I was called out of the “world’s system” in August 2008 and I can truly say with no exaggeration that life has never been the same. I’ve written about this in many of my previous entries so I will not go into too much detail about it now; however, I do urge you to read about it through the links I’ve provided for you below, but for now, I will simply say that Deuteronomy 8:2-4 pretty much summarizes this experience:
And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Up until the day I resigned, I was more Naima-dependent than God-dependent. Like most people, I was dependent on my abilities to pay the bills, which usually consisted of working for a company. I’m a single mom of 4 children, three of which live at home, and I am a homeowner. I considered myself financially responsible and I enjoyed knowing that every now and again I could splurge on family vacations, shopping, etc. I was far from rich, and like most adults today, I had acquired a lot of debt; however, I had an excellent payment history, and with some cards, I even paid the balances off monthly so that it didn’t accrue interest. Overtime I had developed a somewhat comfortable lifestyle, and the more money I had saved in the bank, the more secure I felt. However, ALL of this changed about 13-14 months ago.
When God led me out of my “Egypt” and into the wilderness, He didn’t tell me His plans neither did he tell me what would come next. It was very similar to Genesis 12:1 where the LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” God did not provide me with an itinerary or schematics for the journey ahead. All I knew were 3 things; I knew I was acting out of obedience, faith and love. In retrospect I realize that is a powerful combination, but at the time, I was a basket case because I didn’t know why God would ask me to do something so extreme and life-changing. Moreover, how was I going to take care of my family?
So here we are today.
Why did I title this entry Faith That Pays the Bills?
Over the last 13 or so months I realized that I heavily relied on having money, and the more of it I had, the more secure I felt. But God does not need money to make things happen. Before I proceed, let me make 2 things clear:
1) I DO NOT suggest nor recommend that anyone decide to quit their jobs! The only exception is if you know without doubt this was what God told you to do, which was my case. My leaving was an act of obedience to something I knew God was telling me to do.
2) I IN NO MEANS SUGGEST that we do not need money nor that we are not to earn it. Money is necessity in life and that is a common fact.
Do understand that my testimony is one that may fall under the “miraculous”; as there is no way that I could do this in my own strength or outside of God’s grace. And that is I am trying to make.
The one thing God did tell me prior to leaving is that He’d sustain me during the season of transition; however, He never said how He’d do it. And in all honesty, that’s what had me stir crazy at times because He wouldn’t tell me the details of His plans, and I am the type of person who always likes to know things ahead of time. There were times when I would have panic attacks because I didn’t know what was going to happen to me and my family and I would go to Him crying, “Lord, what am I suppose to do?” When you’ve been one who always relied upon money and your ability to get it, going through something like this is indeed a soul-shocker. I’d pray, I’d cry, I’d ask for simple instruction. His response; trust Him and have faith.
A funny thing is that prior to all of this, I thought I was one with strong faith; however, this experience taught me that wasn’t true. You see, it’s easy to say you trust the Lord when He’s doing everything you want and expect Him to do, but can you trust Him when He shuts off your money source? Will you stand in faith while staring at ‘Final Notices’ and a $0 bank statement? Will your answer still be yes if He flipped your world upside down and you had no clue as to what He was doing?
I’ve learned a valuable lesson through all of this and I told the Lord that I would tell everyone about what He’s done! How is it that a household of 4 is being sustained? Even during a time of famine? There were even times when my then pregnant daughter had to live with me for a few months (making us a family of 5); however, we were all taken care of. It’s hard to believe, I’m sure, but I’m reminded of Psalms 30:5 in which the Psalmist says that God’s favor lasts a lifetime. The favor of God supersedes any resource man could ever have, and can open doors and opportunities that money cannot. His favor can be what stands between life and death. It was God’s favor that saved the children of Israel from the fury of Pharaoh and His army when they were camped by the Red Sea. No amount of money could’ve caused the Red Sea to part as it did to allow the children of Israel to crossover on dry land. Now that, my dear, is God’s favor.
Many men and women of God throughout the Bible knew about the power of God’s favor, which is why they often sought it. Nehemiah sought God’s favor before going to speak to the King about rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall. The psalmist in Psalms 106:4 says unto God, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation.” Daniel had the favor of the Lord (Daniel 1:9) as with his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3). King Solomon, the wisest man of all times says in Proverbs 8:35-36, “For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord” (AMP); and again in Proverbs 3:3-4 says “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Joseph had the favor of God rested on his life (Genesis 39:2-4):
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
I can go on and on, but the Bible is the best place to learn more about God’s favor. His favor protects, rescues, sustains, provides, and even causes increase; however, as with all other things in the Kingdom of God, it is your faith that releases the power of God in your life. Having faith will cause unusual things to happen. There is no way I can explain my current circumstances, and even if I could, it wouldn’t make much sense. Faith never does. Faith requires us to believe despite what our senses, what we can see, hear, touch, taste or smell, experience. This is why the enemy invests so much time playing on our senses. When God tells us something will happen, we receive this with gladness at that time; however, we forget that the enemy begins to work to get us to doubt God’s Word by manipulating what we can see, feel or touch. The next thing we know, we are saying, “Will this really happen? Did I hear wrong?” Faith demands that you are not moved by your senses, and the enemy works very hard to make us focus on our senses; thereby causing fear and doubt to set in which usually leads to us abandoning our faith.
I’d love to say that the last time I ever had doubt was about a year, but that’s not true. The last fit I had was a few days ago. I’d go into morning prayer and receive strength from God through prayer, praise, reading Scriptures, and meditation. Since I knew I couldn’t make it without faith, I began to do things to increase my faith such as studying God’s Word so that His Word could take root deep within my heart and mind. I’d go through my day listening to Bible teachers like Dr. Charles Stanley and T.D. Jakes. I’d have a Holy Ghost good time, growing in the Lord, studying His Word and learning more and more to trust Him. Then the mailman would come….and in his hand is a wad of ‘notices’ and letters from collectors. A few days ago it was a letter from my mortgage company, which sent me into a panic attack and led me right back to God to renew my strength. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve done this, especially during this process; however, I can say that overtime it started happening less frequent. Now, instead of allowing fear and doubt to seize my mind, I reaffirm my faith by saying, “Lord, I trust You.” I learned to verbalize my faith and not verbalize fear, and I aggressively pursue building my faith. Again, it took a while to get to this point, but I am truly thankful that I serve a forbearing God.
Our faith is not optional but essential and absolutely critical; for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith can cause blind men to see, the leprous to be cleaned, the sick to be healed, and even the dead to rise. It’s an absolutely powerful force and it releases the supernatural power of God, such as His favor, in your life!
MY PRAYER FOR YOU
I pray that you stay in faith and that you allow God to take you from faith to faith and glory to glory. I pray that you stand firm in your faith during the storms, and not be moved regardless of what you see, hear or feel. I pray that each day that faith increases, as you meditate on the Word of God. These things I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!
eJournal Site: “Living Under God’s Favor” at www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog
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Great message, am encouraged and wish to request your permission to use your message to encourage other people who are going through trying moments. God bless you always
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Thank You Thank You. I can so relate to your testomony it was as if you were writing about my life. Thank you for your honesty….
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