Give the First Cake to Elijah -God’s Plan for Provision

By Jo Upton

The “Why”

My objective with this book is to show, as simply as possible, how God keeps His word; honors our faith; and provides for our physical needs when we follow His guidelines in using money. He does this for each of us, not just a few, and His provision is larger than any economic slump. God’s plan never fails, and He encourages us to test Him in this one area of our faith walk:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10, NIV

If you have not been bringing the “whole tithe into the storehouse,” then it’s time to start. God will meet you where you are and “open the floodgates of heaven…”

Just a brief word about what this book isn’t : This isn’t a “name it and claim it,” book that encourages the reader to ask God for bigger and better just to fulfill selfish desires. God is interested in developing Christ-like character in His people. Accumulating money and “things” for personal gain doesn’t produce a grateful heart or lead to true worship.

This isn’t a book about hoarding all the resources, talents and gifts that God provides us, while ignoring those around us who have needs we could, and should, meet. God is so generous. How can we, the recipients of His favor, deny the same generosity to others when it is within our power to give?

And in no way do I intend to give the impression that during this time of learning God’s way of using money that I was floating on a celestial cloud, free of problems or trials. God is multi-dimensional in His way of dealing with us, and while I was learning to trust Him with and for money, I was also learning that He is sufficient for my other (many) struggles. It’s a continuing process for all of us.

What this book hopes to be: A roadmap of my financial walk with God. As He patiently trained me to give, God positioned me within the Biblical framework to meet my needs. And believe me, our situation was grim – there seemed to be no way around our financial woes. But by reading Scripture, understanding a little of God’s heart toward giving, and putting His principles into practice, He revealed to me His plan for provision. If you choose to follow God’s plan, He will provide for you, too. If you put into practice His clearly stated Biblical principles about money, there will always be enough in your storehouse to, “Give the First Cake to Elijah.”

Chapter One - Lesson One

Money. That one word changes everything, including hearts and lives, for good and bad. It isn’t having or not having money that’s a game changer – oh sure, having it is much easier than NOT having enough – but it’s our response to money that determines how well we live.

The Bible talks a lot about money and possessions. Ever wonder why? God doesn’t need it; He already owns everything in heaven and earth.  But God knew money has a way of tripping us up, causing us to stumble, unless we get a firm handle on His attitude toward it. That’s probably one of the reasons He gave so many examples of how to use it wisely. And it is the only area of our Christian walk where we are told we can test God. It is a tangible way that allows us to see the power of our heavenly Father. It teaches us that He is faithful and can be trusted in unseen areas as well.

I was very grateful for that knowledge in November of 2009.  Shortly after midnight, I heard my 63 year old husband making choking noises in his sleep. I tried to awaken him, but he was totally unresponsive. I called 911, but even with their best efforts he remained unconscious. He was transported to the nearest hospital, put on life-support and placed in ICU. God’s grace saw my husband and our entire family through the next two weeks of his medical crisis. The cause of his problem was never determined, but his diabetic condition was suspected. Upon his release from the hospital, all we knew with certainty was that his health issues made it impossible for him to work again.

Then the hospital bills began to roll in. My husband’s health had been in decline for some time and we had been living on what was supposed to be our retirement. Although humanly speaking our financial state looked bleak, I knew God would make a way for us. How could I be so sure? Because God and I had a history; a track record of fulfilled promises that let me know He was up to the task, no matter how large it might be. My husband’s recovery didn’t include employment, but God had been part of our finances for many years and I knew He wouldn’t desert us now. Things might catch us off guard – like the sudden loss of a job or declining health – but God isn’t surprised. As I began to think back over the past years, and the way God had led me concerning our finances, I realized He had already prepared me for this.

I first heard the word tithe shortly after I accepted Christ in 1976, but I had no idea what it meant. We began attending a Bible-based church where we learned the basic principles of tithing - “giving back” to God a portion of what He provides for us. But it was at a seminar by the late Larry Burkett, of Christian Financial Concepts, where God truly opened my eyes. Larry’s explanations and real-life examples of the Biblical perspective of money intrigued me. God’s approach to money was totally different from anything I had ever heard; totally opposite to what we might do in the natural, but it worked. I wanted to know more about God’s way of handling money, including any money He would entrust to me.

As a new Christian, I lacked wisdom about most spiritual things, including God’s financial plan. I didn’t realize how often the Bible spoke of money. But as with everything, God is patient while He teaches us. In the beginning, all He needed from me was a desire to know and the determination to apply the same principles in my life. He had used Larry Burkett to motivate me and I was eager to experience the same connection with God that Larry had talked about in his examples of God’s faithfulness. Somewhere in my spirit, I must have decided to follow God’s leading. And we know that with God, all it takes is a desire to learn. Little by little, He began to show me how He provides for His children.

