Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
(Isaiah 6:8)
(Isaiah 6:8)
In May/June 2004 my dad came up to Durban on business and gave my sisters and me each R1000. I was 15 at the time and had never owned so much money before in my life. Seeing I had money at the time, I figured I’d “save it for a rainy day”. I often asked the Lord what He wanted me to do with the money.
Then on the 21st of November that same year, I finished reading a book entitled “In His Steps.” The story was fiction, but it had a powerful message. The book was about a group of people who pledged to not do anything without asking the question, “What would Jesus do?”, and then to do likewise. I had made that same pledge when I started reading the book, but now that I had finished it God had something more in mind. The Lord said to me, “Lindy, that R1000 in the box behind you, I want you to give it to me. I want you to start a ministry for the poor.” In child-like faith at 16, I gladly pledged all the money to the Lord. That was the start to a ministry that was later called “Praise Corner”. The poor are cornered in poverty, but we can give them a reason to praise. I learnt to truly praise the Lord in all things because of my testimony of Praise Corner. Are you in a corner? Ask the Lord to give you a reason to praise. He might just need to open your eyes.
I did not stop there. I then said, “But Lord, R1000 to feed the poor isn’t going to go
very far. If I get R1000 when I go to Cape Town in December, then I’ll give it to You.
But if I don’t get R1000, and I get R500, then I’ll give that to You.
The Lord had asked me to do something for Him, and I accepted His calling. My life
has never been the same since.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
(Psalm 34:8)
(Psalm 34:8)
Just before my sisters and I flew down to Cape Town, I placed my last R20 note in the offering-plate at church. I went down to Cape Town broke, but trusting. I had to wait a while before getting money, but I eventually received some. After I’d received most of the money I would get I had R800. R500 was set aside for Praise Corner, I set some aside to return tithe and offering to the Lord, and I was left with R150. I spent some; received some more; and was once again left with R150.
Now there’s something very special about that R150, but I’ll share that with you a bit later. I know, I also would love to share it now, but I’d like to go into depth about it and talk heart to heart. God really is so good!
During those December holidays I had truly tasted that the Lord is good, and I had yet to see so much more. He stretched and provided; He still does. I’d given Him place to reveal His hand, and He was truly taking hold of the opportunity. He longs for you to do the same.
I was now back in Durban; I’d put aside R150 for Praise Corner, which now had R1500; and I had a concern that I voiced to the Lord. I said, “But Lord, R500 increase per year is not going to increase very fast.”
He intervened!!! My dad and step-mom came up to Durban that year for my twin sister and my birthday. They brought money from themselves and other family members. I was able to put aside another R500. That’s 2 years – R2000. God is so good! And O, I was left with R200 after returning my tithe and offering, if that means anything to anyone; but it will later. We truly serve a loving and powerful God!
Now there’s something very special about that R150, but I’ll share that with you a bit later. I know, I also would love to share it now, but I’d like to go into depth about it and talk heart to heart. God really is so good!
During those December holidays I had truly tasted that the Lord is good, and I had yet to see so much more. He stretched and provided; He still does. I’d given Him place to reveal His hand, and He was truly taking hold of the opportunity. He longs for you to do the same.
I was now back in Durban; I’d put aside R150 for Praise Corner, which now had R1500; and I had a concern that I voiced to the Lord. I said, “But Lord, R500 increase per year is not going to increase very fast.”
He intervened!!! My dad and step-mom came up to Durban that year for my twin sister and my birthday. They brought money from themselves and other family members. I was able to put aside another R500. That’s 2 years – R2000. God is so good! And O, I was left with R200 after returning my tithe and offering, if that means anything to anyone; but it will later. We truly serve a loving and powerful God!
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
(Malachi 3:10)
(Malachi 3:10)
Now let me share the something special that I mentioned about the Lord blessing me with R150 when I’d set aside R1500, and R200 when I’d set aside R2000. Do you see it? Each time I was left with ten-percent of what I’d given to the Lord.
The Lord asks us to give Him back one-tenth of all that He blesses us with. But sometimes He will also give us back one-tenth of the money that we give to Him. I think that’s so amazing. He might even bless us with more than that. Each time I was only giving Him another R500, but He gave me ten-percent of the total that I’d given Him. We serve a generous, loving God. His blessings so out-weigh anything we could ever give Him, or do for Him. And He really owns everything we give Him anyway.
