Answers to Prayer and Providential Blessings

By Allen A. Benson

 

 

Answer 36 A Warning Unhdeaded

 

 

 

I was sitting on a bench outside the door to our motel room in Susanville, CA, contemplating our financial problems. It was the end of the month, we were out of money, our check card was defunct by request as someone was making unauthorized withdrawals from our checking account. We were in bad shape financially, yet I wasn’t worried for our trust was in the Lord.

 

 

One sin above others, married my relationship with the Lord, I had an unusually big sweet tooth. You may object to my description of enjoyment of sweets as a sin, but anything we love more then we love Christ is idolatry, and idolatry is a sin. An occasional sweet isn’t harmful, yet my consumption of sweets was not only harmful but had largely led to our present financial problems.

 

 

Several weeks earlier, foreseeing our future need, the Lord urged me to eat potatoes. While He said nothing about sweets, the implied warning, which I was not slow to discern, concerned the possibility of running out of grocery money before the end of the month because of my poor habits. As potatoes are cheap and wholesome food, His urging was as much a financial advisory as nutritional counsel. Reluctantly, I headed His warning, but refused to quit eating candy bars and potato chips.

 

 

Had I listened to His caution, ceased my consumption of sweets and chips, we might yet have enough grocery money to last the month. While sitting in the fresh (polluted) air of downtown Susanville, the motel owner walked by, paused, and inquired if we had enough money for the rest of the month. Earlier that day, I had informed her of our financial problems, thus she was concerned about our welfare. She offered to loan us $20.00.

 

 

While she was cleaning the room, and after her offer, I was pondering our problems and the effect my addiction to sugar had when the Lord spoke to me. Over the years, I can recall many times God has addressed me directly, thus I recognized His voice when He spoke on this occasion.

 

 

“You are not yet ready to stop eating junk food.” Spoken in a neutral tone, neither condemning nor praising, His voice was inaudible to any other then myself, yet, in mercy, He reminded me that my sin, of idolatry, was primarily responsible for our present problems.

 

 

God is of tender pity and exceedingly merciful. After supplying our needs, he pointed out the plague spot in my heart without condemnation. How tender of our feelings is our Lord who condescended to talk with me about my sin and its effects. Could any person, even those imbued with the love of the Lord, have addressed me with such kindness.

 

 

We truly serve a merciful Lord!

 

 

P.S. I continue to struggle over the issue of surrendering my will to the Lord.

 

 

 

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