~ "Payment due..."

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:5-6)

For about a week now - Hebrews 13:6 has started out to be the "verse of the day", but always ended up getting replaced. Once again this morning, I started to use it, and decided to read the entire chapter. Needless to say, the verse before it was what was missing! Once again, God has a plan!

I've spent the past week trying to take the focus off the fact that my mortgage payment was going to be late. The man who bought my trailer pays me monthly. Usually I can set my watch by him, but this month (or rather last month) he had not shown up with his payment on the regularly schedule day. If he doesn't make the trailer payment, I can't make the mortgage payment.

During this particular "crisis", I have wandered around the house trying to have faith that God would provide for my needs (as he always does). When I couldn't reach this gentleman, I began to panic. "What, God - what are you trying to tell me?" Are you changing my plans again? What do you want me to learn?" As each day passed, more and more of my day seemed to focus on something I could do nothing about. When he called me on Friday, he told me he would be sending it out "next day delivery" through a very reputable private shipping company. Here it is, Wednesday and the only information this company can give him on "tracking" this rather important envelope, is that it was received. With a message left for me last night, he informed me that he will be sending me a second envelope with a second check in in and he trusts me to only cash one of them. Yes, the mortgage will still be late, but it will be paid.

I'm ashamed to say that I was beginning to doubt the faith I place in God. The first verse for today reminds me that I have nothing to fear - "I will never leave you, nor forsake you!" Being a Christian means that I have made a choice to follow Jesus! God has never let me down. He's said "no" on a few occasions, but he's never left me alone to fend for myself. He's provided a house for me and the dogs to live in, he's provided me with warm, loving friends (who make me laugh and listen to me whine), he'd provided me with a job that I enjoy, he's provided me with this little white laptop that I use daily to communicate with, he's provided me with family, he's provided me with love!

In a letter to my ex-husband a few months back, I told him that "everything I am, I am because you once loved me. Everything I have, I have because you once loved me." EVERYTHING I am and have is because GOD loves me still! Without him, I am nothing! Our relationships with others shape who we are, who we become; our relationship with God defines our relationships with others! Without my faith in God, I would not be who or where I am today! All the glory goes to him!

I'm trying very hard to be faithful to him (not an easy job for me, I assure you). The wants and the needs of this Jersey Girl still creep into the mix somedays. Knowing that I'm not alone and that God is forever in my corner helps me to take the next step! And with each step comes a new discovery - usually about what God can do if I let him! Let him show you a new discovery today! In your quiet time, reflect on the payment made on your behalf some 2000 years ago!