The God Who Sees

"We can't accept this money". 

Daphne and I have been counseling a young couple, and we felt the time had come for them to go out on a date and enjoy themselves without discussing any of their "issues".  There was only one problem: they are pretty short on cash, and the wife has just made a courageous, faith decision to quit her job in order to spend more time with their two year old son Jake.  The husband was doing his best to refuse the cash that I'd slid across the table, but I told him that if he didn't take it I would just leave it on the table.  "I know you WILL just leave it, but I don't want to accept it.  You guys don't make enough money to help us... we should be helping YOU."  "Why don't you let us worry about our money" I replied.  "Besides, while I was sitting here, God told me that I should give you this money, so if you refuse it you're being disobedient to God",  I said with a smile.  I wasn't lying, because I did believe the Lord prompted me to give them the money -- but I admit it is a little unfair to pull out the "God" card at times like these. 

Why is it that we have so much trouble receiving grace from others?  Most of us are great gift-givers, but we're terrible gift-receivers.  Let's be honest, it boils down to plain, old Pride.  The Lord dealt with me in this area several years ago when I tried to refuse a gift of money from a dear friend.  He basically told me the same thing I told this young couple, that he believed he was responding to a prompting from the Spirit of God, and my refusal to receive the gift was tantamount to rejecting God's provision for my needs.  We pray to God and ask Him to provide for us, then almost in the same breath we turn around and reject the very provision we've asked for.  Our level of personal pride can be dumfounding at times, and it is a huge hindrance to our ability to hear God's voice in our lives.  Ever since my friend challenged my own unwillingness to receive I made the decision never to refuse a gift - no matter how inappropriate that gift may seem to me.  If we don't have a particular need at that moment then my conclusion is that God's plan is for us to "pay it forward" to someone else in need.  One thing's for sure: a gift will never go to waste.

We serve Jehovah Jireh - "The God Who Sees".  He sees our needs.  He sees our longings.  He knows what we need before we ask Him.   Then why do we find it so hard to let go and truly REST in His perfect love for us?  GOD is our provider - not us.  He possesses infinite resources, and He can choose to use any of them to provide for our needs.  Case in point:  the young couple I mentioned above.  They did go out on a date per our instructions, and they chose a very swanky steak restaurant, well known for their excellent food and service.  They had a $40 gift card for this restaurant that the wife had received from her boss, as well as the cash from us.  In spite of this relative "abundance", when she looked at the prices on the menu she started calculating in her head, and she decided (on her own) that they couldn't afford the meal.  Her husband saw that she wasn't going to order what she really wanted to have, but instead was looking for the cheapest item on the menu.  He told her that the meal was a gift, and they could afford to spend a little of their own money and "splurge" a bit for once.  In spite of his insistence, she just couldn't bring herself to let go of her mental calculations and eventually ordered a small steak, shared a starter and only ordered water to drink. 

When it came time to pay the bill they gave the waitress the gift card, another coupon they had and our cash - and added another $15 of their own money to make up the difference.  The waitress returned with their cash, and said that there was still a balance on the gift card - and they realized that the card was for $100 and not $40.  As soon as it dawned on them that they had money to spare, the wife said, "I immediately thought of Jim, and how he had just told us that we really CAN trust God to take care of our needs."  They left a very generous tip for the waitress, and left the restaurant having learned one more small lesson about "The God Who Sees."

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."    Matthew 6: 31-33