Good morning! Man! It feels so good to have gotten a really good night sleep. I just feel great this morning! My husband took me out for my birthday last night, so that was nice. We had a great time and enjoyed a yummy dinner at one of our favorites, Carrabba's.
Well... we're going to change things up a little bit with these devotions. As the Lord leads, I'm just going to uncover some truths I/we've learned along the way. Some of those truths that really either built our faith or rocked our foundation. SO... I hope you enjoy. Our Proverbs/Psalms journey has temporarily come to an end, but feel free to continue reading them.
Indiana Tournament of Champions. One day. 9 events & scholarship money to the top 4 contenders. This would be the 3rd year that I participated, and I was coming back as the returning Champion. The previous year, I had walked away with the grand prize of $2500 in scholarship money, and boy did that help. My track and cross country scholarships did not pay for everything, so I worked through college, had loans, applied for grants, and looked for any type of scholarships I could acquire.
This year, this time it was different. For some reason, over the last month I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to just dig into the Word. In my flesh, it seemed natural that I should be training, I should be practicing. Swimming, tennis, running, basketball, golf... I should be working on my skills. I really needed that $2500. But, this time, this year, I wasn't released to spend all that time practicing. Matthew. The Holy Spirit had me just devouring the book of Matthew. I was reading it. And re-reading it. It was becoming real and alive to me. Mornings at my parents house, out by the pool, sitting in the gazebo just taking notes, journaling, reading. A whole month worth.
I traveled to Michigan to a friends graduation reception. Her uncle had come in from Las Vegas.... wouldn't you know, that one night we were in the living room and the door opened and he just began asking questions about God, Jesus... about specific things I had been reading and studying for the whole month. Each question went right back to an area in Matthew where I had studied, and I was able to share, chapter & verse, answers to his questions. I believed I was placed there for that time, ready, prepared to share with him.
Back home... the Saturday had come. The Tournament of Champions was here. I returned, the hope of another victory in my heart. I really needed this money for school. As the day flew by, event after event, it all came to a close. Me, the returning Champion, turned in a 4th place performance. $500. I got in my car and the tears began to come. They were streaming down my face. I remember banging on my steering wheel. "LORD! I needed that money! I need that for school!"
Tears streaming down my face, I drove home, stopped at the mail box on my way in the drive. An envelope addressed to me caught my attention. I opened it. Inside was a check for $2500. 'Congratulations. You have received this grant for school.' Tears began to stream again. The Lord hadn't forgotten me. It wasn't his plan for me to win the Tournament of Champions this year. He had provided!
And Phil. 4:19 was real to me, AND MY GOD shall LIBERALLY supply ALL of my needs according to HIS RICHES in glory in Christ Jesus! Praise the Lord! It hadn't happened how I thought it would, but God had supplied and met more than my need. He had LIBERALLY supplied me. I was so thankful. What a wonderful lesson. And I have continued to watch His Word be real and alive to me. His Word come to life. His Word be true!
So today.... will you trust. Will you trust that God WILL supply your need! He won't let you down.
Well... we're going to change things up a little bit with these devotions. As the Lord leads, I'm just going to uncover some truths I/we've learned along the way. Some of those truths that really either built our faith or rocked our foundation. SO... I hope you enjoy. Our Proverbs/Psalms journey has temporarily come to an end, but feel free to continue reading them.
Phil. 4:19 - And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.I was in college, this was over 10 years ago that the realization of this truth first became alive to me. So will you travel back with me.... it was somewhere around 1999.
Indiana Tournament of Champions. One day. 9 events & scholarship money to the top 4 contenders. This would be the 3rd year that I participated, and I was coming back as the returning Champion. The previous year, I had walked away with the grand prize of $2500 in scholarship money, and boy did that help. My track and cross country scholarships did not pay for everything, so I worked through college, had loans, applied for grants, and looked for any type of scholarships I could acquire.