My first lesson came shortly after I learned about tithing. As non-Christians, we had discovered the wonderful world of antique auctions. My husband, never one to pass-up a bargain, became a constant attendee at a local auction. The excellent merchandise, low prices, and competition of the bidding soon played havoc with our small savings account. The idea was to buy these items at auction prices and sell them for a profit. This might have been a good venture for folks with more money to spare, but we were just two young people with more ideas than capital. Soon we were hurting financially. The basement of our tiny home was filled with lovely furniture that no one wanted to buy and we couldn’t afford to keep. We desperately needed the money back, but none of our efforts were enough to interest buyers.

But then something wonderful happened – we learned to tithe, to give back to God the first ten percent of our income. Understand, we didn’t really know enough Bible verses to back-up our decision. We did, however, trust our church enough to know they wouldn’t teach anything that wasn’t in God’s Word.

We didn’t tithe because we wanted God to “fix” our financial mess. We were still young enough in Christ to think that we had made this problem, so we had to find a way out by ourselves. We tithed simply because we had learned it was the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, we decided to take some of our household items – things we no longer needed – to a local flea market to see if they might sell, providing a little extra income. It was clear that the antiques weren’t going to sell, but we thought maybe some of these lower priced items might get noticed by the many folks attending the market. We rented a booth outside and set up a small table of odds and ends. We had sold a few things when a woman came over and began looking at our display. She told us that her daughter was getting married soon and she was buying things for her new home. She picked-out several items, then mentioned that what she really needed was furniture and asked if we had any to sell. What?! Out of all the booths and tables at this flea market, she came to ours and asked ifwehad furniture to sell. We told her we had antiques and she asked if I would mind taking her to see them. We lived near-by, so I took her to see if any of the pieces in our basement would work for her daughter’s new home. She looked around for a few minutes.  (While I stood there hoping she might buy something, anything, that would add to our bank account.)  But when she spoke she didn’t ask for any particular item…she said she wanted all of it! No haggling over prices, no bartering of any kind, she just took out her checkbook and wrote a check for everything we had for sale.

God rescued our finances in one afternoon. He showed us that if we will honor Him with our tithes and offerings, He can easily do in just a few hours what was impossible for us. We may have been new Christians, but we realized what we had witnessed was nothing short of a financial miracle. Tithing became a principle for our household. We still had many things to learn about the concept, but we were off to a good start. God had honored even our attempt at handling money His way. I was over-whelmed with gratitude for His help and amazed by God’s ability to place everyone in exactly the right place at the right time to make this happen. To say this got my attention would be a huge understatement. I had never encountered anything like this in my life, but I wanted to know more. God, always eager to teach His children, answered my heart’s desire.

Chapter Two - Using God’s Calculator

Armed with the seminar teachings of Larry Burkett, (and God’s very practical and personal miracle), tithing became the first thing we did with each paycheck. Once my husband understood the principle, he was diligent to tithe. We saw God’s blessings in our family – more children – and then the opportunity to move to a larger home when we outgrew the smaller one. But as the years passed, God started working on my heart to give “extra.”

As I studied Scripture, God began showing me more and more about the necessity of giving – not just as a family, but me personally. My first thoughts were, “O.K., Lord, but what?” As a stay at home mom, with no outside income, I didn’t think I had anything to give. My thinking was wrong. God began to bring people into my life that needed things that I could provide. It was exciting to see how He could, and would, point me in the direction of folks that would benefit from things I already had on hand. Since I know that God’s way is often to give and to help in private, I haven’t shared many of these times. I tried, whenever possible, to give anonymously or through someone else in order to apply the

Scripture:

“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-4 (NASB)

Once I made the commitment to help, God started opening doors. I remember some of the needs He allowed me to meet, but I’m sure there are many I have forgotten. But God has an unfailing memory and He saw each attempt, no matter how small. Looking back now, I understand that He was graciously letting me build a supernatural “bank account” to be there when we needed it most…when our income was gone and the only hope we had was the seeds we had sown.

“Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow – perhaps it all will.”   Ecclesiastes 11:6 (Life Application Bible)

During these years, God began to stretch my ability to give. He started with items I already had, then occasionally he would add a small income, allowing me the opportunity to also give money. The first time He did this was in the 1980’s, when he allowed me to sell my first magazine article.

I had always enjoyed writing, but mostly as a hobby. With four children, my time to write was fairly limited. We had only a portable typewriter – not the conveniences of a computer or internet. Still, I had always wanted to write so I did it in snatches from our dining room table, hoping to someday produce something worth sharing. One day I promised God that if He would bless my writing, I would give back to Him everything I made from my first sell. That being done, I continued to create bits and pieces of several projects. Then the carnal me showed up. What if, I began to ponder,what if God let me sell something that made a lot of money…money we could use…and I had promised all of it to Him?Now, before you decide to stone me, remember I was learning my way. I was gladly giving of items I already had, and we were tithing as a family, but now I was learning not to be selfish with money that God might give to me. God was letting me see inside my own heart and the sight wasn’t so pretty. I realized

I would gladly give Him all, if all didn’t amount to too much. I still wasn’t getting the giving principle totally right. I struggled with my promise, almost as if I had something to worry about. (Why I thought I had the talent and experience to produce a substantial amount of income seems laughable to me now.)