I encourage you to start setting aside money for the Lord. Watch Him bless and provide. I also encourage you to give Him ten-percent of all that He blesses you with. He will provide your every need. Trust Him.
A while ago I was trying to think of a time that the Lord hadn’t come through for me – I couldn’t think of one. He has never failed me. Sometimes His providence may be in a totally different way from what I thought would be best, but I’ve often seen His reasoning at a later stage. God always provides. I’ve seen it.
The Lord asks us to give Him back one-tenth of all that He blesses us with. But sometimes He will also give us back one-tenth of the money that we give to Him. I think that’s so amazing. He might even bless us with more than that. Each time I was only giving Him another R500, but He gave me ten-percent of the total that I’d given Him. We serve a generous, loving God. His blessings so out-weigh anything we could ever give Him, or do for Him. And He really owns everything we give Him anyway.
I encourage you to start setting aside money for the Lord. Watch Him bless and provide. I also encourage you to give Him ten-percent of all that He blesses you with. He will provide your every need. Trust Him.
A while ago I was trying to think of a time that the Lord hadn’t come through for me – I couldn’t think of one. He has never failed me. Sometimes His providence may be in a totally different way from what I thought would be best, but I’ve often seen His reasoning at a later stage. God always provides. I’ve seen it.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
(Psalm 68:19)
(Psalm 68:19)
I learnt to budget and use my money wisely because of putting money aside for Praise Corner. There was no extra money to be wasted, and I’m glad, because I don’t believe in wasting money.
I had needs and God provided. He often blesses me with sales and specials. He also knows just how to provide for me when I wouldn’t accept the blessing myself. Let me explain….
My older sister would so often come home from the shops and say, “I bought you something!” She’d say what it was, and then, knowing that I was on a tight budget, I would say, “Take it back.” She would then say, “But you haven’t seen it yet!” I’d then take it to the Lord in prayer. He impressed me to try whatever it was on. If it didn’t fit or I didn’t like it then the problem was solved;otherwise I’d have to return to the Lord for further guidance.
I kept most, if not all, of the items she bought for me. If I sent anything back it was because it either didn’t fit or I didn’t like it. God knew what I needed, and He knew what I would and would not buy, so He sent my sister to shop for me.
To get back to the blessings of sales, one day my older sister came home with a skirt that she’d found on sale at R70 and bought for me. We went through the same conversation as every other time, with me eventually deciding to buy the skirt – as usual. She had paid with a R100 note and said that if I gave her a R100 note she would give me the change. So I gave her R100, and she tipped out the change on my bed. I then said to her, “That’s too much!” We then looked at the till-slip. I got my skirt for halfprice off the sale price. R35 for a skirt! She then said, “That’s so unfair, how come you always get such bargains?!” I just smiled to myself and praised the Lord. ...I knew.
I had needs and God provided. He often blesses me with sales and specials. He also knows just how to provide for me when I wouldn’t accept the blessing myself. Let me explain….
My older sister would so often come home from the shops and say, “I bought you something!” She’d say what it was, and then, knowing that I was on a tight budget, I would say, “Take it back.” She would then say, “But you haven’t seen it yet!” I’d then take it to the Lord in prayer. He impressed me to try whatever it was on. If it didn’t fit or I didn’t like it then the problem was solved;otherwise I’d have to return to the Lord for further guidance.
I kept most, if not all, of the items she bought for me. If I sent anything back it was because it either didn’t fit or I didn’t like it. God knew what I needed, and He knew what I would and would not buy, so He sent my sister to shop for me.
To get back to the blessings of sales, one day my older sister came home with a skirt that she’d found on sale at R70 and bought for me. We went through the same conversation as every other time, with me eventually deciding to buy the skirt – as usual. She had paid with a R100 note and said that if I gave her a R100 note she would give me the change. So I gave her R100, and she tipped out the change on my bed. I then said to her, “That’s too much!” We then looked at the till-slip. I got my skirt for halfprice off the sale price. R35 for a skirt! She then said, “That’s so unfair, how come you always get such bargains?!” I just smiled to myself and praised the Lord. ...I knew.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:2)
I’d put aside R1000 for 2004 and R1000 for 2005, now I need to share about the Lord providing for 2006.
