. Once again, I believe this is a test for our church body. How committed are we to reaching the souls of Beaufort for God? How committed are we to trust God with our personal finances so the building can be completed? We are being tested and I'm praying we all will 'pass' the test put before us. I'm praying for a miracle to happen not just in the area of finances but in the lives of people. If God can lower a house payment by twenty dollars, He can provide $40,000 to finish a building. I believe it but I also believe the miracle will only happen when we all are walking in His will. His focus is on souls. Ours needs to be the same. I'm excited to see how He will be glorified through my personal life, the lives of my church family, and the life of our church. Woo hoo!

 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the words of encouragement through this song! Thank You for the reminders of how You have been with us every step of the way through the step of faith in coming to South Carolina! Thank You for encouraging Doc today as he continues with the after effects of chemo! Thank You for being with Simone, Trenton and Baby Weston through this time with his early birth! Thank You for all the ways You shower Your love upon us! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me today with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be greater than me today in my words, actions, and attitude. Thank You for being The One I Praise! Amen.