But in the end, I accepted that no one had forced me to “tithe” my first sell. It was done and I wanted to honor it.

As I finished one story, I realized that it seemed to work well with a Christian magazine I had found. I submitted it, and was excited beyond words when it was accepted. As most new authors, I would have probably paid them, just to see my story in print. And I kept my promise and gave the money back to the Lord – all eighteen dollars of it! Another lesson learned: God is more concerned with our willingness to give, than how much we give:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

My first opportunity at giving from my personal blessings may have fallen short of the “cheerful giver” category, but God used it to remind me that giving is an opportunity to bless andalsobe blessed.

The same group of magazines bought several more articles, mostly things related to parenting. I didn’t see it so much at the time, but later understood that God was taking my little gift to Him from the first article, multiplying it, then giving it back in more magazine sells:

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)

My little gift hadn’t put me into the financial realm of “giving from my wealth,” but it helped me see another part of God’s overall plan for taking care of us financially. Once we understand how important giving is from God’s view, we want to be generous and He honors our efforts at obedience, keeping His promise to bless us as we bless others.

Since my husband’s job was providing for us, I was free to give anything extra I earned. This became part of the financial season when God was helping me plant for a crop we would need in years to come:

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” 2 Corinthians 9 (NLT)

God was teaching me His way of doing math and also providing the seed I needed to sow. Once I understood the concept, He was ready to add a few more lessons.

Chapter Three - God’s Circle of Blessings

I was still writing from home, when I found an ad in a small local paper advertising for a freelance writer. Usually these are bogus ads, with the real motive being to sell something to the person answering the ad. I read it several times, looking for the hook, but couldn’t find one. I decided to call and use caution. It turned out to be legitimate, with the company wanting writers to take medical journal materials and turn them into easy-to-read articles for a newsletter. I applied and got one of the jobs. It was work that could be done from home, on a part time basis, and provided regular income. I was thrilled. This was an opportunity to learn more about various writing styles, while providing money to share.

I did this for several years, giving money to trusted ministries, but I also used it to pay for family things. I want to make it clear – there was nothing wrong with me using part of the money. God had not put restrictions on me or my salary. He was, however, giving me the opportunity to learn money management in His economy and I didn’t totally realize it. I was still tithing and giving extra on occasion, but He wanted me to do more and I was still doing things the way I had when I first learned to give. One thing I know about God, He is very patient. When needed, He goes over and over the same lesson until we finally “get it.” Then He is able to take us to a new and better place. This is what He was trying to do with me, but at first I just stayed in my comfy spot – tithing and giving in special situations. In most cases, this would have been more than enough. But because of things only God knew about our future, it wasn’t what He wanted from me.

By now I was working with a computer and able to go online, which opened up new markets and easier access to publishers. I wanted to write different types of articles, so I left the newsletter and began to look for available freelance work. It was during this time that God impressed me with the idea that He would give me work, but that He wanted me to go beyond tithing and occasional extra giving. This time, He wanted me to give ALL the money back into ministry. At this point in my faith, I was able to receive this. I had seen His faithfulness and I was ready to give back everything He brought my way. I didn’t doubt His wisdom and was actually excited God wanted me to do this. I knew He would bless me for obedience and His blessings are greater than we can think or imagine. He began His part immediately.

There were several publications, mostly online, that listed jobs for freelance writers. I began looking at these, applying for work when it was something I could do, or submitting work I had already written. Let me explain the way God seemed to be working this. It was a simple plan that even I could follow:

He provided work; I gave the money back to ministry or people in need; and He provided more work. It was really that simple, and yet truly amazing to watch Him bring everything about. Basically, where once I had to beat the pavement for freelance work, doors were now opened for me. I was given one job after another, with a fair salary, and still able to work from my home. It became a time of learning and believing in God’s faithfulness. It still amazes me how generous He is with each of us. He gives us a talent, provides ways for us to use those gifts, and then blesses us for letting Him!

At this point, my husband was still tithing from his income and generously allowed me the freedom to give back all the money I made. Now, I don’t want to mislead anyone – I wasn’t making a large income, but the money was enough to qualify as a respectable part time job and helpful as an offering to ministry work. Most importantly, it was another principle that God was showing me: If I would just say yesto His plan of giving, finding ways to provide the money wasn’t a problem for Him. I was, more or less, a conduit – a physical way to direct money to people in need. God was, and has always been, the Source of the blessings.

