Monday, July 9, 2018

Behind the Scenes


Behind the Scenes

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”   Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

          There are so many things going on in our lives all the time that we forget that God is moving behind the scenes.  It’s like a parallel world moving right along with us, but God is directing that movement while we are directing our own movement. 
            In Hebrews 13:5, Jesus left a comforting message for us, He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  That’s pretty simple to understand, He is always going to be with us, day and night behind the scene, to help us keep on track.  Have you ever been alone and hurting in the night with no one to encourage you?  You are not alone and when you call out His name, He is there.  He is listening and in ways we don’t understand, he is calling out to God for you. 
            Did you know that God never sleeps? Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4.  As humans, we cannot get along without rest and sleep, even though many try to.  God designed our bodies to need refueling enough to continue on.  That means sleep and rest.  God set up the “Sabbath” so that people would not wear themselves out, but would rest from their labor and would be prepared to get back to work the following day. God is still working behind the scenes to help rest and build up our bodies to be strong.
            Do you ever have stomach problems?  In the beginning God showed us what the proper food were that would be good for our body.  Rich foods can cause serious stomach issues.  I think of Daniel in the Old Testament. He was a prisoner of King Nebuchadnezzar who wanted to feed Daniel rich foods and desserts from his own table.  But Daniel was very smart and said, “Please let my 3 friends and I eat just vegetables and drink water and see if we are not healthiest of all the servants.”  After a time, Daniel and his friends were the healthiest of all.  Does this tell you something about your eating habits?
            How many times have you been spared from a deadly incident or illness?  Looking back over the years things happened to me that could have taken my life, but by Gods miraculous intervention I was saved. Behind the scene God and his angels were working to save me.  There is no other answer for what happened.
            I remember years ago when my young family were in such bad financial condition because of family illness and doctor bills we could see no way out.  I used to sit at my table and look at all the bills, wondering how we could ever pay them.  Over the years I experienced times that there was money in our account that I know I didn’t put in there.  I know God working it out behind the scenes. Like the time we owed thousands of dollars to the local hospital and they forgave the debt.  Praise the Lord.
            Years later I learned about tithing. Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”   I came from a denomination that never talked about tithing, so didn’t anything about it.  It was years later when I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  One day I was driving to work and listening to a Christian radio station when I heard about tithing.  When I came home that day, I looked through the mail and there was an article about tithing in a magazine using the same scripture I heard on the radio.  At dinner time we were at the table but I could see the TV in the other room and a man was on there talking about ‘Tithing’!  My husband and I talked about it and immediately knew that’s what we needed to do. We were no longer going to “rob God” as it says in Malachi. 
        From that day to this, we have never missed giving 10% to God.  If we were gone we always made up what we missed tithing. God has always been so faithful to us.  We have not had to worry over money again.  In Malachi 3:11 it tells us to try God, “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts.”  Yes, it’s true; God is working being the scene and he does what he said he would do!





1 comment: