by Jon Burnett
15 May 05
I never tire of considering the awesome providence of God, and one morning He decided I needed to hear that lesson again. I awoke on that Saturday from the best night of sleep I�d had in awhile. My schedule at work had been pretty hectic the days prior with a 60-hour week among a plethora of other lesser trials. The day was meant to be nice, my first chance for some leisure time to myself. The car was going to be serviced for free, it was haircut time, and I was going to catch up on some college work before visiting family. The morning seemed great and everything fell into place rather nicely until I went to get my car, �That�ll be $54.13.� My heart raced as I reached for my wallet and confirmed with the cashier that the service wasn�t covered in my plan.
Anyone who�s had unexpected expenses knows the anxiety involved. Running through my head I quickly reassured myself that I had plenty, though internally I still had my doubts. I got in the car and checked my record. I had enough for the bill but then realized that if they automatically deducted my phone bill that I would be pushed well into the red. So I do what any broke 19-year old does: call Mom. She�d helped me in the past, why not now? When I got the answering machine though, my heart sunk again. No answering machine is the same as hearing your mother�s voice, especially when you think Wells Fargo is going to have your head.
To calm myself down I reached for my Bible. Having nothing specific to read I turned to my concordance and began to look up passages on how God blesses His people. Psalms was especially helpful. Reading of David�s most intimate thoughts and God�s responses to his needs reminded me of God�s faithfulness in my own life.
�My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me your statutes. Make me understand the way of your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works. My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.� (Psa 119:25-28)
I was strengthened by David�s joy in God�s favor and knew I�d be taken care of. After reading for a good hour it was time to complete the healing with prayer (Phil 4:6,7). Once composed and reassured in my faith I decided it was time to call the bank. To my delight I wasn�t in the red at all, in fact well over the usual balance. The IRS had actually processed my return on time and transferred the money the day before!
Though I may not often admit it, I�m bad with money, or at least inexperienced. I often make up for this with frequent conversations with Mom before buying anything more than a meal. Had I simply trusted in God in the first place and called the bank sooner the stress, the anxiety, and the pressure would have all been foregone! Though certainly the wisdom and experience of my parents would aid my walk through life, my Heavenly Father should always be the one I turn to. �Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift� (2 Cor 9:15)!