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We should never think it difficult when God asks us to do something. Most
likely when God lays a burden on our heart, it will be to our benefit
sooner or later. In this message we read how God will take the little that
we have to offer and by our obedience in giving; He will give to us the
desires of our heart.
I hope you'll be blessed and encouraged by this simple message that shows
how God will always work it out for our benefit.
A Coincidence?
I was very proud of my daughter Emily. At only 9 years old, she had been
carefully saving her allowance money all year and trying to earn extra
money by doing small jobs around the neighborhood. Emily was determined
to save enough to buy a girl's mountain bike, an item for which she'd been
longing for. She'd been faithfully putting her money away since the
beginning of the year.
"How are you doing, honey?" I asked soon after Thanksgiving. I knew she
had hoped to have all the money she needed by the end of the year. "I have
forty-nine dollars, Daddy," she said. "I'm not sure if I'm going to make."
"You've worked so hard," I said encouragingly. "Keep it up. But you know
that you can have your pick from my bicycle collection" "Thanks Daddy. But
your bikes are so old." I smiled to myself because I knew she was right.
As a collector of vintage bicycles, all my girls' bikes were 1950's
models--not the kind a kid would choose today.
When the Christmas season arrived, Emily and I went comparison shopping
and she saw several less expensive bikes for which she thought she'd have
to settle. As we left one store, she noticed a Salvation Army volunteer
ringing his bell by a big kettle. "Can we give them something Daddy?" She
asked. "Sorry, I'm out of change," I replied.
She continued to work hard all through December; it seemed she might make
her goal after all. Then suddenly one day, she came downstairs to the
kitchen and made an announcement to her mother.
"Mom," she said hesitantly, "You know all the money I've been saving?"
"Yes dear," smiled my wife Diane. "God told me to give it to the poor
people." Diane knelt down to Emily's level. "That's a very kind thought
sweetheart. But you've been saving all year. Maybe you could give some
of it." Emily shook her head vigorously. "God said all."
When we saw how serious she was, we gave her various suggestions about
where she could contribute. But Emily had received specific instructions,
and so one cold Sunday morning before Christmas, with little fanfare, she
handed her total savings of $58 to a surprised and grateful Salvation Army
volunteer.
Moved by Emily's selflessness, I suddenly noticed that a local car dealer
was collecting used bicycles to refurbish and give to poor children for
Christmas. And I realized that if my nine-year-old daughter could give
away all her money, I could certainly give up one bike from my collection.
As I picked up a shiny but old-fashioned kid's bike from the line in the
garage, it seemed as if a second bicycle in the line took on a glow. Should
I give a second bike? No, certainly this one would be enough. But as I got
to my car, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should donate that second
bike as well. If Emily could follow Heavenly instructions, I decided I
could too. I turned back and loaded the second bike into the trunk, then
took off to the dealership.
When I delivered the bikes, the car dealer thanked me and said, "You're
making two kids very happy, Mr. Koper. And here are your tickets."
"Tickets?" I asked. "Yes. For each bike donated, we're giving away one
chance to win a brand new man's 21-speed mountain bike from a local bike
shop. So here are your tickets for two chances."
Why wasn't I surprised when that second ticket won the bike? "I can't
believe you won!" Laughed Diane, delighted. "I didn't," I said. "It's
pretty clear that Emily did."
And why wasn't I surprised when the bike dealer happily substituted a
gorgeous new girls mountain bike for the man's bike advertised?
Coincidence? Maybe. I like to think it was God's way of rewarding a little
girl for a sacrifice beyond her years--while giving her dad a lesson in
charity and the power of the Lord.
By: Ed Koper
I want you to know that obeying God's voice will always bring forth
blessings upon your life in ways you never imagined. No matter what God
asks you to do, there is always something in the midst of His request that
has to do with you being blessed in return. (James 1:17)
Be encouraged in the Lord and never let this world get you down or second-
guess what God has put on your heart. He promises to lead you into the
paths of righteousness for His name's sake and while obeying His Word, you
will always be the head and not the tail. (Psalm 23:3) (Deuteronomy 28:13)
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Psalm 37:3-5 "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the
land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and
He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the
LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct thy paths."
All scriptures can be found in the King James Version.
In Christ Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry
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