There is one story that came about during this time that I have to share. Shortly before I started having larger sums to give, I found myself with ten dollars to spare. I was thinking about what I should do with it, knowing that it wasn’t much and probably wouldn’t make much difference. But in God’s economy, everything has a purpose, so I pondered this ten dollar bill like it was a hundred. I was still thinking about it as I parked my car at a local supermarket. The radio was on and I heard someone on a Christian station speaking about the importance of giving directly to people in need. It seemed like this was a custom-made answer to my question concerning my tiny offering. As I turned off the car and before I got out, I simply said, Okay – You show me who and I’ll give this to them.

Within two days, as I was waking up, my first thoughts were the exact names of two women, an elderly woman and her daughter who took care of her. I had known the mother many years ago in my childhood because she lived near my grandmother. But I had never met her daughter, a woman a few years older than myself. My mother had known them for years, so I asked her about their financial situation. She confided that they were doing as well as could be expected on a very limited income.  I took this as a confirmation that this was indeed the place I needed to send the money. I took a piece of paper and wrote, “God wants you to have this.” I wrapped the paper around the ten dollar bill and stuck it in an envelope. As I addressed it, I prayed that it would get there without someone stealing it. Although I put a return address, I didn’t include my name. I wanted this gift, although incredibly small, to be anonymous.

As God blessed my writing, I included these two women in my list of people and places to share. I played a mental game of “hot potato.” When an article sold, I sent the money back out as soon as possible. This served a two-fold purpose: The money arrived quickly where it was most needed and it didn’t allow time for me to think of the money as mine. I sent checks to ministries, but I remained anonymous to these dear ladies and sent their money by either cash or money order, depending on the amount.  My mother talked with them from time to time, (because she too cared deeply for these women and provided any help she could) and they were always so excited over the money from an unknown source. They were so appreciative, thanking God for His help and praying for the person responsible. This went on for several years. Then quite by accident, they learned that I was the one associated with the return address.

Years later, when the daughter told me of the importance of that first small gift, it brought tears to my eyes. God had known of their needs and He allowed me to help, both for their good and mine:

“Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.” 2 Corinthians 8:14   (NLV)

Chapter Four - A God of Provision

The freelance writing had given me experience and a string of published materials that helped generate more jobs. Then one night while I was looking through computer ads for work, I found one for a part time writer in Atlanta. This was for a non-profit group with headquarters at Mercer University. I felt very strongly that this was something God wanted me to do. If you write, or do anything considered artistic, you realize that freelance jobs that promise regular work in a market like Atlanta are rare and coveted. I was fifty-three years old; hadn’t worked outside my home for many years; and had no formal training as a writer. Acting on faith alone, I sent in my resume and several writing samples.

I soon received a call from the woman whose agency was conducting the initial “weeding-out” interviews. Her part was to qualify potential candidates for final interviews conducted by the editor. A time was setup for my interview and I tried desperately to get over the horrible cough that was lingering from a recent bout of bronchitis. I remember vividly arriving that day, parking the car and having a chat with God as I walked to the building where I was to be interviewed. To summarize, I told Him that if I wasn’t sure,really sure, this is what He wanted, I would have never had the nerve to show-up. But you know the wonderful feeling you have deep inside whenyou know that you know that you knowthat it’s what God wants? It was one of those moments and I just couldn’t refuse.

As the woman who was conducting the interview looked over my materials, she commented positively about my writing. She was very kind and didn’t seem to mind my constant coughing, or the fact that my attire was hardly that of corporate America. But God’s favor was never more evident than when she asked me about my degree. One of the qualifications was a degree in Journalism or a related field. Although I have college credits, I never received a degree of any kind.

“Now, you didn’t say where you graduated,” she quizzed.

“I didn’t graduate,” I answered honestly.

Then, the strangest thing happened. She said quickly, and without pausing, “It doesn’t matter.”

It didn’t matter, because God was giving me this job. It mattered when the people in personnel wrote the ad for the job and stated that a degree was necessary. But now, it wasn’t important. I knew God had given this woman a special liking for me and she soon revealed why.

One of the articles I had sent as a writing sample was about emotional adultery and how to stop it before your marriage is destroyed. This woman had experienced the next step of adultery when it turns from emotional to physical. The article had struck a note with her personal pain and she wanted me to have the job. After she finished her part of the interview, she took me to meet with the editor.

The editor was an extremely kind and intelligent young woman. As we completed our time together, she said that once the interviews were completed, a decision would be made. I was told the candidate would be chosen by the end of the month. But God had already decided and He wanted to be the first to let me know. At this time I was having my devotions from the book of Ruth. While studying, God made it clear to me that I, like Ruth, would soon be working. It was exciting to have His confirmation even before the phone rang with the news. In fact, the office took a little longer than they had expected to decide on a writer, but God had already prepared me for the offer.