I went down to Cape Town in December, 2005, and once I’d received most of the money I would be getting I was short. I didn’t have enough to put aside for tithe, offering and for Praise Corner. So there was only one thing to do – I prayed.
The Lord intervened and I got some more money. I put all the necessary money aside, R500 went for Praise Corner, and I was left with R20. So that’s all that I placed in my wallet.
My family and I went to a shopping mall and before we split up to do our shopping, my dad and step-mom together and my sisters and I together, we sat down at a restaurant for lunch. While sitting there my dad asked me how much money I had. It was one of those times that I wished I could have melted into the floor. I had gotten quite a lot of money, and all I had with me was R20. I told him that I only had R20 and he didn’t say anything. He just took out his wallet and gave me R200. He didn’t have enough to give each of us R200, so he gave to my sisters later because they said they had enough. I believe that the Lord was prompting it all, “Ask her how much money she has.” Now if I could have heard that I would have said, “No, don’t tell him to do that.” Then I believe the Lord continued prompting, “Don’t say anything, just take out your wallet and give her R200.” I truly do serve an amazing God! Do you?
Now I need to share about the next R500. I had been attending a home school at the house of a lady from my church, but she had moved to New Zealand and the school had moved to our house with my mom as the supervisor. Two of the kids that started out there that year needed to stay a bit longer after school because their mom was a teacher and couldn’t fetch them straight away. She paid for them to stay for aftercare. I played with them and entertained them for a few days and then my mom asked me if I’d like to do aftercare. I therefore took on the task of aftercare and got money coming in regularly.
My twin sister and I had opened up our own bank accounts while we were in Cape Town and that year my dad started putting money into our accounts every month.
I used the money that I got paid for doing aftercareto buy everything that I needed, and finally when it was about time for Praise Corner’s giving period, as I call it, I had R500 available in my bank account, which I then dedicated to the Lord for Praise Corner. That’s three years – R3000. God is good! And I praise Him. I will never forget how He has blessed me.
I went down to Cape Town in December, 2005, and once I’d received most of the money I would be getting I was short. I didn’t have enough to put aside for tithe, offering and for Praise Corner. So there was only one thing to do – I prayed.
The Lord intervened and I got some more money. I put all the necessary money aside, R500 went for Praise Corner, and I was left with R20. So that’s all that I placed in my wallet.
My family and I went to a shopping mall and before we split up to do our shopping, my dad and step-mom together and my sisters and I together, we sat down at a restaurant for lunch. While sitting there my dad asked me how much money I had. It was one of those times that I wished I could have melted into the floor. I had gotten quite a lot of money, and all I had with me was R20. I told him that I only had R20 and he didn’t say anything. He just took out his wallet and gave me R200. He didn’t have enough to give each of us R200, so he gave to my sisters later because they said they had enough. I believe that the Lord was prompting it all, “Ask her how much money she has.” Now if I could have heard that I would have said, “No, don’t tell him to do that.” Then I believe the Lord continued prompting, “Don’t say anything, just take out your wallet and give her R200.” I truly do serve an amazing God! Do you?
Now I need to share about the next R500. I had been attending a home school at the house of a lady from my church, but she had moved to New Zealand and the school had moved to our house with my mom as the supervisor. Two of the kids that started out there that year needed to stay a bit longer after school because their mom was a teacher and couldn’t fetch them straight away. She paid for them to stay for aftercare. I played with them and entertained them for a few days and then my mom asked me if I’d like to do aftercare. I therefore took on the task of aftercare and got money coming in regularly.
My twin sister and I had opened up our own bank accounts while we were in Cape Town and that year my dad started putting money into our accounts every month.
I used the money that I got paid for doing aftercareto buy everything that I needed, and finally when it was about time for Praise Corner’s giving period, as I call it, I had R500 available in my bank account, which I then dedicated to the Lord for Praise Corner. That’s three years – R3000. God is good! And I praise Him. I will never forget how He has blessed me.
To be continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment