“He shall be like a tree planted by living water…which brings forth food in its season” Psalm 1:3 (Picture by Lisa R.)

I have been catching up on my Facebook posts. As I peruse what’s going on with my friends and acquaintances, I bumped into a post from my old Bible College teacher, John Duncan. I learned a lot from him about humility and Christianity in human form.  He taught me that following Christ doesn’t mean everything will be roses and butterflies. But it does mean that no matter how rough the trial we have an ANCHOR.  I have watched (more accurately read) as pastor Duncan has gone through trial after trial. There have been times of whining and times of praise.  But in each circumstance God has been his constant guide. Today I am posting something he wrote. It reminds us (me). That when we do what God tells us to do, He’ll meet our needs (note, I said needs). Here’s Pastor John:

“I believe it is our duty as Christians is to walk until our toes are touching the Red Sea. When I cry out for help it is because I have taken it as far as I can as a man, then I have no trouble asking for help. I am not proud, it does not humiliate me to have to ask for help. To be humiliated does not produce humility, and in fact it can have the opposite effect on us.

We all know it is more blessed to give than receive. But have you thought on that for a while? The person who has the ability to help has the power over the one asking. Many times those who give, even those in the church, expect to be rewarded for their giving. But there is so much pride and so few who really know how to give with no strings attached that I believe in terms of treasure in heaven they might as well throw out their cash in the trash.

We all (everyone of us), have a problem with pride. We can be proud of just about everything, while taking on an outward appearance of humility. In this life I have been on both sides of that process of being the needy one and the one who can help someone in need.

I remember more than once giving my last dime away, actually it was a twenty that I gave to four brothers who were on the road and heading to the mid-west. My thoughts were many at the time, one was they were four I was one they needed it more than I did. I thought about the fact that they had twice as far to go, so I just gave them all I had. They were from the mid-west and I knew how to survive on the road a whole lot more than they did, so I gave and was at peace. I sat down to read my Bible for the first time in about a week, and I don’t know who did it, (it looked to me like different people did it not knowing what the others had done), on one page I found three dollars then two on another, then a five  and a ten on other pages. I held my Bible so I could shake it and it was 20 dollars! Not the 10 fold promised by the false teachers out there. On that day when I gave my last twenty I didn’t know that God had already provided for me. So it was like I didn’t give at all I just shared what already belonged to all of us. I slept good that night. No pride, just the simple peace of knowing I did what God wanted me to do.

So sure it is better to give, better to be the one with the power. To be the one who has a choice, whereas the poor man has no choice (except to go hungry).

I am not hungry tonight. I may or may not sleep well, but it won’t be from hunger. Tonight if someone was out front in need of food I have an abundance. I may not have cash but I have all I need. Good night to ya’ll.” – JD –

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

So what’s my plan of attack? Remember that God has already met the need, He has already provided.