I accepted the job in fall of 2001 and worked there nearly three years. During that time, God never let me down. After I was trained for the job, my editor allowed me to work primarily from home, coming in only once every other week. Again I found myself working comfortably from home, but being paid a regular income. It was perfect for me.

The job allowed me the opportunity of opening a personal bank account for direct deposit of my salary. This was, of course, with my husband’s knowledge. Once again, I knew God had placed me in this particular job for a special reason. He was providing the money and I was to pass it along to ministries and people that needed help. In the beginning of my employment I gave 100% of my earnings, but soon became complacent. I still gave around 80 to 90 percent of my salary, but I also started spending some of it on things I wanted or felt were needed. This time, God tapped me on the shoulder and offered clear direction:

“Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” 2 Corinthians 8:10-12

After reading that, I went back to doing what I knew I had been called to do. It’s easy to think that almost doing what God asks is good enough. But total obedience matters, and looking back on things with today’s perspective, I understand. God wanted me to be 100% obedient so we could reap all the benefits He wanted to provide.

During this time, while studying in Isaiah, God called my attention to the story of Elijah, the widow, and her son:

Then GOD spoke to him: "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you."

10-11So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." As she went to get it, he called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to eat?"

12She said, "I swear, as surely as your GOD lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die."

13-14Elijah said to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what's left for you and your son. This is the word of the GOD of Israel: 'The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before GOD sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'"

15-16And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said — daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty: GOD's promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it! 1Kings17:9-16 (The Message)

I had read this passage before, but now the Holy Spirit let me see it in a deeper, more personal way. The principle here was amazing. The widow woman had nothing, yet she was being asked to give to the prophet, Elijah. It wasn’t because God couldn’t provide for Elijah; it was so God could provide for her. What if she had refused? Logically, this wasn’t an idea she should buy into…she was gathering sticks to cook a last meal for her small family. If she had relied on facts alone, instead of sharing with this unknown preacher, her future would have been lost. The widow didn’t realize the importance of giving Elijah the first cake, but God did. He was providing for her the same way He provides for us – by giving her an opportunity to givefirst.

It was during this time of study that God began to impress me with the title of this book.By giving the first cake to Elijah, we open the heavens for our own needs. This is putting God and His Kingdom first financially, and He clearly tells us to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and these things will be added unto you.” This covers any and all things, including the way we use money.

I loved the principle involved in this lesson! A woman with nothing left, gave out of her need to a man of God, and was rescued. I wrote down the book title and waited for God to show me just how to use it.  He had been showing me over and over that giving was something He wanted me to do. He taught me of His faithfulness and showed me that He would help anyone who willingly listens to His precepts. I was fascinated. I also knew there had to be more to my own story before I would have need of a book title.

Then in the fall of 2009, my husband’s health and career both crashed.

Chapter Five - Clinging to Faith

In a way, we had been living a teeny-tiny version of the dream Joseph interpreted for Pharaoh. During most of our married life, we had been blessed with enough for our family and extra to share with others – like the years of “fat cows” for Egypt. God had shown us how to store money in spiritual barns (by giving to ministries and folks in need) when my husband’s salary was sufficient for us. He had also taught me to invest in His work with the money he provided above and beyond any real needs for our family. Now we were in the lean part of our story. And when it happened, it was worse than we could have anticipated.

My husband’s health issues involve diabetes and recently Parkinson’s, along with related diagnoses, including severe neuropathy. The medical consensus is most of these problems stem from his tour of duty in Viet Nam. He often spent many days in combat with no way to change clothes that had been soaked with the defoliate known as Agent Orange. We were aware that his health was becoming an issue, but nothing that kept him from working and doing a good job.

Based on that, when we were given the opportunity to build our dream house, he decided we could do it. Since learning God’s principles for tithing, my husband had always been good with money. I had no reason to doubt that he had examined every possible cost when making this decision. He found land, a contractor, and house plans. Everything seemed to be falling into place. What neither one of us knew was that his health was getting worse at an exponential rate.

Then something happened that was totally unexpected. Before our house was completed, my husband’s employer came to him and announced that his position was being discontinued. To say this was a shock would be to minimize it. We began looking at our expenses in a new light. We were already on all the financial notes for our new home, therefore committed to the project. Fortunately we had retirement, so we began living on that. After all, my husband was well-trained and would certainly find another job soon.

As we moved into our new home, we continued looking for jobs – this time I was in the mix. We still had hopes of things working out. It seemed that each time we were down to the bottom of the barrel, God would provide just what we needed to get through. We were still tithing and giving on the income that did come to us and marveled at how God was keeping us afloat.

Then we experienced the final financial blow. We had been in our new home just a few days less than a year when my husband had his medical crisis. He returned home from the hospital shortly before Thanksgiving with the realization that he would not be returning to work. Since he couldn’t be alone during his recovery, this meant I had to stay home, too.

