The following is from a string of phone texts that I sent out regarding things that happened recently in my life.
"The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want."
Are you frustrated by something out of your control?
For 3 days straight, I had kept trying to get my bank's phone app to accept and deposit a $6.91 check. The app kept telling me that it could not read the preprinted bank info on the bottom of the check. So, I finally drove the 24 miles to my bank and successfully deposited the check in person, with no great sense of accomplishment.
Then I went next door to get a breakfast sandwich at one of my favorite eateries. As I sat and ate, I chatted with this one and that one, but I also noticed the intense head to head conversation and body language between a chap at the counter and one of the waitresses. (She and I had briefly talked about the Lord on occasion.) When the fellow left, I asked that waitress if there was something going on between them. She said it was her boyfriend and that, yes, it is a very serious relationship; he even goes to church with her regularly, despite his being brought up more religiously than her more biblical faith based outlook. I gave her another of the God's Simple Plan of Salvation tracts and encouraged her to share that with her beau. I told her that they both would greatly benefit from sharing it. I also encouraged her to read John and Romans, back to back, with him. She said she would pursue that recommendation. All glory to God in the highest.
Now I know why my phone app refused to read the bank info on that check. God's Spirit put me in exactly the right spot, with the right people, at exactly the right time to suit His purposes, not ours. He wants to do that with every believer every moment of every day. Amen.
No sooner had I sent that above message to several Bible believing friends, as I stepped out of the car, a guy (claiming to be an agnostic) walked up to my car and asked for money to buy booze.
Like Peter and John, with the temple beggar, I told the man that I didn't have any cash with me (which was the truth). But, I told the man that I could tell him something that would last much longer than either money or booze: the biblical good news about Jesus Christ. We had a long chat, about half an hour, about sin, Christ, salvation, God's inerrant words in God's King James Bible, repentance, and faith. The fellow took a gospel tract and listened to and asked pointed questions about how Christ Jesus has changed my life. The man finally broke off the conversation and departed, thanking me for sharing with him. He took with him a Bible and tears in his eyes, as he said that he has much to think about. All glory to God. Amen. May the man come to repentance, faith, and godly service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
I would not have been there and then, at that hardware store, if someone had not left our kitchen broom in the rain on the back porch and that caused it to get all moldy.
I didn't even mention the traffic jam on the first route that i started to take to one bank branch, so that i had to take a second route that sent me to a different town, that put me where i ended up talking to both of those dear souls who were on God's mind that day.
As Romans chapter 8 assures us, there is always godly reason in events that we don't often understand; that we must wait on and trust God's purposes. So much for my plans to "only plan" to go deposit a check and buy a broom that day.
I am still blown away by God's use of "useless" things like defective phone apps, poorly printed checks, and moldy brooms, traffic jams... even God's use of me, a sinner saved by God's grace. May the holy purposes of Proverbs 3:5-6 fill you and your life by the LORD's Holy Spirit. Amen.
