Page 112 - Evidence of Things Unseen

considered that it is the Lord’s command that we are not to be anxious about anything, I felt
a release from the clinging anxiety that I had known most of my life. I had formerly acted
as if it was some Christian duty to be anxious about the cares of life. Somehow the thought
had been ingrained into my psyche that a responsible Christian man must worry about
providing the necessities of life for himself and his family. I had picked up the idea that it
was okay to follow God in faith, but one should act like a responsible citizen by being
constantly worried until the manifestation of God’s provision should come through.
I hated this anxiety. Anxiety is the child of fear, and it grows up quickly into a hideous
monster. Now I was hearing the Spirit say that it was not God’s will for anxiety to be in my
heart. All worry was to be put away. Peace and confidence were to be the habit and mindset
of the believer. During the past two weeks since I had placed both feet in the water I was
able to experience a peace and confidence that had previously eluded me. On this day in
particular I experienced a boldness in knowing that God would certainly meet our needs.
About 2:30 in the afternoon the mail came and there was no money in it, only a bank
statement telling me I was $1.22 in the hole. I was at peace even in seeing this. I came into
my room and knelt by the bed and prayed, expressing my needs to God. I thanked God that
I knew His eyes were on us, and I was trusting in Him. I ended by telling God that I was
experiencing such peace that I believed I could sleep in the stern of the boat at this time
while the storm raged around me.
When I got up I felt led to check my bank balance online, and when I did I found that
a deposit had been made into our account for $500. This was unanticipated, and it came
from a Christian brother halfway around the world. I cannot express how much joy flooded
my soul. It was not just that we had some money, but it was a testimony of the fact that God
is present and watching us every minute. He knows our needs so intimately and is able and
willing to provide. I began singing the 23rd Psalm "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not
want..."
For the next hour I went around the house singing to God and praising Him for His
love and watchfulness over us. I looked forward to my wife and children coming home so
that I could share this miracle of provision with them. When they arrived we all sat down
and my wife asked if she could share first. She told me that a lady at the meeting, the wife
of an elder at the church, came up to her and gave her forty dollars. She told Tony that they
really wanted us to continue to come to church and they knew it was a long drive, so they
wanted to give us gas money to get there.
What an answer this was to my prayer that morning. I had asked the Father that if it
was His will for us to go to church that He would provide money for gas. Here was money
given to us for the express purpose of being used to purchase gas to drive to church. The
Father could not have answered my prayer more specifically. This woman did not just give
us money for expenses. It was for gas. Neither was it for gas to drive anywhere, but to
enable us to drive to church. What a confirmation this was to us that God wanted us to
attend this fellowship of believers.
When I then shared my news with the family, they were awestruck. What incredible
good it did me to see my children and wife exulting in the faithful provision of the Father.
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack for any good thing. All of these things were
conspiring together to raise the level of my hope and expectancy that God would at this time
raise up the people of faith I had long prayed for. I felt a deep excitement about upcoming
events.