When we were young and had four children at home, my husband purchased an insurance policy that paid benefits if he should become disabled and couldn’t work. We paid for that policy for years, hoping to never use it. But now, we began filling out paperwork and talking with agents to get our policy payment started. Even though the insurance company was very helpful, we were facing several months without any new income. Now that the “skinny cows” were here, God began to work miracles. He was providing money from what could only be described as our “heavenly account.” I watched with wonder and praise, thankful beyond words, that He had allowed us to participate in His way of handling money for all those preceding years.

Now for the rest of the story concerning the wonderful woman God brought into my life years earlier with the anonymous ten dollar bill. By this time, the mother had passed away and the daughter was working as my mother’s caregiver. God had intertwined our lives and families in several ways. We kept in touch as friends and also because she took such wonderful care of my mother. God had placed this precious woman in our lives to help my extended family for a salary, and neither she – nor God – forgot us. One day when we were at our lowest point, I opened the mail and found a note from her and a check for $10,000.  All I could do was cry. God had placed us on her heart and she gave us (in total) almost all of her savings. In God’s economy, things are so different. You give when you see a need, realizing He will never leave you stranded when your turn for help arrives. We needed help and it arrived right on time. My husband and I thanked God for His faithfulness and the faithfulness of this self-sacrificing woman. I have to add that she sent another check for $5,000 a few days later. I couldn’t believe her generosity – I still marvel at it. She gave us the money. She never mentioned it being a loan that she expected us to return, should my husband recover. It was a gift, free of any strings. But knowing of her great sacrifice, I asked God for the opportunity to give it back with extra, and for Him to reward her openly for her act of kindness and love.

By the first of the next year, the insurance company had validated our claim and started a monthly payment, which definitely helped. The Veteran’s Administration was in the process of delivering a verdict on my husband’s disabilities, so we spent every moment filling out forms. He was unable to write, so I became his hands during the process. There were stacks and stacks of forms and so many doctor visits that it’s impossible to remember them all. This went on for months, but finally he was declared disabled and given an income.

While we waited for regular money to come in, God graciously supplied our daily needs – always through unexpected or unanticipated ways and people. Every month brought new financial miracles and a growing faith that His care for us was totally dependable.

Several times I found writing jobs online for devotional books. The pay wasn’t substantial, but it was God’s way of continuing to supply small amounts of money to give to ministries or people in need. It’s important to say here that when we are in our greatest need, that’s the time to be diligent in giving. The story of the widow was becoming a roadmap for me. I knew our only way of escape would be to trust that God would honor the money we had invested in His kingdom. Knowing this truth, I realized the best thing to do with any money I received was to give it back to God. If the widow was protected by giving, then we would be, too.

Our main problem, of course, was our new home. We were able to pay all our other debts – including the old house we had moved from – but were going deeper into debt each month on our new mortgage.  We had NEVER let debts go. Our credit score had been exemplary, but now we couldn’t pay for our home and would probably lose it. We agreed to try to sell it. This wouldn’t fix all our troubles, but it would rid us of the large payment we could no longer afford.

I prayed and told God that I knew He had given us our home – putting everything together in such a way as to make us aware that it was truly a gift from Him. Knowing that, I also told Him that if it was His plan, we would sell. I had every confidence that He would put us where we needed to be at this stage of our lives. I didn’t want His gift to become my focus. I knew without a doubt that if He decided for us to go, it would be the right thing. All I asked was that if He was going to allow us to keep the house, He would prevent folks from making appointments just to look around without any real thought of buying. If He was going to provide a buyer, I could accept that, but I didn’t want strangers in my home unless He approved.

As we tried to sell the house, my husband began to draw Social Security. Although we still had debts, we were beginning to see a financial light at the end of the tunnel. We still owned our old house, paying monthly on it even though we didn’t live there. My husband talked with the bank about giving the house back to them. We were not behind on any payments, but knew we would have trouble selling the property. Nothing was selling due to the down-turn in the housing market and this was an old home in need of repair. We felt locked-in to a payment that was taking money we needed to live. With so many foreclosures on the market, it didn’t seem likely the bank would let us sign the house back over to them.  We knew that our once good credit would take a big hit, but we were willing to take that consequence in order to drop the monthly payment. After all, we were already in trouble because we couldn’t afford to make the payment on our new home. By now, our credit score was the last thing on our minds.

Chapter Six- Claiming a Promise

If you’ve ever had financial woes, you know that most banks lack personal warmth. (If I had posted this last remark on Facebook, I would have included the well known smiley face at the end of the sentence.)  That’s one reason we were so grateful when they finally decided to accept our offer of a deed in lieu on our old property. Basically, from a legal standpoint, we were letting them have our old home in lieu of foreclosure. We weren’t facing foreclosure, so technically this didn’t apply, but the money we were spending on our old mortgage was money wasted. The fact the bank agreed to work with us was a miracle. With the housing industry in such trouble, the bank didn’t need our old house. But we accepted the fact that we were free of this debt and the accompanying stress, and counted it a huge blessing.

