God is always faithful when you are obedient to what He says
A couple weeks ago I took a little trip to my hometown “outdoors” store. They have all types of hiking gear, camping gear, skiing gear. Pretty much any outdoors activity they will have gear for. I went there not to buy anything but just to look around at some options for gear that I may need for the race and to also get some prices on gear. (Gear for The World Race is really expensive so I needed to plan it all out.) I looked at all types of stuff like sleeping bags, tents, daypacks, hammocks. I was in love totally with all that I found. As I was looking around I decided I wanted to go and check out some of the hiking backpacks. I was looking with really no clue what I was looking at. I only knew what size pack I needed but other than that I was clueless. I was looking at this one Osprey pack that I really liked. I don’t know much about that brand other than what all the racers I had spoken to had told me. Most said they love that brand and would recommend it to anyone. So as I’m looking at that brand I see a pack that was just amazing. It was the exact size I wanted my pack to be and ironically it was my absolute favorite color.
As I was standing there looking at the pack I was praying asking God a few things. I asked that with whatever pack He provides for me that It would be close to or less than $200. That was really all that I could afford since I also had to buy all my other pieces of gear for the race. So I am standing there and I just continue to pray and ask God for His wisdom about what pack to buy and when I should buy it. As I am praying I hear the Lord say, “Buy that pack”. I look at the Osprey pack that was perfect for me and said I can’t buy that pack. It’s a $370 pack. That can’t be the pack for me.
So I took a step back. I started to walk around the store again just looking at gear that I had already previously looked at probably 5 times each. Every time I would look at one piece of gear I would then go back to the backpack.
Sleeping bags.. backpack.. tents.. backpack..
As I go back and forth I keep praying about this pack and God keeps saying to me “Buy that Pack“.
But how? I would say. How can I but that pack when I don’t even have $370 with me right now? I don’t even have close to that amount.
And I heard again “Buy that pack“.
At this point I am so confused and frustrated. I didn’t understand why God kept telling to buy a backpack that I didn’t even have enough money in my account for.
And yet I heard again “Buy that pack“.
So I walked over to the shelf rather frustrated and I grabbed that pack off the hook. I walked over to the cash register and without even thinking I said to the cashier “I am ready to check out”. My eyes grew wide and I didn’t know what was going to come of this.
The man asked me if I knew how to fit the pack for my height and I told him no so he came over and helped me fit the pack perfectly to how I needed it. He walks back over the register and asks if I was a rewards card member. I told him no and so he sign me up for one (which now is so very beneficial to have because it sends me coupons and helps me save money on gear). So now I am getting really impatient. I just want the pack to be rung up but at the same time I didn’t.
As I was standing at the register I was thinking how God had to have something planned that I didn’t know about. He had to because I literally didn’t have $370 to spend on a pack. I just didn’t and God knew that!
The card membership was all set and the guy was about to ring up my pack. I deliberatly looked away because I was not prepared to see $370 pop up on any screen. The cashier didn’t realize I was freaking out inside but I was. I hear a beep from him scanning the price tag. I still have not looked at the screen yet.
The next thing I heard literally blew my mind. As I was looking around the store trying not to make it obvious that I was freaking out the guy says to me “Ok, so your total is $202.98”.
I have never whipped my body around so fast and I asked the cashier to repeat himself. So he says again “Your total is $202.98“.
My eyes grew even wider. I just stood there for a second in complete shock. The man who rang up the pack looked at me in confusion and asked if I was ok. I nodded my head yes and proceeded to take out my wallet to pay.
As I stood there waiting for the transaction to be finished and I just said WOW.
I was speechless. I was in absolute AW of God.
I tried to figure out how it would all work out with a limited mindset. I was thinking about how much I had in the bank account but I wasn’t fully trusting that God had it covered.
Thank you Jesus for being faithful even when I don’t fully understand how you could figure stuff like that out.
We serve a faithful God
We serve a loving God
We serve a forgiving God
We serve a limitless God
Thank you Jesus!
Sometimes it is hard to see what God is trying to do. We see the bigger picture which in my case was that I knew I didn’t have $370 to spend. God is always doing work on our behalf even though we may not see it.
God is faithful when we are obedient.
Deuteronomy 7:9
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Thank you Jesus for working on my behalf even when I can’t immediately see what you are doing. Thank you for being faithful!
For those who don’t know, this coming September I will be journeying out on a 9 month long mission trip with 54 other teammates. We will be going to Cambodia, Thailand, Guatemala, Hondura, and Ethiopia.
Jesus is faithful when we are obedient to what He tells us to do.
He has told me to Go so I am listening and doing just that. God has given me this burning desire to go and to share His love for people through me and my team. To say I am excited is an understatement. I know that the plans God has for this trip are greater than I could ever imagine.
God is faithful.
I know that God will be faithful through the FUNdraising process as well as through out the entire trip itself. God is so so good!
Thank you for taking time out of your busy scheduled to read my blog. If there are any questions about the trip or about how to donate to my trip please feel free to email me at [email protected]!
God is sufficient and He is so faithful when we are obedient to what He wants us to do!
