Found it in a Fish

This morning I read Matthew 17:24-27. And it spoke to me BIG time!

This one has always been curious to me. I didn't go to seminary, so I don't know all the little tips and tricks to find the real meaning behind Jesus' words. But I do know how to read. And I do know how to think. So I read this Scripture, and I thought about it. And then I realized something...

God provided. That's what He did in this scripture. He provided the 4 drachma that was needed. And he provided it in the strangest way I can ever think of Him doing so. Then it hit home. And I mean it hit hard.

About a week ago, Desi and I realized that we weren't going to be able to pay our mortgage for the month, which was already pushing the due date. We aren't living in that house right now, which is actually why we didn't have enough money to pay it. We have a house in GA, and an apartment in Charlotte which we actually live in. So we had already paid the rent, but we were way short on the mortgage. This is obviously not a good situation to find yourself in. Like I said, we don't live in that house, but we do want to sell it and buy another house. And something about being foreclosed on doesn't open up many opportunities to buy in the near future.

So I started freaking out. I mean really freaking out. For the next couple of days I stared at the wall trying to figure out how to come up with the money to pay the rent. Of course, I had nothing. There was no way I could every make up that much money in that short of a time. Sure, I prayed, but I didn't really think that God could come up with that much money in that short of a time either. I guess I kind of thought of God as having a bank account like mine. He only has as much in there as He puts in. That's how it works for me, so that's how I thought it worked for God. I mean I didn't really think that, bu what my faith about the situation was saying. I just did not think that God could provide. He had done it many times before. I remember when Desi and I first got married. Rent would be due in less than a week, and our bank account was sitting around $50. But I just didn't think God could handle this one.

Well, all I can say now is that God provided in a HUGE way! I mean I couldn't believe what happened. Turned out God totally had the money to provide for us to be able to pay the mortgage. In fact, he provided twice as much money as we needed! We were asking for X amount, and God provided X times 2. Now we didn't go out to Lake Norman right here, cast out a fishing pole and find the money in a fish's mouth. But we did end up with more money than we needed.

I know this isn't going to be the last time that Desi and I face a financial crisis. I just hope that next time one comes up, I can remember this verse, and mostly remember what God did for us last week.