The Lord Abundantly Provides

So, I haven't posted about this on the blog yet, but Jordan lost his job right after Owen was born. Whenever I say that, people then ask if his employer was cutting back because of the economy, and I have to say no, he was fired. It was his fault, and he has learned from his mistake and is moving on. Needless to say, this has made our summer more exciting!

Jordan has a new job starting on August 24. He is actually hoping to find a better position before then, but if he can't find anything else, at least we know he has a job starting Aug. 24. He has also been getting unemployment, which helps.

Although this trial has not been fun, we have seen the Lord work in ways that we would not if life was easy! Just one example...

Aidan turned 6 on Wednesday. He didn't have much of a birthday list this time, and we were having a hard time figuring out what to get him that wouldn't cost much and that he would actually play with. (Now that he is older, it seems like all the toys are ugly action figures or video games...) He wanted a nerf gun that shoots a whole bunch of darts at one time. His friend has one, and he played with it at his house. I couldn't find the nerf gun, and couldn't come up with anything else to get him. I did buy a basketball because I knew he wanted one of those. The night before his birthday, Jordan ran out to Target to get wrapping paper and decided to scan the clearance racks in the toy dept. just in case. He found the exact nerf gun that Aidan wanted marked down 30% off! I told Aidan that I wanted him to know that the Lord provided that nerf gun for him. Aidan seemed to really get it and said, "Yeah, He made Dad go to Target at just the right time to find that gun!"

I have been reading the book of Deuteronomy. The setting of Deuteronomy is Moses addressing the nation of Israel just before they enter the land promised to them. They have just finished wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, which was punishment for their disobedience. God humbled the people during the 40 years in which they wandered - it says in Deut. 8:3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

If God can speak food into existence, then surely he can take care of us during this difficult time. He provided for the Israelites out of His great mercy despite their sin against Him, and He will provide for us. Food may sustain us, but God is the one who provides the food. We are in a place of being humbled - of realizing that God is the one who gives the ability to make wealth.

May God alone be praised!