I get to eat today! God provided for me! (testimony, church, believe)

[carlos123]

Hi ya all,

I sort of don't want to post this but I think the Lord might want me to share what happened today and it might be an encouragement to some so...

The last few days the Lord has been teaching me (or should I say putting me through circumstances that I might learn) to exercise faith in His living reality to provide for me.

A couple of days ago I was down to about $15 to my name (a bit of a long story as to why but let's just say for now that this happens to me once in a while...sometimes quite often. I may go from feast to famine and then back to feasting again any number of times.)

Anyway that particular day I wondered how I was going to make ends meet. My truck was literally almost out of gas. I wasn't sure if I had enough gas to make it to the one gas station in town where I can fill it up at (another story for another day).

Anyway after taking a shower at the gym (I live in my truck and that is where I take showers)...I felt strongly led to go and eat at my usual buffet restaurant. A $11.54 dollar meal! That would have left me with all of maybe $3 and some odd cents!!

I knew in my heart that if I trusted God to be the living God that going to eat as I would have normally done was in line with that. In this particular case it was not being foolish but rather it was acting in line with the belief that the living God would provide for me later that day.

So...with tears streaming down my face as I poured out my concern to the Lord...I headed to the restaurant. It was one of those rare times when I didn't want to do what I normally would do (eat out) but where the Lord was strongly impressing on my heart to do it anyway LOL.

Later that day the Lord provided me with $55 worth of work on the way to the gas station. I had enough to fill my tank and a little left over.

That night the presence of the Lord was so near and it was so incredibly wonderful!! I don't experience that much but when I do it's the greatest thing. It's really hard to describe. It was like love and deep peace and understanding all rolled up into a person who was with me as I went to sleep. That all was well. That He was with me. It's so hard to describe but His presence is the most wonderful thing imaginable when I experience it. I believe I did because I obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and acted in faith (for once ).

Anyway yesterday was not so good. I doubted all day. I was down again to near my rock bottom dollar and needed a good $100 for some bills coming up on the 1st.

I bought some bread last night and had been munching on that for my dinner and my breakfast this morning. But...I was trusting God again today and acted in line with that faith and went out and solicited some more work.

Lo and behold the Lord blessed me again as a result of my stepping out in faith to believe He would provide for me. I got $75 of work today (which took about an hour and a half to complete) and tommorrow I have another $210 (for about 7 hours of work).

You know what's odd? I have so often been down to my last dollar or close to it (I kid you not) and EVERY single time, without fail, the Lord has provided for me when I have trusted Him to provide for me and stepped out in faith to experience His provision. Yet...I still have trouble trusting Him as the living God. I so often get my eyes on what is before me and put my trust in it. The money in my wallet, in my bank account, or otherwise instead of in the living God.

I am still learning but it is getting easier to trust in Him as I go along in life and experience His provision more and more.

I suppose in one sense I have learned something since I no longer fret or freak out when I have less than $100 to my name. Even less than $50. Many people would absolutely freak out as I once would have myself.

Instead I am at the point where I start to freak out if I have less than $10 to my name LOL.

But I do so much want to learn to walk by faith in the living God. I am experiencing what I have always wanted to experience. A daily having to rely on Him to open doors for me so as to have my needs provided for.

After I made my $75 today I immediately cashed my check, went to the buffet, and pigged out - ending up with a stomach ache for a while as I ate so fast LOL.

As I said...I am still learning .

Just thought that might encourage someone. God doesn't promise to always give us what we want by way of provision but it's been my experience that if we surrender fully to His will and do what we can as an expression of trust in Him, that He will act on our behalf and show us favor in the eyes of others or otherwise make a way to meet our real needs.

[freedom]

Carlos,

Thank you for sharing.
How awesome it is that we have a physical school that can teach us the ways of our Father, it is what a rich man (worldly rich) is not able to experience as easily or as much.


Enjoy getting close to God.

Oh! and its good to fast now and again.

godspeed,

freedom

[carlos123]

F-a-s-t-i-n-g?? What's that?

I once fasted for a whole week. It's a good thing.

I might have some kind of sugar imbalance or something these days because if I don't eat a good meal at least once a day...I start to tremble and get headaches. It would be tough for me to do that while I am working but I am willing - I think .

You know something else...I am experiencing joy as I work on my computer and listen to Christian music. I am glad I shared what I did. I didn't want to because I didn't want people to think I am more or less than I really am. I fail way more often than I succeed in the life of faith.

Also...my experiences with God are kinda intimate. Between me and Him and sometimes...I kinda want to keep it that way. Just me and Him. Alone.

Yet I am also aware that He would have me share things with others so that they too could gain encouragement, instruction, or otherwise from what He teaches me.

[Ilene Wright]

Originally Posted by carlos123

F-a-s-t-i-n-g?? What's that?

I once fasted for a whole week. It's a good thing.

I might have some kind of sugar imbalance or something these days because if I don't eat a good meal at least once a day...I start to tremble and get headaches. It would be tough for me to do that while I am working but I am willing - I think .