This left us with only one unpaid and growing debt – the home we were living in. My husband spent many hours on the phone trying to get help restructuring our loan so we could make payments again. We now had enough income to make our house payment, if only the bank would work with us. For more than forty years we had been offered loans, credit, any extra money we might need, but now that we were in real trouble, we were financial poison. No one would help. It would be impossible for me to explain the number of frustrating hours and explanations that we shared with multiple bank representatives on every possible level of their corporate ladder. In respect of time and space, and boredom for the reader, I will try and sum it up simply - we talked, explained our situation, and asked how we could keep our home. We were given a different answer each day, from a different and uninterested person. We discussed everything that had happened to us, multiple times, only to be given to another department and then start over again. It was maddening. It seemed no one recorded anything we said.  If they did, no one else bothered to read it, so it was always a new battle. Our house was on the market, but not selling, and each month our debt grew larger. Then the threats of foreclosure and eviction began.

This is not a book explaining or complaining about banking, bankers or their way of doing business. I don’t pretend to understand the ins and outs of institutional lenders. I’m just trying to show as briefly as possible that we were on a treadmill, getting nowhere fast. But as frustrating as things looked, God and His financial principles had never changed. We tithed, gave, tried to work things out with the bank…and waited.

I never stopped praying for direction. I wanted to keep our home – and to be honest – I didn’t want to pack and move again because of all the physical work involved. One night in February 2010, I was praying about our situation and studying the Bible. When I came to these verses, they seemed to jump out at me:

You sent abundant rain upon your land, O God, to refresh it in its weariness! There your people lived, for you gave them this home when they were destitute. The Lord speaks. The enemy flees. The women at home cry out the happy news: “The armies that came to destroy us have fled!”   Psalms 68:9, 10, 11, 12 (Life Application Bible)

I was overjoyed! God made this passage very real to me. He had declared that the “destitute,” (definitely us) would keep their home. I gratefully accepted this wonderful news and felt a tremendous burden lifted from my heart. God has given me many promises over the years and has kept each one.  His speaking to me through Scripture brought immediate peace about everything. I now knew with a certainty that we would stay. My quandary over whether or not to start packing was over. He didn’t say exactly how long it would be, or what path He would take to fulfill this promise, but I was satisfied to let Him work out the details.

I would like to write that the next morning the bank called, decided to work with us and all our troubles were corrected, but that’s not the way it happened. The only thing changed was me, but that was enough. It’s funny, but when God is in the mix and promises you that He’s “got it,” you know it’s just a matter of time until you begin to see the difference. Oh course like Peter’s walk on the water, it’s best not to take your eyes off Jesus. When we are walking by faith, the world doesn’t always line-up with our revelation. Our bank took the world’s view.

Knowing that God was going to let us stay was my line of defense when the bank repeatedly denied all our requests. I claimed God’s promises when stacks of legal papers arrived detailing their plans for foreclosure. I’m not saying I didn’t get a queasy sick-in-my-stomach feeling every time the doorbell rang and we had to receive legal documents. I reacted to the moment, but knowing that God had decided the outcome always helped me to come back to God’s reality – not what I could see going on around me, but what I knew about the outcome.

I don’t mean to imply that we just sat in the corner and claimed God’s promise to rescue us. We had been living His plan for provision for many years, and we continued to try to work things out with the bank. But it is so comforting to know that when we do all we can, our future isn’t decided by banks, or anything else. God has the final say. We didn’t know how He was going to get us out of this, but we believed He would.

The first time we received word that our house was going to be sold on the local courthouse steps was particularly difficult. Being given an actual date when your home is scheduled to be sold is a scary feeling. We had a promise and an attitude of willingness to work with the bank, but the bank was still giving us the run around. Each time we thought we might be nearing an agreement, the talks would collapse.

Promises aren’t always necessary when a situation will be resolved quickly. But when things take time, a concrete promise makes the difference between momentary fear, and living in fear. I never lost my faith that God would help us in some way. But we still had to ride out the waves of doubt that showed up each time our efforts were blocked. We were learning new levels of trust.

During this time of waiting, God impressed me to start giving before He provided the money. This was really a new wrinkle for me. I had never pledged an exact amount of money in advance of having it to give – but I trusted Him. Led by prayer, I promised money to an organization that we often supported, then waited for God to provide my advance tithe. I wrestled with whether or not I had done the right thing. Our money was really limited and I didn’t want to back God into a corner, because I did something unwise. But in my spirit, I really thought this was something He wanted me to do.

It didn’t take but a few days before my husband came back from the mailbox, surprised by an unexpected check that exactly covered my commitment. God is so good at math – He knew even before I decided on an amount to give that “the check was in the mail!”

