He Will Do It Again

It is always a fun exercise for me to look back at the times God has provided for me in my life. Over and over again, from early childhood, I have seen His hand of provision. I guess the first time I really remember seeing this was at the end of my eight-grade year. Our house, unfortunately, was repossessed. That is a sinking feeling for a young teen, not knowing where you will go. As it turned out, our God provided a home and it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. On another occasion, I remember asking my mom what we would be eating for supper and she said we would just have to see what God provided (we had nothing in the house). A few hours later, several ladies from the church showed up with a car full of groceries; God again.

Fast forward to my college years. We had no college fund and really no idea how the college game worked. God provided several scholarships that got me through community college. Then, I felt called to go to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and serve as a student missionary. While we had zero funds to make this happen, God laid it on the heart of one of my aunts to pay for this endeavor. Off to Alaska I went, eventually returning home and graduating from University of Houston – Victoria.

Through my seminary years, not once did I have the tuition to for the semester in the bank. However, Kimberly’s job, somehow, seemed to give a bonus every time tuition was due. The only time I ever took off from seminary was a one-year period that I took off due to burnout. After that year, when I was ready to return, the money was there again.

I could tell you more stories about my adulthood, but you get the idea. This morning, as I was doing my devotional, I read a story in Matthew 16 about Jesus and the Disciples. Jesus was warning them about the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (v. 6). The Disciples completely misunderstood Jesus and thought that He was fussing at them for not bringing bread. Jesus responds in verses 8-11 by saying, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

May I encourage you this day, remember what God has done in the past and know this: He will do it again. God has never forsaken us, nor will He. Look at His fingerprints in your life and take hope, God is faithful.

Honored to be your pastor,

Darrell