You know something else...I am experiencing joy as I work on my computer and listen to Christian music. I am glad I shared what I did. I didn't want to because I didn't want people to think I am more or less than I really am. I fail way more often than I succeed in the life of faith.

Also...my experiences with God are kinda intimate. Between me and Him and sometimes...I kinda want to keep it that way. Just me and Him. Alone.

Yet I am also aware that He would have me share things with others so that they too could gain encouragement, instruction, or otherwise from what He teaches me.

Thank you for sharing, Carlos! It's a powerful testament of how God can and will provide. I was once down to $23 dollars, had one month to go before being homeless, and God provided a buyer (cash) for my house that was very undesirable. I had put it all in his hands and he came through.

I don't know why we all have such trouble putting all of our cares and worries on Christ, because we get shown time and time again that He always provides. You're not the only one who sweats it out and can't do that!! It's just our nature to worry and doubt, I guess.

God is Good!! You sound like a real man of God, Carlos. Living in your truck and living day to day IS trusting in God!!

[Miss Blue]

Carlos, your post brings back memories of me not so very long ago..My daughter had cancer..We were at a hospital 3 hours from home and I was broke and hungry, my car sat in the garage almost out of gas..A stranger sat next to me in the waiting room and slipped a 50 in my purse Thank you so much for such a wonderful testimony..I pray that He will continue to bless you.
~Trust and obey~

[carlos123]

Thanks you all for the encouraging words! Much appreciated.

I don't know about me being the real man of God though. I sure don't consider myself such. God knows how often I fall and stumble along.

Way cool how God provided for you all. I wish more Christians would share how the Lord has provided for them. I think we need to hear that our Lord is not dead but living and real. And that He intervenes in real ways to help His children out.

That's one thing I can't stand about going to a normal Sunday church. You rarely hear about the living God there. It's more about theological this and theological that. Spiritual truth. This or that verse. All well and good and neccessary in the proper context mind you. For sure.

But many times I have wished to hear from just one person, somewhere about a REAL relationship with a LIVING God. How He has dealt with them in REAL life in a REAL way. As a LIVING God would.

That is so incredibly rare it seems to me. I wish it were not so.

I read about a LIVING and REAL God in the New Testament and those who had REAL relationship with Him yet I hear so little of that today within the walls of your average church. It's sad.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

REAL relationship with Him involves death. And like it was then, so it is today. Few are willing to die that He might live in and through them.

Every time I have experienced His LIVING reality it has ALWAYS been on the other side of a death experience. Where I had to die to something that needed to die in me. Whether it was selfishness, fear, worry, hate, or any number of other things I would have preferred in my natural self to hang on to.

Not that such a death resulted in what died being gone from my life forever. I still have to die...quite often to the same things I died to before. But I guess what I am saying is that many who profess to be Christians are really not what they profess to be. They are not willing to die. And that is why it seems that so few experience His LIVING reality.

It's really neat how some real believers seem to be hanging out here!

[carlos123]

I don't know if this is allowed...I guess I will find out...but I wanted to encourage anyone who wants to listen to a cool song that is in line with some of what has been talked about on this thread.

It's called Lifesong by Casting Crowns.

A friend recently sent me a link to a site called Jango. You can listen to this song and many others there. Freely and legally.

Just go to the site (jango.com), enter Casting Crowns and then look around until you find a link to that song.

I am not affiliated in any way with Jango. If you need help using Jango just DM me and I will try and help you figure it out - it takes a little getting used to.

[GloryB]

I really enjoyed and was blessed by this thread. Over 4 months ago I asked the Lord for a closer walk with Him. I thought I would wake up more spiritual. Instead, a set of events began to unfold and I found myself in a totally unexpected bad financial situation. For the first time, I had to trust God for DAILY provision.
And that is what the Lord's Prayer said 'Give us this day our DAILY bread'.

I don't think any of us should live long term wondering where our next meal or dollar is coming from. But if it does happen....it sure can show us quickly if we really trust the Lord we claim to serve.

[Michelle1210]

What a beautiful testimony!!! May God contunly bless you and your faithfullness, praise him for he is Good, blessed is the man who puts his trust in God.

Psa 107:9 For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Psa 37:25 I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.


I once had 2 different checks come to me in the mail when I was need, one company just told me that the books are closed, and would not discuss why they sent me money, God provides and is faithfull. and is always on time!!!

[World Citizen]

Carlos,

Your testimony is a real blessing. Your heart is also!

I remember spending my last money once on a loaf of bread, some bananas and a jar of peanut butter and calling it "Manna"...
It was amazing how God opened doors to provide for me in that place. I know He will for you, too!

May you continue to be sensitive to God.
I hope you don't mind if I agree with you and ask Him to lead you into greener pastures of provision.... and a more comfortable home in the very near future.

Father God, please pour out blessings on Carlos. Open doors for him that no man can open. Put the right people in his path. Protect him on his journey.

Lord, please, keep Carlos close to you and let him always know Your presence in his life.

We ask this in Jesus Name,
AMEN