Hi all,
The single biggest factor in my life causing me to live in the realm of miracles was the revelation of II Peter 1: 3-4:
“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to (by) His own glory and goodness.”
That verse says everything required for life (natural supply) and godliness (ability to grow in character in Christ) has already been provided for us. That means there is nothing I will encounter in this life that is not already provided for. It also means no matter the emotional, moral, or spiritual challenge I will ever encounter, growth in Christ has been provided.
This revelation came at a time when we were living paycheck to paycheck; when we would tear apart the car looking for coins just to be able to treat the boys to something from McDonalds, when the electric bill deadline loomed before us with no money to pay it.
I so desperately wanted to change life from living miracle to miracle with a deep valley in between, to living in a realm of constant supply, where miraculous timing was a way of life. That verse sunk deep in me one day and I realized anything I would experience in life though it might catch me by surprise, could never catch Him by surprise. That meant there was provision He had already thought of and provided before the world began. I just had to get peace, stay in peace, do what I needed to do in the natural, and let Him work out the rest.
The 2nd factor
Coupled with realizing everything I needed for life and living for God has been provided, was Hebrews 10: 32:
“Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.”
In the King James Version is says ‘Call to remembrance the former days…’
This verse is telling me to remember God’s faithfulness in days gone by. Bring to mind the earlier days and how hard those days were, but how He always came through, how He always provided even if it was at the last minute. It was telling me to build up in my memories all the times I faced crisis, and the provision had come.
These two verses changed my life, causing me to go from miracle to valley to miracle, to just living in the realm where miracles are every day. Where I see a divine timing to my steps everyday. This is an existence when the Father’s timing is looked for, expected, anticipated with excitement to see how He will reveal His provision.
I still don’t have a big bank account. I still have to look day to day for our living, for it is based on the good graces other people show the Lord then to us in appreciation of what I teach or write or share. But I am at peace, knowing the Father has such a long track record of coming through for us that it does no good to be in fear and worry. I just do what I need to do in the natural, go about my business, and He supplies – both in the natural and in godliness.
Case in point
Money was tight and we needed to sell our last 5 cows. I had to rent a stock trailer to pull behind our pick up truck, but was able to get all 5 loaded. Chris has always been my ‘helper’ so I lifted him into the truck and decided he wouldn’t be getting out, so did not put his wheelchair in the back of the truck, though it was about an 80 (129km) mile round trip.
We got 10 miles (16km) into the 40 mile (64km) journey to the stock sale when the truck quit just as I accelerated from a stop light on the 4 lane highway. Coasting to a stop on the side of the highway, feeling panicked on the one hand that I had not brought Chris’ wheelchair, had no other vehicle with a hitch to be able to pull a trailer load of cattle so was wondering what I was going to do, and not sure I had the money to fix whatever was wrong with the truck – panic, kicking myself, angry at myself and the whole situation – I calmed myself, gathered my thoughts, and said:
“Father. II Peter 1: 3-4 says everything that pertains to life and godliness has been provided, so I need you to reveal your provision! Where is your provision Father!? Reveal your provision and I thank you for doing that!”
Just then a pick up truck heading the opposite direction, drove across the grass median between the lanes of traffic, did a U turn and stopped by us. A young man got out, asked if we needed help, and as I explained the situation he said, “I’ll take you and your cows to the sale.”
With that we unhitched the trailer, pushed my truck out of the way, both of us carried Chris to his front seat, hooked the trailer to his truck, and he drove us the remaining 30 miles (48km) to the sale. We off-loaded the cows, had them weighed and I received a check for them, then he took us to a truck wash because as I explained to him, I had to return the trailer clean to the place I had rented it from – and 5 cows in a trailer are not ‘potty trained’ to that trailer.
He allowed all that, brought us back to the truck where I was able to then call home and our middle son, Jason, was able to come and take Chris and I back home. The man refused any money for his good deed – He was used as the Father’s provision, yet from the way he talked and his lack of interest in my faith that I shared, he didn’t seem to be born again.
What the angel said
I recalled an earlier experience years earlier with the Lord and ‘my’ angel when I had the opportunity to ask the angel; “Why does the Father use the unsaved so often to bless His children?” The angel looked at me with a shocked expression, as if should have known the answer: “That they not come empty handed before the King!”
Looking back, I realized again the Father’s goodness, that even if a person never makes it to heaven, they will have often been used by the Father that they might have something good to their credit. And if they later come to the Lord, those good things they did before hand are recorded to their account – that they not come empty handed before the King.
When you get to that crisis point…
When I get to that point of needing to see His provision, I do very much the same as I did that day: “Father, where is your provision? Your Word says all things that pertain to life and godliness have already been provided, so I thank you for revealing your provision!”
The invitation of Isaiah 55 is to forsake our thoughts and ways, and return to His thoughts and ways. That is a life-long process of learning to do just that. Each circumstance that catches us by surprise requires us to stop at the decision point between falling back on the familiar ways and thoughts, or taking a step of faith to think like He does and do what He does – to live in the realm of miracles. His provision is there if we will seek Him in those situations.
We do this in part by calling to remembrance His record of coming through in our lives, and remembering it has all been provided for us…whose ways will we follow, whose thoughts will we think?
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
