One morning last week I was awakened by a text message. The text message was a scripture from a friend. I want to share it with you today.
“‘So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.’” Galatians 6:9 NLT
As I got out of bed, I was meditating on this scripture which I read over and over again. The Lord reminded me of a time that he did indeed show up at just the right time. It was several years ago.
The ministry had been growing to the point that we needed an office space, our first office space. I waited until a time when our monthly income was stable enough to handle the extra expense. We found a building, however it needed some repairs, paint and updating. Therefore, we set about painting and updating. In the beginning, we had several people helping us, but they drifted away one by one, until it was down to me and a friend of mine.
It took a month to update the building and get it ready to move in. Just after we first began updating it, the ministries finances came under severe attack. The attack was so bad that after three weeks there was nothing left, and I do mean, nothing left. Here I was in the middle of getting a building ready to move into and we were out of money. It was a desperate time. I would go to bed at night praying and wake up praying. After a week of nothing good happening, I was silently in despair. It was a couple days before we were to move in and we had no money.
The friend who was helping me had been going through a financial setback as well. She was down to no money and purchasing groceries on her credit card. I remember the last day we painted like it was yesterday. She was distraught. I was distraught. We weren’t talking about it, we just kept doing what we knew to do. We continued to show up each day to paint and decorate the building. I thought I needed to finish the building so at least I wouldn’t leave the owners with a half-done job. I wanted to walk in integrity, even if I couldn’t take the building. So I continued to paint.
It was a Friday, the last day before the rent was due. No money had come into the ministry. I planned to finish the building that day and let the owners know where I stood. As normal, I showed up at the building and we began to paint, we weren’t speaking much, just painting, continuing to do what we knew to do. I had to run get something from my house, on the way I went by the post office to check our mail. By this time my expectations were quite low, actually I don’t think I expected anything good that day.
I went back to the office to finish painting. I stopped for a moment to look through our mail, I saw a letter I didn’t recognize. I opened it. In that envelope was enough money for the next few months, I was astounded. God was so faithful to both of us, we danced all over that building that day. It was a day that sticks in my mind and declares the faithfulness of God. It also declares the truth of the scripture today.
At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Those are the words of God. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up. She and I didn’t give up, we continued to do all we knew to do. We continued painting and moving forward, we continued praying, and even when we weren’t expecting it, God came through in a big way. It reminds me of a scripture in 2 Timothy 2:13; when we are faith-less, he remains faithful, he cannot deny himself.
Today, I am reminded of that day and the faithfulness of my God. Friends, don’t stop doing good. Don’t stop doing what you know to do. Keep believing, keep giving, keep tithing, keep honoring God, keep praying, keep standing in faith – he is faithful and at just the right time, he will show up with a blessing you can’t contain.
I know you may think that it is well past that time, I thought that too that day, but I was wrong, at just the right time, he showed up and changed everything. I am telling you….we had nothing left…but we never missed a beat. I was astounded that day at the faithfulness of God and the way he blessed beyond what I had asked or hoped. It’s just the way he does things.
I know this – we are in a time in God where he is blessing the faithful – remain one of those. Be faithful to him, keep moving forward, don’t stop, I know he will do for you what he did for us that day – abundantly above all you can ask or think…I just know it.