Then with much prayer for guidance on the issue, I pledged more money and once more God provided us with the exact amount necessary to meet my commitment. I am not suggesting this is right for everyone. I believe it was just another part of my personal training in God’s control of money and His ability to provide extra income. We were trusting God for a huge monetary undertaking and He was showing me that nothing is impossible for Him. I had learned to give when I had little; to give when God gave extra; and now to give from God’s promised blessings.

Chapter Seven - Reaching the Goal

God gave me the promise that we could keep our home in February, 2010. By now, it was nearly a year later and things were still unsettled. This is a point we all need to take to heart – a promise has no time limit and waiting is something we all have to learn to do gracefully, if at all possible.

During our waiting, we dealt with the bank and more policies. (Sounds like the last chapter, huh?) We tried to do everything the bank said, even when it made no sense at all. Once, my husband was directed to wait two weeks before a scheduled foreclosure to apply for the loan modification. Then at the time appointed, he contacted the bank and was told he had waited too late to apply. During all those months we were scheduled and rescheduled to have our house sold two times. But each time before the actual date, God would stop it.

During the summer of 2011, we received word that the bank absolutely would not work with us and that our house was going to be sold on the local courthouse steps in early August. The attorneys involved had already contacted us and we remained helpless to change anything.  My birthday is in the last part of July, only weeks before the date of the finalization for our house to be taken from us. But God is not only good, He has a way of giving gifts at exactly the right time. The day of my birthday, someone from the bank actually calledus! We didn’t have to track them down, leave messages and beg to have someone with authority return our call. After several conversations throughout the day, this person agreed to everything my husband had been asking for in the modification, resulting in payments we could make. But there remained the problem of the back payments. We simply didn’t have the lump sum to pay the outstanding note. What the bank agreed to next is something we still find difficult to believe. This institution that months earlier had been willing to sell our home to the highest bidder, agreed to let us pay this note as a large balloon payment at the end of a 40 year loan!  Being in our mid-sixties, the bank knew this couldn’t possibly come due in our lifetime. Happy Birthday to me!

My husband just kept repeating, “I can’t believe this. It’s everything we asked for and more.” Another thing about a promise from God – when it happens, it’s always better than you could have expected, and done in a way that only He could have accomplished.

I just want to add here that as we waited on the paperwork with our new agreement to arrive from the bank, we were given another opportunity to depend on what we knew of God’s character. Once again, we were contacted and told that our house foreclosure would take place in December, 2011. Obviously, official word had not reached that particular department that we were staying. (It’s good to remember that even when God has worked out everything in exactly the way He has promised, Satan will still try to rob us of our faith, up until the last minute. Stay strong and believe God.) My husband was literally on the phone trying to work out the latest glitch when Fed Ex rang our doorbell. I signed for the amended documents and took them to my husband. He was able to tell the person on the other line that things were finally settled. We were ecstatic, and so grateful to God for putting this particular problem to rest.

Our house payment is now within our ability to pay and we are finally free of the fear of foreclosure. Of course, there’s always something new to learn. The disability insurance which helped so much with our living expenses was scheduled to end on the anniversary date of the policy, following my husband’s 65th birthday. That happened in August, 2012.  But we know that God has a plan for us and we aren’t going to worry…tithe, yes…give, yes…worry, no. We have been through too much to fear the financial unknown, because it isn’t unknown to God. He can stretch incomes or increase incomes, and we trust He knows which is best for us.

In good times, and in times of financial uncertainty, God’s instructions never fail. He is faithful. It doesn’t matter if we are in debt because we mismanaged, miscalculated, or were forced from our employment, God’s plan works. If you have always tithed, you already know. If you haven’t, then consider the benefits. God has a plan for each of us and He has given clear Biblical instruction on how to give and receive financial blessings. It’s my desire that everyone reading this will try God’s plan for provision, starting right where you are with the money you have available. It’s an amazing journey that will leave you, and everyone you help, in a better place financially and spiritually:

“It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.”  Proverbs 11:24, 25 (Life Application Bible)

God did allow me to return the $15,000 to the sweet friend that provided for us during the darkest of our financial struggles.  My dear Mother went to be with Jesus, leaving us enough money to return the money to our family friend, who by now needed the money for her own support.  God provides for each of us in unexpected ways – just what we need and exactly when it’s needed most.

If you aren’t a Christian, my prayer is that you accept God’s greatest gift and provision of all – Jesus Christ.  He wants to show His love to you by offering the forgiveness and eternal life that only He can provide:  Ephesians 2:8,9;

2 Corinthians 5:17;   Romans 10:9

Many Blessings!

Table of Contents

The “Why”

Chapter One - Lesson One

Chapter Two - Using God’s Calculator

Chapter Three - God’s Circle of Blessings

Chapter Four - A God of Provision

Chapter Five - Clinging to Faith

Chapter Six- Claiming a Promise

Chapter Seven - Reaching the Goal