This year, this time it was different. For some reason, over the last month I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to just dig into the Word. In my flesh, it seemed natural that I should be training, I should be practicing. Swimming, tennis, running, basketball, golf... I should be working on my skills. I really needed that $2500. But, this time, this year, I wasn't released to spend all that time practicing. Matthew. The Holy Spirit had me just devouring the book of Matthew. I was reading it. And re-reading it. It was becoming real and alive to me. Mornings at my parents house, out by the pool, sitting in the gazebo just taking notes, journaling, reading. A whole month worth.
I traveled to Michigan to a friends graduation reception. Her uncle had come in from Las Vegas.... wouldn't you know, that one night we were in the living room and the door opened and he just began asking questions about God, Jesus... about specific things I had been reading and studying for the whole month. Each question went right back to an area in Matthew where I had studied, and I was able to share, chapter & verse, answers to his questions. I believed I was placed there for that time, ready, prepared to share with him.
Back home... the Saturday had come. The Tournament of Champions was here. I returned, the hope of another victory in my heart. I really needed this money for school. As the day flew by, event after event, it all came to a close. Me, the returning Champion, turned in a 4th place performance. $500. I got in my car and the tears began to come. They were streaming down my face. I remember banging on my steering wheel. "LORD! I needed that money! I need that for school!"
Tears streaming down my face, I drove home, stopped at the mail box on my way in the drive. An envelope addressed to me caught my attention. I opened it. Inside was a check for $2500. 'Congratulations. You have received this grant for school.' Tears began to stream again. The Lord hadn't forgotten me. It wasn't his plan for me to win the Tournament of Champions this year. He had provided!
And Phil. 4:19 was real to me, AND MY GOD shall LIBERALLY supply ALL of my needs according to HIS RICHES in glory in Christ Jesus! Praise the Lord! It hadn't happened how I thought it would, but God had supplied and met more than my need. He had LIBERALLY supplied me. I was so thankful. What a wonderful lesson. And I have continued to watch His Word be real and alive to me. His Word come to life. His Word be true!
So today.... will you trust. Will you trust that God WILL supply your need! He won't let you down.
5 comments:
Saw evidence of this today in my life. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Amy, I am sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks as I recall that day! And the amazing way God taught you His faithfulness! WHAT A TESTIMONY!
But then I thought back a year before when you won the Tournament of Champions. I remember the final event - the golf tournament. We knew there was a girl who was playing golf in college on a scholarship and you barely knew how to swing a club. You hit an amazing shot and won the event. I remember standing on the sidelines and yelling "GOD IS FAITHFUL!" You could have never hit that ball so perfect without divine intervention. That first place was the score you needed to WIN the championship. I was so proud of you that day, as I am today. Everyday that you sit down and write these amazing devotions, I am touched by the wisdom God has given you to share. It's like winning the Tournament of Champions all over again, but this time it's about changing peoples' lives, being used by God in a truly amazing way. God bless you Amy Jo! I love you so much and have the greatest admiration for how God is using you!
A.J. Thanks for sharing this. I didn't even know about this...I mean, I'm sure I was there. And I SURELY remember u reading in the gazebo every morning. That was probably also the summer that u have a "date with Jesus" at the lake and u left me that note with the little man on it. :D
Anyway...I found the tears rolling too Mom!!! When u sat in ur car and started to cry...I could see u at the middle school crying. :'( I wanted to hug u. I still wanna hug u. :D Then the grant...whoa!!
I didn't know about the Matthew thing...or the Vegas guy. Way to bring a story full circle. Wonder why I didn't know about that stuff??? I'm EXCITED to read ur book!!! :D Wonder what else I don't know about???
<3 u!!! ur such an amazing person!!
Thank you all for your comments! Praise GOD for his faithfulness!!! :) He surely is Jehovah Jirah - God our Provider!
And Kimmi... that was a very sweet summer spent with YOU! I enjoyed our Bible studies at the gazebo. I miss those times, but look forward for more times to come like that in the future.
xoxo! :)
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