Yesterday morning, Tom came home in an incredibly good mood. The Lord had spoken to him throughout the morning, ministering to his heart in a way that he could truly hear and receive. It all started with that day’s Oswald Chambers devotion:
The Habit of Rising to the Occasion
"And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints…" — Ephesians 1:18
The devotion emphasized that we are saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in us. We don’t achieve salvation through works, but we do have a responsibility to live it out. One line stood out to Tom more than anything else:
"If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person… then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you."
That hit home. Tom had been miserable and grouchy for weeks, making it hard to even be around him. But then, God began speaking to him—through a devotional, through people on the radio, and then through his morning meeting with RT. On his way home, the Lord continued to encourage and minister to him.
The biggest breakthrough? Tom was hearing God again. He hadn’t felt like he had heard from Him in a while, and now, the silence was broken.
As he processed everything, Tom remembered the story of David and Uzzah—when Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant and was struck dead (2 Samuel 6:9).
That passage resonated with him deeply because of how he felt the previous Thursday—he experienced the fear of the Lord in a profound way. He had been going along, thinking he knew what to expect from God, and then suddenly, PJ's death shook everything. It felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him, leaving him with a new, holy fear of the Lord.
He realized that God used PJ’s passing to get his attention in a big way. It was a reminder that he couldn't just assume he knew what God was doing. Instead, he needed to be in a position of humility and openness to receive His direction again.
Praise the Lord for shaking things up and drawing Tom back into a place of true surrender! 🙌
Today's Oswald Chambers devotion was just as fitting:
The Habit of Recognizing God & His Provision
"And through this he has given us the hope of great rewards highly to be valued; so that by them we might have our part in God's being, and be made free from the destruction which is in the world through the desires of the flesh." — 2 Peter 1:4
We are made "partakers of the divine nature," receiving and sharing God's own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God's provision for us. We say, however, "Oh, I can't afford it." One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, "Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle." And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn't they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God's riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges --- always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.
Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, "All my springs are in You" (Psa_87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . ." (2Co_9:8) --- then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God's nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.
This was so appropriate for our situation because, as of today, we will officially be at $0.
A few days ago, we rolled up our silver coins ($36 worth) and used it for gas. Today, we are heading to Wal-Mart to spend our last $15 on A’s birthday gift and cards. And yet, even in this place of having nothing left, we are thanking Jesus for His provision—because we know He will continue to provide!
Out of nowhere, we got an invitation to MS's wedding on Wednesday night! He called to say that some family members couldn’t make it, and he had been thinking about us for the past couple of weeks, feeling led to invite us.
What’s amazing is that our marriage meeting had been canceled, and we were wondering what God wanted us to do with that time. Now we know—He wanted us at this wedding!
To top it all off, today's Spirit of Prophecy spoke directly to what we’re walking through:
Small Straws In A Soft Wind – Marsha Burns (May 16, 2008)
"Beloved, wait for Me to unfold My plans and provision. Do nothing by the force of your own logic and will. I alone will guide you and bring you through the obstructions that the enemy has devised against you. Do not despair and refuse to be discouraged. I will send forth a decree of victory on your behalf, but you must stand strong in faith, says the Lord. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."
"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly." Psalm 62:1- 4
What a powerful reminder to trust God’s timing and not rush ahead with our own plans. He is in control, and He will guide us through.
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