Has God Done Anything Good for You?

Has God ever done anything good for you? I mean really…has GOD ever done ANYTHING good for YOU?

Now, I know you want to say, “Well yes, He gave me a born again spirit and made me His child,” or some rehearsed answer like that. C’mon…dig down past the answer you think others want to hear and think about the miracles, big and small, that He has done in your life.

One night not long ago, I forgot my checkbook when I went to church, only to find when I got there that it was the last night to purchase tickets for a special dinner I wanted to attend. Not only that, but I had it in my heart to give a certain amount to the visiting ministers for their work in Honduras. At first, I was frustrated with myself for having forgotten to bring my money. As I walked through the sanctuary before church, I put my hands in my back pockets and there…you guessed it…was the exact amount I needed (in cash!) to buy my dinner tickets and give the man of God what I had wanted to give. I do not remember putting that money in my pocket and don’t know when I did it!

Now you can look at that two ways. You could say, “Well, that’s just a coincidence. Things like that are not really God, that’s just part of life.” Or you could rejoice and say, “God knew my heart and my need and He met it. Praise God for His provision!” Honestly, I almost missed it. I nearly passed it off as just a happy coincidence and went on my way. But my spirit spoke up loud and clear and said, “Rejoice! Your God loves you enough to prepare for your own forgetfulness!” So, I did just that: I rejoiced in my God and thanked Him for the little things He is so faithful to do for me.

We begin to be discouraged when things don’t seem to be going right for us, and it appears that Murphy’s Law is in full operation in our lives. When we get down, we overlook small blessings. Instead, we wait around for the big miracles and become cynical when they do not appear. That big miracle you’re waiting around for will not manifest in your life until you learn to rejoice in the small things – until you learn to rejoice even in adversity. We must do as James commands: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” In other words, we must learn to say, “Hallelujah, anyhow!”

In Matthew 25, the master rewards the servant who is faithful in the little things and makes him ruler over much. Rejoicing over small miracles in our lives readies us to be able to see and experience the greater miracles. So, stir yourselves up today! Call to your remembrance the goodness of your God. Think about every small way He has proven Himself faithful, loving, and merciful to you. Praise Him for all the miracles He has performed in your life, big and small. He has delivered you from the bear and the lion, and He will give this present enemy into your hands!

So, I ask you again: Has GOD ever done ANYTHING good for YOU?

Then REJOICE!

~Linda Frederick

God’s In the Lawn Care Business

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ~1 Peter 5:7

Did you know God was in the lawn care business? Well, He is! Last year, I was under contract to sell my house. A friend asked me if I was going to take my wonderful Husquevarna riding lawn mower with me to Atlanta. I told him that I was not planning on needing it in Atlanta, so he offered to buy it from me. I gladly took him up on his offer. Then, not even a week later, the buyer for my home backed out of the contract. I did not move to Atlanta, but now had an acre of land to mow with no mower.

Originally I found a local man who would come by and mow my lawn for a fee. That worked for a while, but this year I simply could not afford his service or the cost of a new lawn mower. So, as you may have guessed, my lawn grew, and grew. One day, I had a novel thought. Since God is my provider, why don’t I simply ask Him for a mowed lawn? So I did. Each time I pulled up into my yard to see the jungle that awaited, I thanked God for my lawn being mowed. A couple weeks later, a friend of mine from Athens called and asked if I would come trim her pig’s hooves. I was glad to oblige and went over one Saturday afternoon. After some sedation, pig wrestling, and lots of squealing, we sat down to relax and my friend asked me what she owed me. I told her that she didn’t owe me anything. At that point, her husband came up and asked, “How about if I come mow your lawn?” DING, DING, DING!!! Hello, God!

When I least expected it, God showed up and made a way to mow my lawn! Within the week, I came home to find a beautifully cut lawn. God is truly faithful, and the more we can trust Him with the little things of life, the more we’ll be able to trust Him in the bigger things. So be encouraged and remember to exercise your faith in the little things. Because once you see that He can mow your lawn, it’s easier to believe for a working lawn mower! I know that’s on it’s way, too!

(First published 09.13.09)