All That and
Toilet Paper?
Then he climbed into the
boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely
amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their
hearts were hardened. Mark
6:51-52
Like many
newlyweds, when we were first married, we struggled financially. Six months
into wedded bliss, we found ourselves needing groceries. Being young and full
of faith, we decided we would tell no one…but God.
Several
days into this, as our stomachs growled and the food cabinet grew bare, I got a
call from a friend wanting to know if I would go shopping with her. The last
thing I wanted to do was go shopping. We barely had enough to put a meal
together; shoes were the last thing on my mind. Yet, not
wanting to spoil her enthusiasm and not wanting to let on that there was a
problem, I quickly agreed.
Once
I hung up the phone, I asked God for strength and grace to go shopping with my
friend, and for help to keep our need from her. We wanted to rely totally upon
God for this need.
So
I got dressed and ready to go. My spirits perked as I thought about spending
some time with my friend and enjoying our day.
When
she showed up at the front door, she had a paper sack filled with groceries in
her hands. I opened the door and she walked inside, heading straight for my
table. She plunked the groceries on the table and turned to me. “I know this
seems crazy, but during my quiet time this morning, the Lord told me you needed
this.” Then she marched back to her car and brought in several more bags of
groceries—right down to paper towels and toilet paper!
God
had thought of everything.
I’ll
never forget that day. We hadn’t told a soul of our need. We were careful to
not let on to anyone that we had a need. I don’t know if we were putting God to
the test or just plain trusting, but He came through for us. The thing that I
hadn’t expected was how surprised we were. We say we trust Him, so why is it
when He comes through for us we are surprised?
God
met our need that day—and every day since then.
Do
you have a need? Have you given it over to Him? God uses His people to reach
out to others. It doesn’t hurt to share your need—unless He tells you to do
otherwise. But no matter how you handle it, He is there for you. Trust Him.
He’s a BIG God.
Today’s Prayer: Father, thank You that You are so much
bigger than any need we have. Thank You for understanding our fears and for the
strength You provide in times of challenge. Help us also to be an extension of
Your hands to others in need.
Diann
Hunt admits to seeing the world from a slightly different angle than most, and
she will do just about anything (within reason) for chocolate. Since 2001,
Diann has 20+ books, including Love
Letters in the Sand. Diann has won
the American Christian Fiction Writer's prestigious Book of the Year award in
her genre. Diann
and her real-life hero-husband make their home in Indiana. Visit her website at www.DiannHunt.com
Thank you, Diann, for this sweet devotional. It was just perfect for me today. Tomorrow I jump into writing book #2, which is due in May. I feel ... overwhelmed. Yes, I know it's SecondBookitis, but it's my bout of SecondBookitis, and your devo today reminded me to wait on the Great Physician to meet my need as I write this book, word by word, chapter by chapter.
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